FEMA official involved in fake press conference resigns.
By on Oct 27th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
FEMA official involved in fake press conference resigns.
On Tuesday, while “wildfires raged” in California, FEMA staged a live press conference at which agency staffers posed as journalists and asked softball questions. One of those staffers, Director of External Affairs John “Pat” Philbin, has now resigned. He has instead landed an “amazing opportunity” to head public affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
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It obviously doesn’t take intelligence to work in National Intelligence. Which, as long as King George the Dumb reigns, is the epitome of oxymorons. And just plain ones, morons that is, as far as that goes!
October 27th, 2007 at 5:13 pmThis administration moves people around more than the Catholic Church. And for similar reasons.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:14 pmMorons, indeed! Misanthropic Morons! How can anyone in this faux administration look at themselves in the mirror these days? Pathetic.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:15 pmWho better than a liar to work in P.R. for National Intelligence? He’ll be right at home.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:19 pmHe proved that his talents were wasted at FEMA – Anyone with that much creativity really is needed in a more crucial department. “Good job”, whatever your name is.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:28 pm“Good jobâ€, whatever your name is.
Comment by judyinnm — October 27, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
“God job”? “Hecka of a job!!” is more like it!
And he probably got a raise, to boot! And a medal!
October 27th, 2007 at 5:29 pmOnce again we see the kind of competence, ethics and morality that is rewarded in the Bush administration. One can certainly understand that the press and the public will be able to trust this fine, upstanding individual in his new position of trust and responsibility for such greater matters of state.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:37 pmHey, don’t worryaboutit. We always takes care of ours own.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:40 pmJohn “Pat†Philbin = CUA (Completely Useless American)
October 27th, 2007 at 5:42 pmThis is a joke … right?
October 27th, 2007 at 5:45 pmA lying incompetent weasel has found a cushy job in an office in the Bush administration!?
I am shocked, SHOCKED, I tell ya!!
/sarcasm off
October 27th, 2007 at 5:48 pmThis is off topic, but what happened with the 6 month Anniversary of the surge thread? I started reading it, went to post, saw it was closed and then when I refreshed it went Poof!
October 27th, 2007 at 5:49 pmMichael: You are being watched
October 27th, 2007 at 5:51 pmOnly in Bushworld….
October 27th, 2007 at 5:52 pmI first thought this was a joke – then I checked out the links – I do believe this administration is not only making a mockery of government, they are now blatantly playing the public for fools.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:57 pmThe fact that they continue to get away with this sh*t proves their point.
Nevermind…that was too weird. I came to TP and my computer posted a thread from July 10, 2007 about the 6 month anniversary of the “Surge”. Then when I refreshed I was back to today. Wow…that was weird…and it was a walk down memory lane. And how little has changed since then.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:57 pmWell DNI is getting a good man.
They can use all the con men they can get over there.
My question is why he isn’t getting put on Perino’s team.
October 27th, 2007 at 6:08 pmbilbo,
October 27th, 2007 at 6:11 pmwe all remember that we were told that by September, we would know if the surge is working.
we also knew that they would be sure to have us believe the surge is working (notice there is no news from Iraq any more?)
we are supposed to believe that only 40 military deaths this month are an enormous improvement.
there is no diplomatic solution on the horizon in Iraq.
I saw a cartoon today:
Cheney is saying :I was right. Compared to Iran,
Iraq is a cake walk.
They are making fools of us all.
How many Matrixes do we hafta wake up in before we get to the ‘real world?’ Republican ‘agents’ are everywhere, infecting and corrupting the system until the entire construct will resort to feeding on itself (and us.)
More fitting would be having the GOP nominate ‘Agent Smith’ as a candidate.
October 27th, 2007 at 6:39 pmI guess when you prove your ability to sling bullsh!t like this guy, why waste it at FEMA, a second-rate organization that can’t fight any illegal ego wars for BushCo. Just one more thing to remember and put out there in November 08.
October 27th, 2007 at 6:43 pmThe irony is too much.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:05 pmIneptitude and fraud gets a promotion, awesome.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:06 pmHow is that for taking care of your own. Promote from within.
But with this crowd, what else should one expect.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:27 pmCandyce:…..and Buffoonery and Chicanery reign supreme!
October 27th, 2007 at 7:27 pmThis country is holding it’s breath and counting the days until these sick, demented morons leave office.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:28 pmMedal of Honor now for Weasel Philbin??
October 27th, 2007 at 7:28 pmMedal of Honor now for Weasel Philbin??
