So, the resident will travel to Florida today, and we will watch in disgust as he looks over the devastation of Hurricane Irma from afar and boasts of how his FEMA is doing “tremendous” work there and that we should all be grateful for his business proven management skills for its success.
Only one major problem with that... this is President Obama’s FEMA, as Trump has been negligent in filling its ranks, and it was Obama’s FEMA Director, Craig Fugate, who remade the agency after W’s disastrous mismanagement of it.
WASHINGTON ― As President Donald Trump basks in positive assessments of his handling of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, he might consider two words to help explain things: “Thanks, Obama.”
While he’s at it, he could probably also thank the so-called “deep state,” and offer a wave of gratitude out the window of Air Force One over Gainesville, Florida ― home of former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate ― as it flies to Naples, the site of much of Irma’s devastation, on Thursday.
Because while Trump has enjoyed praise from frequent critics for his leadership during the storms, two of his favorite nemeses are making his job a lot easier.
Former President Barack Obama appointed Fugate to turn around the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the system he left behind is the one Trump inherited heading into this year’s hurricane season.
When it was time for Obama to appoint a FEMA Director, the President, true to deliberative nature, let neither partisanship, patronage or personal considerations guide his decision and reached out to pick Fugate, who had proven his effectiveness in Florida after his appointment as emergency management chief by former Democratic Governor Lawton Chiles and was kept on by Jeb Bush.
It was Fugate’s system of declaring a disaster early, pre-positioning relief supplies in areas of predicted distress, calling in help from areas considered less in danger and ensuring efficient delivery of vital commodities like gasoline prioe to the storm that current Florida Governor Rick Scott and drumpf will try to take credit for today.
As you watch drumpf doubtless strut and preen and brag today about the handling of the storm, as you encounter any deluded drumpf supporters as you go about your day, grit your teeth and lower your blood pressure with this one truthful phrase.
”Obama built that.”