Micheal Brown PADS his resume! Who wouda thunk it?

[Maeve_Mari]

Another BUSH Crony Pads His Resume! Who Wouda Thunk It?

http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...103003,00.html

How Reliable Is Brown's Resume?
A TIME investigation reveals discrepancies in the FEMA chief's official biographies
By DAREN FONDA AND RITA HEALY
Posted Thursday, Sep. 08, 2005

When President Bush nominated Michael Brown to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2003, Brown's boss at the time, Joe Allbaugh, declared, "the President couldn't have chosen a better man to help...prepare and protect the nation." But how well was he prepared for the job? Since Hurricane Katrina, the FEMA director has come under heavy criticism for his performance and scrutiny of his background. Now, an investigation by TIME has found discrepancies in his online legal profile and official bio, including a description of Brown released by the White House at the time of his nomination in 2001 to the job as deputy chief of FEMA. On Friday, Brown, who became director of FEMA in 2003, was relieved of his duties handling the Katrina response and was replaced in that role by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen.

Before joining FEMA, his only previous stint in emergency management, according to his bio posted on FEMA's website, was "serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight." The White House press release from 2001 stated that Brown worked for the city of Edmond, Okla., from 1975 to 1978 "overseeing the emergency services division." In fact, according to Claudia Deakins, head of public relations for the city of Edmond, Brown was an "assistant to the city manager" from 1977 to 1980, not a manager himself, and had no authority over other employees. "The assistant is more like an intern," she told TIME. "Department heads did not report to him." Brown did do a good job at his humble position, however, according to his boss. "Yes. Mike Brown worked for me. He was my administrative assistant. He was a student at Central State University," recalls former city manager Bill Dashner. "Mike used to handle a lot of details. Every now and again I'd ask him to write me a speech. He was very loyal. He was always on time. He always had on a suit and a starched white shirt."

In response, Nicol Andrews, deputy strategic director in FEMA's office of public affairs, insists that while Brown began as an intern, he became an "assistant city manager" with a distinguished record of service. "According to Mike Brown," she says, "a large portion is very inaccurate."

Brown's lack of experience in emergency management isn't the only apparent bit of padding on his resume, which raises questions about how rigorously the White House vetted him before putting him in charge of FEMA. Under the "honors and awards" section of his profile at FindLaw.com — which is information on the legal website provided by lawyers or their offices—he lists "Outstanding Political Science Professor, Central State University". However, Brown "wasn't a professor here, he was only a student here," says Charles Johnson, News Bureau Director in the University Relations office at the University of Central Oklahoma (formerly named Central State University). "He may have been an adjunct instructor," says Johnson, but that title is very different from that of "professor." Carl Reherman, a former political science professor at the University through the '70s and '80s, says that Brown "was not on the faculty." As for the honor of "Outstanding Political Science Professor," Johnson says, "I spoke with the department chair yesterday and he's not aware of it." Johnson could not confirm that Brown made the Dean's list or was an "Outstanding Political Science Senior," as is stated on his online profile.

Speaking for Brown, Andrews says that Brown has never claimed to be a political science professor, in spite of what his profile in FindLaw indicates. "He was named the outstanding political science senior at Central State, and was an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City School of Law."

Under the heading of "Professional Associations and Memberships" on FindLaw, Brown states that from 1983 to the present he has been director of the Oklahoma Christian Home, a nursing home in Edmond. But an administrator with the Home told TIME that Brown is "not a person that anyone here is familiar with." She says there was a board of directors until a couple of years ago, but she couldn't find anyone who recalled him being on it. According to FEMA's Andrews, Brown said "he's never claimed to be the director of the home. He was on the board of directors, or governors of the nursing home." However, a veteran employee at the center since 1981 says Brown "was never director here, was never on the board of directors, was never executive director. He was never here in any capacity. I never heard his name mentioned here."

The FindLaw profile for Brown was amended on Thursday to remove a reference to his tenure at the International Arabian Horse Association, which has become a contested point.

Brown's FindLaw profile lists a wide range of areas of legal practice, from estate planning to family law to sports. However, one former colleague does not remember Brown's work as sterling. Stephen Jones, a prominent Oklahoma lawyer who was lead defense attorney on the Timothy McVeigh case, was Brown's boss for two-and-a-half years in the early '80s. "He did mainly transactional work, not litigation," says Jones. "There was a feeling that he was not serious and somewhat shallow." Jones says when his law firm split, Brown was one of two staffers who was let go.

[Maeve_Mari]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._nm/brown_dc_2

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has quietly revised the official biography of its embattled director, Michael Brown, to correct an error about his background in local government following allegations he exaggerated his disaster relief experience.

Already under fire for a slow response to Hurricane Katrina, Brown was pulled out of the Gulf Coast operations on Friday and recalled to Washington. President George W. Bush is under pressure from Democrats to fire him.

Brown's biography on FEMA's Web site, www.fema.gov, was updated at just after 5 p.m. on Sunday to revise his title while working in local government in Edmond, Oklahoma, in the 1970s.

One correction was made to make clear that Brown had not served as "an assistant city manager," as had been stated in his biography. The new biography states that Brown served as "an assistant to the city manager."

FEMA also revised Brown's role in emergency planning at the time.

