Video: FEMA’s fake press conference; Update: First head rolls? Update: Chertoff unloads
posted at 6:03 pm on October 26, 2007 by Allahpundit
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My heart sank when I heard this happened on Tuesday, as my two Media PCs only retain stuff for three days. Sure enough, nothing on PCs 1 and 2. But what about Tivo? Jackpot. Here it is, preserved for posterity, the “press” conference that wasn’t as it aired on MSNBC. WaPo exposed it this morning in a column written by Al Kamen. The man at the podium is Vice Adm. Harvey Johnson. Quote:
He was apparently quite familiar with the reporters — in one case, he appears to say “Mike” and points to a reporter — and was asked an oddly in-house question about “what it means to have an emergency declaration as opposed to a major disaster declaration” signed by the president. He once again explained smoothly…
“And so I think what you’re really seeing here is the benefit of experience, the benefit of good leadership and the benefit of good partnership,” Johnson said, “none of which were present in Katrina.” (Wasn’t Michael Chertoff DHS chief then?) Very smooth, very professional. But something didn’t seem right. The reporters were lobbing too many softballs. No one asked about trailers with formaldehyde for those made homeless by the fires. And the media seemed to be giving Johnson all day to wax on and on about FEMA’s greatness.
Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. We’re told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA’s deputy director of external affairs, and by “Mike” Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John “Pat” Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.
White House spokesman Dana Perino has since condemned the subterfuge and FEMA has apologized, with reprimands possibly on the way. Painfully obvious exit question: If reporters didn’t have time to get to the presser, why not have Johnson simply read a statement and then spontaneously address questions they’d received in the field instead of having staffers pose them as impostors?
Update: I copied comments from the headlines item over to this post.
Update: Three days after the fake presser, one of the questioners has himself a new job. Kicked upstairs?
Update: Chertoff’s promising “appropriate discipline.” Quote: “I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I’ve seen since I’ve been in government.”
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How incredibly stupid can you be for thinking no one would find this out?
Black Adam on October 26, 2007 at 4:08 PM
Well, in FEMA’s defense, the dummy reporters more than likely had a higher IQ than the real ones.
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on October 26, 2007 at 4:09 PM
And the news is reported straighter.
steveegg on October 26, 2007 at 4:11 PM
WTF?
sunny on October 26, 2007 at 4:17 PM
Sheesh! If they couldn’t round up reporters in such a short amount of time, what’s wrong with just giving a statement? Why the dog-and-pony show? That said, I’m sure that it was no great loss…
lan astaslem on October 26, 2007 at 4:18 PM
Heads should roll at FEMA for this. That said, why were there no reporters available for this presser? Were they too busy? Seriously. What gives?
lawhawk on October 26, 2007 at 4:23 PM
This kind of stuff makes it harder and harder to support Pres. Bush on anything. He and his administration are singlehandedly making conservatives look bad. It makes it look like they have something to hide. The Republican Presidential candidates will be guilty by association. Somehow, I wonder if that is not their intent.
Bush, Clinton, Bush… Clinton? Something is very, very wrong with this picture, especially considering that there is another Bush in a governorship. The potential is excruciating to think about.
Sultry Beauty on October 26, 2007 at 4:28 PM
Federal sockpuppets, eh?
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on October 26, 2007 at 4:37 PM
It was stupid, but heads shouldn’t roll over it.
If they are doing a bad job at relief, then heads should roll.
MayBee on October 26, 2007 at 4:37 PM
how incompetent can this administration and its agencies get?
RW Wacko on October 26, 2007 at 4:50 PM
How do you tell a dummy MSM reporter from a real one ?
William Amos on October 26, 2007 at 5:00 PM
I don’t know, their both mock-ups.
bu da bump
sunny on October 26, 2007 at 5:08 PM
What if you held a press conference and nobody came?
It’s every politico’s worst nightmare, I guess.
flipflop on October 26, 2007 at 5:41 PM
This is one of the most absurd things I’ve ever seen. Chertoff isn’t qualified to work at McDonald’s
Gregor on October 26, 2007 at 5:45 PM
And nobody noticed. What a propaganda coup.
