Who? was the most incompetent Bush appointee (or retainee from the Clinton Administration)
1. Colin Powell
2. Clueless Condi Rice
3. Michael Brown
4. Alberto Gonzales
5. George Tenet
6. Karen Hughes
7. Norm Minetta
8. Michael Chertoff

Hilts on October 24, 2007 at 9:01 PM

9. ALL THE ABOVE

firepilot on October 25, 2007 at 12:16 PM

Why won’t the U.S. Forest Service allow the Russian Ilyushin Il-76 and other new waterbombers to come help fight the fires in Southern California?

It is my understanding the company that operates it offered the plane for just fuel and costs to demonstrate its ability just like during the last fires in San Diego.

Here is a youtube of the Russian Ilyushin 76 making a water drop.

There are lots of capable Douglas aircraft, modified as airtankers, sitting around having not flown in 3 years after contracts were cancelled by USFS/Federal Government.

California has contracted 2 DC-7s that flew for Oregon this summer, but due to USFS rules and since USFS did not contract or approve those planes, they cant drop on federal land in Cali, just state/private land

I’m curious as to what these people think the National Guard is going to do to a fire.

They lay down suppressing fire until they can call in an artillery strike.

Who? was the most incompetent Bush appointee (or retainee from the Clinton Administration)
1. Colin Powell
2. Clueless Condi Rice
3. Michael Brown
4. Alberto Gonzales
5. George Tenet
6. Karen Hughes
7. Norm Minetta
8. Michael Chertoff

General Preparedness Level Descriptions. Five Preparedness Levels are recognized and summarized as follows:

1. Preparedness Level I. Optimum conditions for normal prescribed fire operations. Wildfire activity within the Southwest Area is light, and large fires are of short duration. There is little or no commitment of Southwest Area and/or National resources.

2. Preparedness Level II. Zone and Area resources are adequate to manage all wildfires and prescribed fires. Numerous Class A, B, and C fires are occurring and a potential exists for escapes of larger fires for more than one burning period. Potential exists for frequent mobilization of additional resources from other zones.

3. Preparedness Level III. There is a potential for two or more Zones to experience incidents requiring a major commitment of Area/National resources. High potential exists of fires becoming Class D and larger. Zones may be requesting resource priorities from SWCC.

4. Preparedness Level IV. Class D and larger fires are common and have the potential to exhaust Southwest Area and National resources. Competition exists for Area/ National resources.

5. Preparedness Level V. Several zones are experiencing major fires, and National resources are exhausted. Military resources have been committed within the Southwest Area.

http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/predictive/intelligence/situation/preparedness/swa-pl.html

During wildfire seasons out in the west when Preparedness Level gets to a “5″ for more than a few weeks or so then that’s when the military gets called for help like during the 2000 wildfire season. National Guards are not needed to fight wildfires.

Hey Brownie, do us a big favor – just shut up and go away!!

Bush adminstration has been pursueing getting most of the USFS jobs, especially firefighter jobs, turned into contractor jobs. Problem is that experienced firefighters on wildland fires, is not just a job you need warm bodies for, that you can just fill as needed with inexperienced people. Experienced professionals cant just sit around 9 months of the year waiting for fire season.

What better way to try and gain favor with at least somebody than to become a hero to the left by “speaking truth to power”? It’s just a cheap ploy for attention and credibility by someone who deserves neither.

Hollowpoint on October 24, 2007 at 5:19 PM

I am so sick of the ‘speaking truth to power’ phrase that if someone ever tries to pull that out in a serious discussion with me, I will flat out deck the SOB.

Either the loonies have gotten their claws into him, or he is out for personal revenge.

Either way – completely dismissable.

Next!

Timothy S. Carlson on October 24, 2007 at 3:59 PM

What better way to try and gain favor with at least somebody than to become a hero to the left by “speaking truth to power”? It’s just a cheap ploy for attention and credibility by someone who deserves neither.

This is the most contrived, BS, let’s not look at history, story since Dan Blather looked at National Guard pilots.

/Just Saying

While were on the subject of the National Guard, I wonder which units Boxer, Pelosi and Reid want to come home to mingle with the folks and help with the fires?

The ones who kill women and children in the dead of night, or the ones who tortured prisoners at Abu Guraib?

Can’t have it both ways. Well, yeah, they’re donks.

pk on October 24, 2007 at 4:22 PM

I remember when they sent us down from Ft. Ord during the riots. We never made it out of the staging area, but we were stuck with 20 year old riot gear and wooden batons, instead of guns.

I wonder what the reaction would have been if regular army troops hit the streets.

They would send us out to help with fires on occasion, too including one we started with some tracer rounds.

This “if our national guard troops weren’t all in Iraq and Afghanistan we’d be fine” crap has got to stop.

now about 8 months into his presidency george bush is expected to fight a world war with what billary left him.

so now the bunch that chopped the military down is bitching because the military is overseas doing what they are supposed to do and not at home to serve food at emergency chow lines.

the current bunch of state politicians has figured out that if they have people in national guard uniforms standing around they are doing something.

and so they want air national guard people (who normally fly airplanes) helping flood problems etc. etc. etc. because the uniforms show up on tv quite well.

during the second los angeles riot the city people argued with the state folk that they wanted national guard for a day, then they argued about whether they could bring their guns for a day, then they argued about bringing bullets.

the 4th day some bad folk tried a drive by shooting at one of the guard posts. thirty seconds later their car looked like a cheese grater.

the riot was over within the hour.

thats what troops are for.

C

It’s gold AP! Gold!

CP on October 24, 2007 at 4:16 PM

I’m waiting for your 8 minute “Ovaltine” routine.

Politico’s headline-writer opts for the easy joke. The big A is above such things.

I read this just as I was preparing to post my own “heckuva job” joke. Now, I feel like Bania from Seinfeld.

It’s gold AP! Gold!