Rod Dreher Sees the Light

It's good to see that not everyone who works for National Review is a braindead Bush loyalist. Nothing could be further from "The Buck Stops Here" than what we've seen so far, and even the firing of Michael Brown cannot suffice to disguise the fact that it was the President himself who appointed an incompetent hack to such a vital administrative position.

PS: For the record, let it be noted that I don't actually believe Michael Brown will be fired; one thing the last five years have shown is that the only reasons one can get fired from the Bush II White House for are the perception of disloyalty or excessive independent-mindedness, not sheer incompetence.

[Via Hit and Run.]

Comments

[john]

though he writes for NR once in a while, I believe Rod Dreher stopped working for them last year. He nows lives in Dallas and works for the Dallas Morning News.

[Abiola Lapite]

No wonder he can actually depart from the party line - his bread no longer depends on it.

[Chuckles]

Brown has resigned.

[Abiola Lapite]

So the question is, was he pushed or did he quit on his own volition? Knowing Bush, I'm more inclined to believe that Brown simply couldn't stand the heat any longer than that George W. would be willing to hold him to account.

[Chuckles]

The WP seems to think he was nudged.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/12/AR2005091200935.html?nav=rss_email/components

[...His decision was not a surprise. Brown was abruptly recalled to Washington on Friday, a clear vote of no confidence from his superiors at the White House and the Homeland Security Department. He also was accused of padding his resume, which Brown has denied...]

But Brown says otherwise:

[...Brown, who said he last talked to Bush five or six days ago, said the resignation was his idea. He spoke Saturday to White House chief of staff Andrew Card, who did not request his departure, according to Brown.
"I'm turning in my resignation today," Brown said. "I think it's in the best interest of the agency and the best interest of the president to do that and get the media focused on the good things that are going on, instead of me."...]

I dont think Bush would have gone so far as to fire him. Remember, this is the same Bush who said "Brownie, youre doing a heck of a job". Bush is a person who likes his cronies - old fashioned loyalty and stuff. He's not one to shoot a team mate when they are down.

[Jim]

"He's not one to shoot a team mate when they are down."

Ha! ain't it the truth, especially when the teammate has served so faithfully. this si how it works - 1) You are in charge of something. 2) It goes to hell and turns into a big embarrassment. 3) There are impassioned calls for accountablity. 4) You take the fall and it makes the administration look principled and tough. 5) You are set up for life, all on the quiet. You no longer even have to show up at the office you were so obviously unfit to fill and which you did almost nothing to attain. 6) Life is good.

This about as fired as you can get once you worm your way into those circles.