ThackerAgency on October 26, 2007 at 5:47 PM
This is beyond stupid. Why do you need fake reporters to ask you fake questions? Just say what you got to say. God, these people are so stupid.
SoulGlo on October 26, 2007 at 5:50 PM
Is the joke in your statement or your spelling? I believe such grammatical issues were addressed somewhere around 6th grade.
Does one earn extra points for insulting peoples’ intelligence while simultaneously discrediting their own?
The Race Card on October 26, 2007 at 5:54 PM
You know there are times I dont feel Im qualified enough to work in government dispite my education and background.
Then this reassures me maybe I dont want to
William Amos on October 26, 2007 at 5:54 PM
Obvously this event isnt as sexy as having arhnold grab your wrist
William Amos on October 26, 2007 at 6:05 PM
Rocket scientists, all of them at FEMA, from Chertoff on down.
PRCalDude on October 26, 2007 at 6:06 PM
This is painful. The Fed and CA have been working so well together, all good news in other words, so why would they do something stupid and inconsequential to derail the one good impression the Fed gov could make. I’m not an apologist for the administration, but they got a bad rap for Katrina, and given the chance to make up some ground we get this debacle. Completely tone deaf and no reason for it.
Spirit of 1776 on October 26, 2007 at 6:07 PM
Exit answer – The Colbert Effect.
Stephen M on October 26, 2007 at 6:08 PM
Jesus Christ!
What is the matter with you people!
A fake press confrence?
I mean honestly how stupid can you be?
liberrocky on October 26, 2007 at 6:10 PM
SHould have just cancelled the breifing and just filed the paperwork.
But think there was the mindset of “We need to show we are doing something”
This is a Katrina scarred crowd and they are too afraid of misteps that they make them by trying to be too clever
William Amos on October 26, 2007 at 6:10 PM
Just wait until the Government starts using computer generated persons, like in the movies. When this type of animation becomes realistic – and it will – then there is nothing to stop the Government from making up anything it wants to make up.
The precedent – see the book – The Commissar Vanishes.
Clearly, the Government is capable of any kind of fabrication. I, simply, will never trust it.
OhEssYouCowboys on October 26, 2007 at 6:11 PM
I was going to say that ‘dummy reporter’ is redundant, but I’d hate to offend the English Police and face the death penalty or something.
God forbid anyone joke about anything.
TABoLK on October 26, 2007 at 6:11 PM
This reminds me of the incident when president Bush was talking to some troops in Iraq. I think CNN or some news channel found a video of a lady “coaching” the troops with questions similar to President Bush prior to the event. Just like the other time, this is just a stupid mistake, the whitehouse dropping the ball, which seems to happen too often. But of course the left is going to blow it out of proportion ignoring the condemnations and suggest that we are in the new soviet union.
Complete7 on October 26, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Stupid and amateurish.
csdeven on October 26, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Thiis thsiiss thiiiis Is sec secccc seccccc for home home hoo hoo hoo homeland securityyyy Maxxxx Headdddrooom
William Amos on October 26, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Fortunately, the government is such a plodding monolith that really egregious mistakes get found out. Plus nobody can keep a secret.
I worry more about the growing trend in the drive-by media to fabricate all kinds of stuff. They’ve already started staging scenes with live reporters. I’m sure once they get a more commercialized version of the FX software used by WETA and Lucasfilm, they’ll be more than happy to showing us the truly artificial stuff.
It’s like Wag the Dog but with the media doing all the wagging instead of the government.
Mindcrime on October 26, 2007 at 6:14 PM
Clearly from the old school , not understanding the power of the “intertubes”.
However, OhEssYou does make a point, when they do get people in that actually have a grasp of the current reality it probably won’t be as easy to catch them lying their fool asses off.
bbz123 on October 26, 2007 at 6:14 PM
What genius thought they could get away with this? Chertoff should have been gone long ago, why not now?
clghitis on October 26, 2007 at 6:16 PM
[EMPHASIS MINE] – sigh.