Comment by Veritas — October 27, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
Now that would be a laugher (and dissing the military) as that is awarded for valor on the filed of battle. Maybe he will get the medal of Freedom, made famous by the likes of George Tenet and Paul Bremer, as well as william kristol’s daddy, the godfather of the neocons.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:37 pmIf Philbin was not promoted to another job, he would have no problem finding a job…Fox network would love to have him added to their list of experts.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:41 pmHe fits well with Fox.
He can also have a nice show with Michelle Malkin.
Is it just me or does this remind everyone of the pedophile priests who were moved to another parish as a cover up?
October 27th, 2007 at 7:47 pmFor a second there I thought someone in this administration had been caught in the backlash of public scrutiny, found an appropriate bearing on the moral compass, and resigned as a result. Then I got to the last sentence: awakened by the pinch of reality.
October 27th, 2007 at 8:21 pmWhat!? No medal?
October 27th, 2007 at 8:25 pmHow is it that the more incompetent one is, the more they float to the top (kind of like a turd) ?? At first the news took my breath away, then I was ashamed I didn’t see this coming.
Shrub promises to that anyone responsible for leaking Plame will be dealt with (just didn’t add the manner of being dealt with is a pardon).
FEMA pulls a stupid stunt like this and Dana Peroxide pretends like FEMA isn’t under the executive branch. Then the originator of the stunt is given a great new job.(which I take as validation that this stunt was approved at the highest levels. Knowing how the WH controls any public communications, this is quite a reasonable assumption.
October 27th, 2007 at 8:50 pmFEMA official involved in fake press conference resigns
October 27th, 2007 at 8:51 pmI am going to guess this FEMA official assumed this was the official way how business is done within the Bush crime family thug administration. After all this has been a climate of lying, cheating, stealing and murdering.
“It was absolutely a bad decision. I regret it happened. Certainly . . . I should have stopped it,” said John P. “Pat” Philbin, FEMA’s director of external affairs. “I hope readers understand we’re working very hard to establish credibility and integrity, and I would hope this does not undermine it.”
…’s hard work… f’n up the establishment of “credibility and integrity”…
… how could it NOT have been undermined, with these goopers…
i swear… they do not understand what the internets are…
October 27th, 2007 at 8:55 pm…
So, he’s moved from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the rough equivalent of the ‘Ministry of Propoganda?’ What could be more fitting for an appointed ‘official’ who effectively manufactures information to suit an agenda?
I suppose that nothing this administration does actually surprises me anymore…
October 27th, 2007 at 9:20 pmMcConnell must be _ whipped!
October 27th, 2007 at 9:26 pma regular nest of totalitarian style propagandist.
All hail Dear Leader! Long live the Party!
October 27th, 2007 at 9:27 pmWhat W meant to say was anybody involved in deception or wrongdoing would be fired … so they can go to a better department to continue evil doing in a more significant department while enjoying a pay raise. Way to inspire integrity, not.
October 27th, 2007 at 10:37 pmCrikey. All this cronyism kind of reminds me of trying to untangle the family relationships of a trailer park family in Appalachia.
If you dee-vorce one cousin, well, heyull – there’s allus a half dozen more you can marry…
October 27th, 2007 at 10:48 pmI wonder if John “Pat” Philbin is related to the “other” Patrick Philbin?
The “other” Patrick Philbin was a law clerk for Judge Laurence Silberman of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, and for Justice Clarence Thomas. This Philbin also served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel. While there, he sent a number of memoranda to then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales regarding the establishment of military commissions, the purported lack of federal court jurisdiction over Guantanamo, and other matters relating to dealing with purported terrorists.
This Philbin’s work is among the infamous “Torture Papers” assembled by Karen Greenberg, According to John Dean:
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20060505.html
October 27th, 2007 at 10:51 pmshould Obama go after Hillary or Congress? Place your vote. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/10/27/223421/90
October 27th, 2007 at 10:52 pmProfessional wrestlers have more credibility than this administration.
October 28th, 2007 at 12:06 amAnother classic case of the defining characteristic of this administration: Failing Upward.
At least George W. Bush isn’t like Clarence Thomas, who benefited from affirmative action but resents it. Nope. GWB has been failing upward his whole life, and he has made sure to give other incompetents the same opportunities he has had.
October 28th, 2007 at 12:14 amGWB has been failing upward his whole life, and he has made sure to give other incompetents the same opportunities he has had.
Comment by ralph the wonder llama — October 28, 2007 @ 12:14 am
GWB is an Equal-opportunity fu(kup, and respects that trait in his minions.
October 28th, 2007 at 12:34 amFor those of you saying that Philbin was incompetent…quite the reverse. He just made his “bones” in this administration. To go from FEMA to work for the Director of National Intelligence is a HUGE promotion. This guy was rewarded big time for what he did.
