Brown's Beating as told by Salon

Now I understand Granted reads this rag, but articles like this one sour my stomach. Is this a news organization of just unadulterated editorializing?

Find any relevant information in this lead in:

The official inquisition of former FEMA director Michael Brown began just as Democrats had predicted -- with a whitewash. Clearly mistakes had been made after Hurricane Katrina. Thousands had suffered. Others died. But the Republican leadership was not going to place all the blame on one man and his agency of 2,500 employees.

"This is not the movies," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., who chairs the House committee investigating the Katrina response. "There is no Tommy Lee Jones character who comes in and takes charge of everything."

But no one at the hearing seemed to mistake Brown for a tough-guy taskmaster. Sitting Tuesday before the committee in a powder-blue tie, Brown looked more like an overdressed shipping clerk. He had an earnest voice and a plain face. When he became emotional his cheeks flushed and his eyes widened.

Well I suppose the fashion statement and the number of employees is information, but otherwise crap. Inquisition is accurate if for no other reason than that is how all goverment investigations by politicians go.

Let's be honest. The only reason they brought in Brown was to put him on the rack and publicly humiliate him. Does anyone honestly believe the hearing was trying to find information. The sections I saw were definitely speeches of derision and nothing more.

Then there is this:

In other words, Brown's only regrets appeared to be the behavior of others. "I don't want to make this partisan," Brown said, delivering the day's most disingenuous line. "I can't help it if Alabama and Mississippi are governed by Republican governors, and Louisiana is governed by a Democratic governor."

Stupid statement, yes. Disingenuous, I don't think so. Strikes me as his candid assessment if not completely and rudely stated. If he is such a political crony as they keep yelping, I would be he is fully informed on those personnel that he speaks too.

Personally, this article is a waste of pixels and the whole set of hearings a waste of oxygen. Leaving the investigation to a politician, of any affiliation, is a complete disservice to the public in general. I once believed that politicians weren't 90% mouth and 5% brain, but this is the end proof that they are. (The last 5% is unmentionables.)