ITEMS IN THE NEWS

Former FEMA Director Michael Brown spoke at KU last night, and it was a tell-all if there ever was one.
From the Topeka Capital-Journal:
"While he pointed a finger at the Bush administration for its handling of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, Brown also pointed another back at himself.
"'I accept blame for what went wrong, too,' he said.
Brown said he lied to the American public about what was being done by FEMA in response to the hurricane and should have 'crumpled up the White House talking points.'
"He remembers saying FEMA was moving more cots, food, blankets and rescuers into the Gulf Coast than it had for any other disaster in the United States. But, he said, his words were 'meaningless' because there weren't enough supplies and personnel to meet the victims' needs and they weren't getting to where they needed to go.
"'I should not have lied,' he said.
When asked by an audience member what stopped him from telling the truth, Brown replied, 'People get fired for telling the truth.; He said government officials are often faced with becoming whistleblowers or trying to change the system from within.
"He said lying is a 'systemic problem' in Washington, but 'when it comes to life and death issues, you should really tell the truth.'"
Well, duh.
--R.J. Dickens