October 28th, 2007 at 12:36 amComment by impeachcheneythenbush — October 28, 2007 @ 12:36 am
We agree, but will have to say that it is the general public and Congress that are incompetent; they are the ones that expect and accept this behavior.
October 28th, 2007 at 12:47 amYou just can’t make this stuff up.
If you wrote a script and took it to the producers of The West Wing they’d fire you on the spot.
Ah, what the hell, we’re screwed. Go get drunk. Get laid. Sell everything and spend what you have on good wine, food and debauchery.
October 28th, 2007 at 1:40 amThe American public is uneducated and uninformed, thanks to 24/7 cable “news”, network news, all major newspapers (including the NYT which I read), and the distractions provided to them. A small percentage give a real damn about what’s happening and where it’s leading us, and can’t get others to listen or care. I’m among that miniority. The Congress is not incompetent. The few who really know what’s happening and give a damn have little to no power. The majority, on both sides, say what they think is necessary to get them reelected. If their jobs were limited to a single term, you’d see much better performance from these people, if they were competent. What we see now are people just trying to keep their job. And doing anything to do so, including selling out to the highest bidder. And most importantly, of course, forgetting completely that they are supposed to be standing as a representive for the ordinary citizens that elected them. It would be a godsend to change term limits to a single term and campaign finance to public finance only. We might actually be able to have citizen-legistators again, instead of career politicians.
October 28th, 2007 at 1:45 amSo it is a fake resignation then. Fox will report the resignation, but not the pick up by the other agency.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:07 amThey think morals are paintings and scruples are money in Russia…
October 28th, 2007 at 3:39 amComment by impeachcheneythenbush — October 28, 2007 @ 1:45 am
I must disagree with your call for term limits. TL’s are exactly what the neocon, facist desire. TL’s are a RePugniScum concept so you must ask yourself why when they don’t give 2 sh|ts about this country.
First, TL’s are on the table to keep the corporate corruption of government intact. These facist want you to seek this solution (TLs) instead of removing the obscene, unchecked bribery of our politicians from the equation.
TLs favor the corrupt. First, the person faces no reelection so anything goes. They will grab all of the power and money they can while there. The corrupt will see it as “time is short” so, let’s get busy.
TLs would also make it impossible to implement any kind oversight from the Congress. The constant trun over would cause investigations to be delayed or restarted. Again, this is exactly what the scumbag, neocons and our corporate facists desire.
TLs are also unconstitutional as they would deny the right of citizens who have found a good Congress critter to keep their non-corrupt representitive.
TLs seem like the solution but, think it through and they don’t and won’t work.
The solution is to remove the influence of corporate money from the election cycle. Corps are not people and therefore should not participate in the funding of the very government they are being regulate by.
All of the corruption cases in Congress involve have one thing in common. They all involve corporations trying to bribe our Representitives.
Of course, this corporate corruption of our government over the past 6 years as led to a wave of facism that now my be impossible to stop without civil disobedience.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:29 amAwarded for bogus journalism into a public affairs job? Heckofajob.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:52 amHe’s next in line for the Medal of Freedom, isn’t he?
October 28th, 2007 at 9:53 amTCDON is a troll
October 28th, 2007 at 11:01 amcome to think of it…
“Why haven’t I seen any [guiliani, romney, mccain, hunter, thompson, huckabee, brownback, et al] quotes on this? Did I just miss them, or [are they] being strangely silent about fake news conferences for some reason?”
who knows?
seems only TCDon/C_TV12/P’s buddy really cares about that…
October 28th, 2007 at 11:14 am…
It might have less to do with name calling and more to do with pointing out the obvious attempt to reach desperately for a way to try to twist the topic to a discussion of your distaste for Ms. Clinton. I am no big fan of hers either. Are you simply trying to bash her or are you pointing out the hypocrisy which is found in both parties?
October 28th, 2007 at 11:15 amTCDon is a troll.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:23 amI’ll bet she does but the best way to find out would be to ask her. What is it that you want to hear?
October 28th, 2007 at 11:24 am…crickets…
October 28th, 2007 at 11:37 amSpring Peepers…
October 28th, 2007 at 12:11 pmFake Press conference, paid for with your tax dollars.
October 28th, 2007 at 1:00 pmIs this the Onion?
October 28th, 2007 at 1:02 pmNext will we learn that Ari Fleischer is taking over the FOIA office?
HEILuvajob, Herr Bush!!!
October 28th, 2007 at 1:12 pmI would like/need an I.D.:
Is John “Pat” Philbin of FEMA the same Pat Philbin of Comey’s midnight ride to the hospital to see Ashcroft? Goldsmith does not refer to Philbin as ‘John’ only ‘Pat’ so it might not be the same guy.
