Banana Republicanism Still on the March

Whatever happened the to FEMA official who organized the Potemkin press conference and tried to trick journalists into thinking they were watching a real one? Well, he's been fired of course. But with a catch: his next job will be as head of public affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

UPDATE: Apparently, the DNI may be getting cold feet.

Comments

A lot easier than cutting off funding for the war

Why don't the Dems in Congress simply use the power of the purse to get rid of the FEMA PR operation? They could offer to restore it, most likely at a reduced level, only after a thorough Congressional review establishes the true PR "needs" of FEMA, and establishes that whatever level of operations, they will be conducted competently and for the public benefit, not for the partisan benefit of a politicized administration.

Sure, the PR operation over at FEMA is small potatoes. That's the point. If Congress is to take back its righful place running the government, it would be best for them to start with small projects and gradually work their way up to the big programs, like the war, for instance. Congress would get the practice, and we wouild all get used to the idea that, yes, Congress can run things better than the President.

Posted by Glen Tomkins | October 29, 2007 2:35 PM

The whole currently rightwing conservative "movement" is banana republicanism. They can't really be defined as conservatives anymore, just banana republicans, with all that entails:

a. Massive corruption, going to the elites of their party.
b. A "big man" theory of history, whereby the Dear Leader and his wonderfulness and uber-masculinity are the defining characteristics.
c. A hollowing out of the middle class, with again, the government resources and regulations given to the favored elites (of which the "big man" is a member).
d. The casual disregard of civil liberties, as again, banana republicanism doesn't concern itself with civic government per se, but only with the giving of resources to the elites.

All of this, of course, has nothing to do with a pragmatic conservatism per se.

It's all banana republicanism, which of course is extremely anti-american, anti-conservative, and anti-liberal, in terms of values.

Posted by JC | October 29, 2007 2:51 PM

It's a lost cause but please stop slagging off the effective, virile (Catherine the Great thought so an she should know) and ruthless Prince Grigori Potemkin, satrap of the Ukraine, conqueror of Izmail, builder of Kherson and the Russian Black Sea Fleet, etc? The "Potemkin villages" meme was an incredibly long-lived slur put about by his enemies in St. Petersburg after Catherine's triumphal tour of the Ukraine. If you insist on using this lie, even in a good cause, I suggest changing the vowel to "petemkin".

Posted by James Wimberley | October 29, 2007 4:19 PM

Apparently, the DNI may be getting cold feet.

While this might be good news, what about the #2 guy at FEMA? He was standing at the podium, so I assume he knew what was going on. When does he get his walking papers?

Posted by Happy Jack | October 29, 2007 4:44 PM