I'm Sorry, Sort of...

Just one short post ago I choked out an apology to former FEMA director Michael Brown. Well, I just watched Brown on Hardball and I'm so confused.

Michael Brown has done a great job on the T.V. lately. If the "Katrina tapes" show anything significant, beyond the fact that the president is a boob, it's that Brown was on top of things before the hurricane hit. Suddenly the caricature of Michael Brown slipped away. The incompetent became competent. However, as I say in the comments to the last post, Michael Brown is still one of THEM and he showed his true stripes on Hardball tonight.

When asked if he thought President Bush was a good chief executive, Brown said, "Yes." Sorry, but that hurts. Just when I wanted to like the guy he showed his ass-kissing side. He was too deferential to, and too apologetic for, the president. He even rated Bush a five for overall disaster performance. Maybe a five if Bush had left the guitar and the cake on Air Force One. It's hard for me to imagine that, at this late date, the man is still paying lip service to the president. I guess it's just the nature of Republicans to keep lips firmly on ass no matter what. Sorry, Michael, you lost a bit of your new luster there.

Brown also threw out the understatement of the year. At one point he states, "Heat, everyone was under heat because [the disaster reaction] wasn't as good as we wanted it to be." No, it wasn't "as good," it was a colossal failure. I'm tempted to use the ass word right here, but I'll hold back.

So, on the one hand, I have a man who appears to be qualified, competent, and strong (he did manage to tear Homeland Security Chief Chertoff a new one) and on the other hand, I have this apparent partisan hack. I believe the partisan-hacking makes him look weak. The man was buried by his own. His crony friends turned on him worse than wife mantis on hubby mantis. He was absolutely hung out to dry and yet he still managed to say a good word. Some may find that endearing. I find it John "they called my baby black" McCain weak.

I don't know. Like I said I'm confused. I don't take my apology back, but I still feel like I must qualify it a bit. Michael Brown, um, sorry, I guess?

P.S. If you're looking for some fashion advice, I have inside word that Chertoff is the new Brown.