Let Me Eat Cake

Yesterday, Marty Bahamonde testified before the Senate committee investigating FEMA's failures in the Katrina catastrophe. It was not pretty. Bahamonde was FEMA's man on the ground in New Orleans. His description of Mike Brown's performance pretty much guarantees that Brown will be hauled back before the Senate for crucifixion. Take a look at this E-mail exchange.

From Bahamonde to Brown

Sir, I know that you know the situation is past critical . Here some things you might not know. Hotels are kicking people out, thousands gathering in t h e streets with no food or water. Hundreds still being rescued from homes. The dying patients at the DMAT tent being medevac. Estimates are many will die within hours. Evacuation in process. Plans developing for dome evacuation but hotel situation adding to problem. We are out of food and running out of water at the dome, plans in works to address the critical need. FEMA staff is OK and holding own. DMAT staff working in deplorable conditions. The sooner we can get the medical patients out, the sooner we can get them out.
Phone connectivity impossible
More later

The response from Brown's office

Please schedule Joe Scarborough this evening for 9pmCST period. Spoke with his producer
and told him to call you. Mr. Brown wants to do this one.

Also, it is very important that time is allowed for Mr. Brown to eat dinner. Given that Baton Rouge is back to normal, restaurants are getting busy. He needs much more that 20 or 30 minutes. We now have traffic to encounter to get to and from a location of his choice, followed by wait service from the restaurant staff, eating, etc.
Thank you.

That E-mail prompted two responses. First from Cindy Taylor

Let me preface by saying I know he needs downtime, but ummm... how much time do each of you need for dinner, including travel time to the restaurants of your choice?

Where the fuck was a guy at the Superdome going to find a restaurant of his choice?

The second response to Brown's E-mail is what pornographers call the money shot. From Marty Bahamonde to Brown's office.

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! NO won't go any further, too easy of a target. Just tell her that I just ate an MRE and crapped in the hallway of the Superdome along with 30,000 other close friends so I understand her concern about busy restaurants. Maybe tonight I will have time to move the pebbles on the parking garage floor so they don't stab me i n the back while I try to sleep, but instead I will hope her wait at Ruth Christ is short. But I know she is stressed so I won't make a big deal about it and you shouldn't either.

So, in the middle of the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States the man in charge of relief took the time to go to dinner at a sit down restaurant. I want to know where Brown ate, what he ate, and how long was he at the restaurant. Has Brown ever heard of takeout?

I have to admit, Bahamonde was a hell of a lot more cordial than I would have been in his last E-mail.

Note: I cleaned up the spelling errors in the E-mails.