I know ‘a’ Philbin’s career got sidelined as a result of going up against Addington/Gonzales/Cheney – but FEMA, jeez. Then downgraded to public affairs at National Intelligence, ouch. Next stop RNCC???
I hope it is not the same guy who had a career at OLC which can be a springboard for Supreme Court Justice.
October 28th, 2007 at 1:21 pmOne of the hallmarks of Bush administration has been its steadfast commitment to rewarding its own incompetence, fraud and even criminality. While Katrina fall-guy Michael Brown was quietly edged out, the leading architects of the fiasco in Iraq including George Tenet, Tommy Franks and Paul Bremer received Presidential Medals of Freedom. Now in the latest example of President Bush’s mantra that “nothing succeeds like failure,” Harvey Johnson has escaped punishment for his bogus FEMA press conference on Thursday, while his PR flack John Philbin is moving on to greener pastures at the office of the Director of National Intelligence.
For the details, see:
October 28th, 2007 at 4:22 pm“Never a Firing Offense: FEMA PR Frauds Move On and Up.”
What!? No medal?
Comment by Zooey — October 27, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
Don’t worry, Zooey; he’ll be getting one in due course.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:23 pmSeriously though, I am glad I am not raising children right now. Because with the way this administration rewards incompetence and chicanery, I don’t know I could teach kids that goodness and honesty have their rewards.
Seriously though, I am glad I am not raising children right now. Because with the way this administration rewards incompetence and chicanery, I don’t know I could teach kids that goodness and honesty have their rewards.
Comment by Lora — October 28, 2007 @ 5:23 pm
And here again is a point where the Democratic leadership fails us again. Why can’t they make the same points against “Lying and dying” under Botch that the RePugniScums made against Clinton.
The RePugniScums shouted to the high heavens that Clinton was corrupting children for decades to come because “he lied.” (No one died)
I would say this sh|t from this Botched up Dick(head) administration will do decades more real damage to children (serveral generations) than Clinton could have ever planned for on his best day.
Why can’t the Democrats make points and get smart and stop this bullsh|t??
Just play the “Kid Card” like the RePugniScums!!
October 28th, 2007 at 5:47 pmKids lose Mommies and Daddies in an UNJUST WAR!
Kids lose when Mommies and Daddies vote Republican!
Kids lose when RePugniScums hold office anywhere on Earth!
Kids lose until someone actually cares to stop this shjt!
October 28th, 2007 at 5:53 pm#44 Ralph the Wonder Llama:
I’d have to slightly disagree with you in that the wonder dunce was born to an old power family (including Prescott Bush with rumors that he tried to organize a coup on the govt in the 30s). Every time he failed, he was bailed out. But copying one of the affluent ideals, he always had his affairs organized that when he failed, he walked away with a wad of cash and the other people involved took the loss.
On another topic from another person – I’d agree with impeachment. But be careful that we don’t get president Cheney.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:26 pmThis proves that those willing to LIE a BIG LIE will move forward in modern Fascist America.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:42 pmBTW, if you folks don’t HEAR ANYTHING coming from PROGRESSIVE or LEFT leaning politicians, could it possibly have anything to do with a general pattern of DISTORTION in media coverage that tends to ignore or downplay any remarks or comments from such politicians in favor of those who promote the corporate agenda?
For how long have we heard almost nothing but NEGATIVES about Democratic politicians or nothing at all? The corporate media are very clever today in their use of propaganda.
Read this. http://soundpolitics.com/archives/007920.html. It might help explain why Hillary has apparantly had nothing to say about the fake news conference. She has used this tactic herself. All “progressives†should call for her immediate resignation.
Comment by TCDon — October 28, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
Thank you for providing a link that doesn’t work. And, no, I will not take your later advice to do a google search on Hillary’s “fake town hall meeting.” Even if it is true, my parents taught me that “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Apparently you rightwingers never learned as much.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:13 amIt goes without saying that this fake FEMA press conference is surprising only in its utter ineptitude. Sentient Americans have come to expect only such stunts from this administration and the poorly qualified stooges they have installed in all levels of the government, on the federal AND state level (think this is only Washington? Think again…)
What IS surprising, however, is the SHEER BALLS necessary to go from this:
to this, within 72 hours:
Heckuva job, “Patty” indeed.
http://www.FEARandSMEAR.com
October 29th, 2007 at 11:17 amFailing Upwards: The Unauthorized Biography of Georgie W. Bush
Someone needs to write that book. Bush and everyone associated with him can do no wrong that does nto result in promotion. It’s a s though they want to say, we’re so unaccountable, we’ll prove it by promoting the most ethically challenged and misguided among us only once those short-comings have been plastered across the public sphere for all to see.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:09 pm