The revised biography states that "his background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant to the city manager with emergency services oversight responsibility."

The old biography said "his background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight."

FEMA spokesman Matt Burns played down the change in Brown's biography, calling it "a clerical typing error that has since been corrected."

The changes were made after accusations last week that Brown had exaggerated his background in disaster relief in his official biography and resume.

A December 2001 press release still on the White House Web site says Brown worked for the city of Edmond from 1975 to 1978 "overseeing emergency services divisions."

Bush had initially given Brown a public vote of confidence, telling him, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," even though that same day Bush had called the initial relief effort "unacceptable."

In place of Brown, Vice Admiral Thad Allen, chief of staff of the U.S. Coast Guard, has been put in charge of the relief effort on the ground.

Brown, a lawyer, served as commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association before joining FEMA in 2001. He served as FEMA's deputy director and general counsel before becoming director.

[Philistine]

Brown resigned today.

Article

--Philistine

[esskreemr]

Hmmm... he's appointed and then confirmed by a committe hearing. Could he be brought up on federal charges of providing false testimony, perjury? That would be fun.

On a more serious note, what kind of background check do these people get for God's sake?! The head of a Department within our beloved US Department of Homeland Security. Wow! Our last, best hope for national defense could have easily been comprimised by terrorists.

I submit that we must now reconfirm all of Bush's nominees. Even better, hold them in isolation at Guantanamo until they have been thoroughly been checked. Maybe use some Bush Admin approved interrogation techniques to beat...I mean, get the truth out of them. You know, make sure they aren't working for the Saudis. You can never be too sure these days.

[esskreemr]

Originally Posted by Philistine

Brown resigned today.

Article

--Philistine

Interesting quote:
"As I told the president, it is important that I leave now to avoid further distraction from the ongoing mission of FEMA."

Seems like you've resigned about a year too late. Don't worry, you still have a place in government. Hopefully in a federal prison somewhere for the criminally inept.

[Maeve_Mari]

Originally Posted by Philistine

Brown resigned today.

Article

--Philistine

Yea, I saw that too. He should have been fired. And I agree that lying to the Congress is a federal offence. Prosecute him for perjury too. We've impreached a President for lesser breaches of our national trust.

[Maeve_Mari]

Originally Posted by esskreemr

Interesting quote:
"As I told the president, it is important that I leave now to avoid further distraction from the ongoing mission of FEMA."

Seems like you've resigned about a year too late. Don't worry, you still have a place in government. Hopefully in a federal prison somewhere for the criminally inept.

Or perhaps the little thought bubble over his head could have said, "...it is important that I leave now to avoid staying in the public eye and reminding people that my perjerious crimes have resulted in some deadly disasters!"

[Slim]

Originally Posted by Maeve_Mari

Or perhaps the little thought bubble over his head could have said, "...it is important that I leave now to avoid staying in the public eye and reminding people that my perjerious crimes have resulted in some deadly disasters!"

What sort of retribution should the Mayor and Gov. face? After all, they were responsible for the first line evacuation and making the much delayed decision to bring in the feds. FEMA gets all the blame?

[Maeve_Mari]

Originally Posted by Slim

What sort of retribution should the Mayor and Gov. face? After all, they were responsible for the first line evacuation and making the much delayed decision to bring in the feds. FEMA gets all the blame?

Huh?

Micheal Brown, by lying and misrepresenting himself in front of a US Congressional hearing, submitting false documents as to his experiences and qualifications, should face due retribution.

[Slim]

Originally Posted by Maeve_Mari

Huh?

Micheal Brown, by lying and misrepresenting himself in front of a US Congressional hearing, submitting false documents as to his experiences and qualifications, should face due retribution.

Actually, I think you are trying to hang him for New Orleans. How do you know he lied under oath? Resume boosting is certainly not uncommon, but wrong nevertheless. Do you know what questions they asked him? Perhaps not the right ones. What exactly did he say under oath that was a lie?

I'm asking what you feel the Mayor and Governer should face for their part in the handling of the New Orleans disaster.

[Philistine]

Originally Posted by Slim

Actually, I think you are trying to hang him for New Orleans. How do you know he lied under oath? Resume boosting is certainly not uncommon, but wrong nevertheless. Do you know what questions they asked him? Perhaps not the right ones. What exactly did he say under oath that was a lie?

At least the statement on his Affidavit of Biographical and Financial Information Required of Nominees in which he indicated he was the Assistant City Manager, Police, Fire & Emergency Services and also in his prepared answers (also under oath) where he reiterated the fact that he was an "Assistant City Manager" when in fact he was an intern, and an assistant to the City Manager, while he was attending college.

Transcript of Confirmation Hearing

How exactly this was missed by the FBI background check--on this high of a position in the Department of Homeland Security--is an interesting subsidiary question.

I'm asking what you feel the Mayor and Governer should face for their part in the handling of the New Orleans disaster.

Recall (if LA and NO law provides for it). Being defeated in the reelection. If they violated any laws, then prosecution.

FWIW--I think Blanco and Nagin share quite a lot of blame--but when it comes down to it, they don't affect the rest of the country. FEMA does--which is why (IMHO) you see more finger pointing at the federal response.

--Philistine