OhEssYouCowboys on October 26, 2007 at 6:17 PM
Aw, let’s not throw her under the bus:
Spirit of 1776 on October 26, 2007 at 6:20 PM
I agree, re: the media. However, down the road, and that’s where we have to look, the Government will be capable of the same things.
Yup.
Really, I highly recommend The Commissar Vanishes.
OhEssYouCowboys on October 26, 2007 at 6:22 PM
I don’t wanna. Trust me. It sickens me to have to think about these things. But, alas, my bus has an average collision speed of 250 mph – just for such occasions.
OhEssYouCowboys on October 26, 2007 at 6:24 PM
What tipped me off was when that one guy asked, “Admiral Johnson, you’re known as someone who has studied the principles of personal development for a long time…”
see-dubya on October 26, 2007 at 6:34 PM
What’s the problem???
The MSM sends dummy reporters to news conferences all the time!
…and then they frequently have them interview each other!!!
I think FEMA’s approach produces better news than the MSM ever could.
landlines on October 26, 2007 at 6:38 PM
The gov’t media complex is getting sloppeeeee!
Well, from one of those affected by, but thankfully not evacuated because of, the fires in S. Cal: it certainly does put things in perspective each time we go thru it.
Ahnult and Dubya were hard to watch, even thru my fingers and most of the politicians were too busy congratulating each other to even notice that it was the people of San Diego county who were getting the work done. We had real men like Duncan Hunter and real women like DA Bonnie Dumanis showing true leadership and refreshing Law & Order. I thank God for the change of weather and for all the firefighters and law enforcement who put their lives on the line, and for all the ordinary folks who were helping to support others even if they were displaced and heartbroken as well.
This was the un-Katrina event. The land may be smouldering and charred and we may be exhausted and grieving, but that which does not kill you makes you stronger. We have been thru this before, we will do it again.
Christine on October 26, 2007 at 6:44 PM
We don’t need no stinkin’ reporters…
d1carter on October 26, 2007 at 7:06 PM
Oh this is just sick ! Heads should roll at FEMA.
Maxx on October 26, 2007 at 7:07 PM
Oh God, we will never hear the end of this one.
RobCon on October 26, 2007 at 7:08 PM
And we wonder why Republicans are in trouble. I’m not disgusted, I’m ashamed.
I don’t care who was in the loop…..the entire loop needs to be offered jobs Americans won’t do.
Limerick on October 26, 2007 at 7:15 PM
Ugh. FEMA is such a shining example of all that is wrong with government help.
I think it would have been hilarious if Mrs. Perino had said this:
MS. PERINO: it is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House or that we — we certainly don’t condone it. We didn’t know about it beforehand. FEMA has issued an apology, saying that they had an error in judgment when they were attempting to try to get out a lot of information to reporters BECAUSE REPORTERS ARE TOO STUPID TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
Rightwingsparkle on October 26, 2007 at 7:21 PM
Copters Grounded as Fires Burned
LOS ANGELES – As wildfires were charging across Southern California, nearly two dozen water-dropping helicopters and two massive cargo planes sat idly by, grounded by government rules and bureaucracy.
MB4 on October 26, 2007 at 7:34 PM
WooHOO – you were just mentioned by Wendell Goler on Fox News with Shep Smith!!!!!!
Making a name for yourself!
centralcal on October 26, 2007 at 7:35 PM
You all do know who recommended Chertoff to Bush, don’t you?
MB4 on October 26, 2007 at 7:37 PM
Why not just read the statement and call it a day? It’s not like these people who ask such stunning questions like “how do you feel [now that your home is completely destroyed]” would have anything of value to ask anyway.
Jenna Bush had exactly the right answer in an interview I saw. The reporter (Leslie Stahl I think) kept pushing with a very personal question. After being deflected a couple of times reporterette asked “you mean to tell me that you don’t discuss these things with your friends?” Jenna’s answer: Of course I do but that doesn’t mean I’m going to talk about it with you on national television. Slam Dunk!
