July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Will we learn our lesson? (9/12/05)

Editorial

Long after Michael Brown has departed the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the questions will linger?

Why in the world was a political appointee put in that job? And shouldn't there be some minimal requirements for a position of that responsibility?

The first question is easier to answer than the second.

A case can be made for having political appointees — rather than lifetime civil service bureaucrats — in top jobs. That's one way to bring about change and reform.

The second question has the Bush administration squirming, as well it should.

For Michael Brown, the biggest qualification seems to have been that he was the college roommate and buddy of his predecessor as the head of FEMA. And that guy's qualifications? He was President Bush's campaign manager.

Not exactly the A team when it comes to providing critical leadership in a crucial situation involving a natural disaster.

The president, of course, wasn't the only one to screw up. Congress did its share too.

The Senate, after all, had to confirm the president's appointment.

We're going to hear the words "advise and consent" a lot over the next few weeks as senators preen while dealing with the confirmation process for John Roberts as chief justice of the Supreme Court. But when it came to lower-level appointees like Brown and his predecessor, that process resembled a rubber stamp.

So, if we're serious about learning some lessons as a nation from this horrible series of events, maybe two of them should be these: The president ought to make sure that the person he appoints to manage natural disasters actually has some experience doing that. And the Senate ought to subject key appointees to greater scrutiny. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
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