P.S. FEMA got caught but this stuff happens all the time. You don’t think that politicians “town halls” aren’t completely scripted ahead of time? I mean really, is anybody going to ask a candidate about their vision for the future if they aren’t prompted!
highhopes on October 26, 2007 at 7:39 PM
This has been bashed all day on the left and with good reason
FEMA be honest or just STFU
CommentGuy on October 26, 2007 at 7:40 PM
That article has both sides of the aisle quoted. But how about we deal with the relevant issues:
No foul.
Spirit of 1776 on October 26, 2007 at 7:42 PM
24 hours is a long time to “assemble”.
Imagine if your house was on fire and it took your local fire department even 1 hour to “assemble’.
MB4 on October 26, 2007 at 7:50 PM
Pathetic.
MB4 on October 26, 2007 at 8:05 PM
Doin’ heck of a job Johnnie!
highhopes on October 26, 2007 at 8:06 PM
If Marine and Navy airmen are smart enough to be pilots they do not need some state employee to “spot the fire” for them.
MB4 on October 26, 2007 at 8:15 PM
Ya just can’t make this stuff up, can ya?
Lawrence on October 26, 2007 at 8:16 PM
Matrix killed them all. Except the female ones. The female reporters are currently being arm wrestled.
jihadwatcher on October 26, 2007 at 8:21 PM
You can tell they aren’t real reporters because they aren’t being rude and dishonest. I didn’t hear a single attempt to ask a leading question in an attempt to spin the story for leftist political gain.
FloatingRock on October 26, 2007 at 8:48 PM
I like the occasional camera clicks. Oh,, and the “Question please?” It’s a FEMA commercial for crying out loud!! “We are great! Look at how good we are doing! We are out in front! The nation should sit up and take notice at how well we are doing! See us help? See us respond? We are good! Take notice!”
Sickening!
JellyToast on October 26, 2007 at 8:49 PM
What he said…
The Race Card on October 26, 2007 at 9:07 PM
Is this another President Reagans been shot and I am in command moment?
mjkazee on October 26, 2007 at 9:32 PM
Of course the media will go off the deep end, but really this won’t matter to the average person. Bush ran some commercials designed to look like newscasts last campaign. The media pulled their hair out trying to figure why they got zero mileage out of that “fraudulent reporting.”
There are still some senile old folks out there who feel the need to pick an anchor to trust (based primarily on hairstyle.) But when it comes to the nameless reporters piping up with questions – they were never seen as anything but background props. Nobody sitting at home will greet this story with anything but blank stares.
logis on October 26, 2007 at 9:47 PM
DUDE! It was an infomercial. C ‘mon!
Mojave Mark on October 26, 2007 at 9:55 PM
….and yet…the Truther’s think the feds pulled off much, much, more than this….
jjjen on October 26, 2007 at 10:02 PM
My brother just sent me this. Its called the “Global incident map” its a map that locates any kind of civil, military or emergency going on in the world
http://www.globalincidentmap.com/home.php
William Amos on October 26, 2007 at 10:56 PM
FEMA using dummy reporters at a press conference? I didn’t know Dan Rather was working again already.
andycanuck on October 26, 2007 at 11:06 PM
at the end of the interview guy says “Thanks Boss!”
Hahahahhahahah.
FEMA… waste of tax dollars. Heck 90% of the fed gov’t is waste of tax dollars.
James on October 26, 2007 at 11:22 PM
Hmmmm…radio active substance siezed on Georgia/Turkey border? This must be another Bush run media.
*sarcasm off*
Notice all those references to bombs and terrorists in all those Muslim nations on that map. De-de-dee! If you don’t want that stereo type then stop acting like it! Where is the ACLU and CAIR to fight for those innocent Muslims’ rights?
I have a question: How is FEMA trying to get the word out by providing its own reporters at a short notice press conference any different than the MSM covering things with their agenda to expose and often times even create or exaggerate any suffering, or doom and gloom? Answer: FEMA wanted to spread the good news for a change. That is how I see it. That, and it is the reporters fault for not being on the ball. I mean, FEMA press conference? Whats next? Are they going ot miss the next White House press conference? They were all probably too busy trying to find someone to blame Bush or to say something to make FEMA or anything attributed Republican/conservative look bad.
El Guapo on October 26, 2007 at 11:24 PM
tap .. tap tap.. Is this thing live?.. testing .. one two.. one two
Yur Gubamint TaX Dollarz at wurk.
normsrevenge on October 26, 2007 at 11:29 PM
You don’t even know the half of it! When we were in Wisconsin last winter training for our summer desert deployment (Ironic, isn’t it?), since we were engineers and could operate heavy equipment, we offered to clear the roads for the base before start of training that next day (after a nice Global Warming fueld snow storm) but was denied because their snow workers are contracted and our doing their work would be violating their contract and stealing their work and $$ (overtime pay). So we had to wait over half a day for something we could have done in a couple hours and finished before sun-up. This similar crap went on in Katrina, and now is happening in SoCal.
Thank the lobbyists and special interest groups for insisting that VERYTHING the goverment does is covered by not so competetive contracts – thus the higher prices we often pay when we can get the same thing 1/2 price or less at Lowes or someother place downtown.
El Guapo on October 26, 2007 at 11:31 PM
I know the left has been bashing this all day long but honestly FEMA deserves it for this and heads do indeed need to roll over it.
Buzzy on October 26, 2007 at 11:36 PM
Let’s put the FEMA folks in charge of the IRS. I’ve got some ‘creative ideas’ for my next tax return.
infidel4life on October 26, 2007 at 11:37 PM
Buzzy I agree, but I am waiting for someone on the right to point back to Ahhhnaaald telling that reporter she “wasnt going to hear (find) any bad news, even if it dissappints you not to hear anything bad”… and say it was actually nice for a change not to hear spinning, perpetual pessimism, etc, form the press that was tardy.
If I were FEMA I would have given the reporters some time to get there before having the press conference. That way the MSM can hang themselves again.
Everyone remember the lady from NBC in that canoe on live camers claiming the flooding was so great, yaddayadda, and then 2 guys walk right in between her and the camera and the water was only shin deep? I look am surprised staging news like that hasn’t happend yet. Maybe they learned their lesson?
El Guapo on October 26, 2007 at 11:46 PM
Buzzy When heads do roll, notice how the MSM will NOT cover how Republican police their own won much more than the Democrats do. Either that or they will say it was not severe enouhg punishment. Like they know. Trying to appoin an impeached judge to to head the Intel Committee.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,236160,00.html
These guys are full of ethics and common sense. Only the ignorant or most corrupt could be responsible for electing and re-electing them.
El Guapo on October 26, 2007 at 11:54 PM
I remember a fake press conference from World Class Championship Wrestling circa 1983 that looked better than that
GogglesPisano on October 26, 2007 at 11:55 PM
dude, that’s pretty creepy.
jummy on October 26, 2007 at 11:57 PM
That is way cool, bookmarked that one!
Thanks
conservnut on October 27, 2007 at 12:00 AM
And a pox on the scum who were taking advantage of the emergency services.
csdeven on October 27, 2007 at 12:04 AM
Fake press conference? Aren’t they ALL fake?
Gatordoug on October 27, 2007 at 12:09 AM
And once again nobody will get canned for this.
Next thing we see will be Bush hanging some kind of GD medal around this jackass’s neck and telling him he is doing “one heck of a job”.
Jesus! – what next?
OBX Pete on October 27, 2007 at 4:36 AM
For the people hammering Chertoff over this, as much as he deserves it for his incompetence, he isn’t FEMA head, he’s DHS. Paulison is FEMA.
The great majority of the structural losses in the San Diego County fires occured Monday and early Tuesday morning (prior to sunrise), when either the incredibly high winds or darkness made airborne firefighting unviable. Aircraft grounded by bad procedural choices and poor communications definitely slowed the containment of several fires, but did NOT directly lead to a significant increase of structural casualties. For the most part, everything that could be done was done.
But none of it was done by FEMA!
This sock-puppet presser should result in numerous firings.
Freelancer on October 27, 2007 at 4:52 AM
It illustrates the kind of people we have in government and what the American people are up against. Unfortunately political background is no indicator of competence or intelligence We have been taken over by a political class that has annointed itself the royalty/elite of the United States. It is why I am not very optimistic of the future of our republic.
peacenprosperity on October 27, 2007 at 6:21 AM
On the one hand — Heh.
On the other hand — is there something in the FEMA bottled water supply that makes these chicken-***kers stupid? What a bunch of idiots.
Jaibones on October 27, 2007 at 7:16 AM
If the premise is to omit outsiders from the report broadcast, and to allow FEMA employees to voice their own points as such, then present the forum honestly. Youtube has an open forum for such.
That journalists could “call in” but NOT ask questions is TOO MUCH!
We witness another DCmania. With the globalist Bush our nation’s protagonist, look out for that bulldozer. War aside, for all the legislation, taxation and SPENDING accomplished during this Presidency, we accept precedence losing essential fundamentals in order to gain naught.
CHARADE
maverick muse on October 27, 2007 at 9:16 AM
Sounds like something a high school politics club would dream up. “Let’s hold a mock press conference”. These people are high level, highly paid government employees? where did I go wrong? What am I doing slaving away to make a living?
Jeff on October 27, 2007 at 10:14 AM
JellyToast on October 27, 2007 at 10:51 AM
They are the government, do you expect intelligence from a government agency?
Gatordoug on October 27, 2007 at 11:03 AM
Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the FEMA’s deputy director who is pictured above needs to be fired over this. This is totally outrageous. This kind of action by FEMA says to the American people, we are not here to serve you… we are here to make ourselves look good and collect our paychecks and screw you.
We see Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson gleefully going along with fraud in the video above, it’s his head that should roll and maybe the ones playing the reporters as well.
Maxx on October 27, 2007 at 3:37 PM
Oops.. Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson isn’t pictured above, but he’s the guy at the podium speaking at the fake news conference. If this man didn’t think he was going to get caught doing this, which he obviously didn’t, then he’s too stupid to run anything. What an arrogant SOB !!
Maxx on October 27, 2007 at 3:46 PM
Where the heck is THAT recording?? I’d pay to listen to those remarks.
I only wish Chertoff (and Bush) got that excited about securing our borders and enforcing the 1996 law against sanctuary cities, etc., ad nauseum.
fred5678 on October 27, 2007 at 5:51 PM
Yeah ? Well I doubt it Mr. Chertoff, we will be watching.
Maxx on October 27, 2007 at 7:24 PM
Waterboarding?
factoid on October 27, 2007 at 9:24 PM
They were borrowed from Fox.
scooter on October 27, 2007 at 11:13 PM
I’ll bet the heads keep talking even if no ones in the room. That’s some weird stuff!
Dadzilla on October 27, 2007 at 11:46 PM
Will someone cover, the deal Chertoff has with SPITzer dealing with drivers licenses? He is working for the Bush administration and they worked a deal ? Something I don’t understand here.
StuLongIsland on October 28, 2007 at 12:20 AM
[CNN] CALIFORNIA – Separatists (MEChA) claim responsibility for California Wildfires
“Radical Hispanic separatist organization MEChA (”Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan”) is taking responsibility for setting the wildfires in California, confimed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger”
“California officials received a letter earlier today containing photographs of individuals holding Molotov cocktails, then throwing them into dry brush. The faces of the individuals appeared to have been digitally distorted”
“Also included was a rambling manifesto, stating that the reason for the act of arson was that “Aztlán belongs to indigenous people, the Chicanas and Chicanos of Aztlán. We are sovereign and not subject to a foreign culture.” ”
http://www.cnnheadlienews.com/2007/US/10/25/fire.mecha/index.html
Now the illegals, oops sorry the undocumented, have aparently declared war on us from the south. Man, the world is going to hell in a handbasket!
deadbackpacker on October 28, 2007 at 10:41 AM
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