Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
    • Reason TV
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • Free Media
    • The Reason Interview
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • Freed Up
    • The Soho Forum Debates
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Print Subscription
    • Subscriber Support

Login Form

Create new account
Forgot password

What Desperation Looks Like

Julian Sanchez | 9.9.2005 10:09 AM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Guys, seriously, this is sad. The Democrats confirmed him? Just bite this particular bullet and move on.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: Finally, Clarity about Sandy Berger...

Julian Sanchez is a contributing editor at Reason.

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Hide Comments (22)

Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.

  1. SR   20 years ago

    I made the post below in the "Letter from a New Orleans Native" thread less than 24 hours ago. It now seems prescient:

    "You should call it 'Stupid Fairy Tales'."

    I thought National Review already used that as its subtitle.

  2. Henry   20 years ago

    Seriously, you expect credibility from NRO? The place is a friggin' joke.

  3. jf   20 years ago

    A commenter for a magazine noting that it was a Democratic-controlled Senate that confirmed Brown is sad.

    Ok, whatever. And yes, I get the point before it's made that a Republican-controlled Senate would have confirmed him as well. Both parties are equally lazy, apathetic, and corrupt, so let's move on.

  4. jf   20 years ago

    And never mind that the very next comment is by Jonah Goldberg, basically telling Brown to resign.

  5. joe   20 years ago

    Face it, Otter, you screwed up. You trusted us.

  6. Matt   20 years ago

    Joe,

    thats Flounder, not Otter.

    Three repeat viewings of Animal House for you!

    smack
    Thank you sir, may I have another?

  7. joe   20 years ago

    D'oh!

  8. David   20 years ago

    When the Dems don't confirm one of the President's nominees, it's dirty partisan politics subverting the will of the people as expressed through their 52% endorsement of the executive. When they do, it's their fault when he's inept.

  9. Warren   20 years ago

    GODDAMN IT! STOP FUCKING LINKING TO NRO. I'M NOT FUCKING KIDDING. IT MAKES ME ANGRY.

  10. bubba   20 years ago

    Lowry also says this:

    "Leadership matters, and in the disaster?s initial days, it was hard to tell when FEMA head Michael Brown was doing more harm ? when he tried to do his job, or when he tried to explain on TV how he was doing his job. But at the end of the day, FEMA is a close cousin to your local DMV, which you would never want to trust with your life."

    http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200509090821.asp

  11. wellfellow   20 years ago

    Stop it Bubba! NRO is always dumb, all the time!

  12. joe   20 years ago

    Warren,

    The clown can't hurt you, as long as you just keep laughing.

  13. theOneState   20 years ago

    Yeah, but some f*ckt*t promoted him!

    I'm still not clear on what happened, but couldn't FEMA have asserted itself at some point, simply elbowed the locals out of the way and started calling the shots? No one else was in a position to do that. Except maybe the dude that promoted Brown.

  14. theOneState   20 years ago

    Oh...maybe they couldn't have asserted real control - just saw above about the Insurrection Act. Cool!

  15. Flyover Country   20 years ago

    It looks like Michael Brown may be getting his "Presidential Medal of Freedom soon. When somebody gets brought in to do what you should be doing, it's time to start embellish.. er updating the old resume.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/06/AR2005090601677.html

  16. Pennywise   20 years ago

    The clown can't hurt you, as long as you just keep laughing.

    We all float down here, biotch.

  17. joe   20 years ago

    Aaaaaaa! Scary clown! Scary clown!

  18. Shelby   20 years ago

    Warren:

    Stop posting in all caps. I'm not kidding. It makes me annoyed.

  19. Daniel Montiel   20 years ago

    Julian, to be fair, it seems like every other post on the page is calling for his head, including one possible comparison to "a semi-malevolent clown." Yes, Byron went for the "well, the Dems confirmed him" idiocy, but it seems as if every other author and editor not only bit the bullet, but they are asking for it to happen.

  20. Steven Crane   20 years ago

    Warren, I don't care what time zone you're in... I think that where-ever you may be, it is officially beer-thirty. Miller Time. The sun's over the yardarm. etc.

    Have a drink.

  21. Gene Berkman   20 years ago

    At the time Brown was confirmed, the Democrats had exactly half the seats in the US Senate - not control.

    The NRO Corner post specifically mentioned Sen. Lieberman as a supporter of Brown for FEMA head. No mention that Joseph Lieberman is National Review's favorite Democrat, because of his support for Bush's Iraq War and the Patriot Act.

    Still, the real issue for National Review and especially Jonah Goldberg is, how old do you have to be before you stock acting like a goofy teenager?

  22. huh?   20 years ago

    fifty plus "indpenedent" jim Jeffords, who by then was a reliable thumb-in-the-eye of the admin.

Please log in to post comments

Mute this user?

  • Mute User
  • Cancel

Ban this user?

  • Ban User
  • Cancel

Un-ban this user?

  • Un-ban User
  • Cancel

Nuke this user?

  • Nuke User
  • Cancel

Un-nuke this user?

  • Un-nuke User
  • Cancel

Flag this comment?

  • Flag Comment
  • Cancel

Un-flag this comment?

  • Un-flag Comment
  • Cancel

Latest

Most Americans Hate Trump's Tariffs

Jack Nicastro | 2.6.2026 4:54 PM

The Trump Administration Is Taking Credit for a Long-Running Murder Decline

Alexandra Stinson | 2.6.2026 3:48 PM

American Presidents Shouldn't Endorse Foreign Political Candidates

Matt Welch | 2.6.2026 3:15 PM

Once Again, a Federal Judge Orders ICE To Stop Unlawful Warrantless Arrests

Autumn Billings | 2.6.2026 3:02 PM

Judge Orders Video and Texts Unsealed in Case of Chicago Woman Shot 5 Times by Border Patrol

C.J. Ciaramella | 2.6.2026 2:18 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS Add Reason to Google

© 2026 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

r

I WANT FREE MINDS AND FREE MARKETS!

Help Reason push back with more of the fact-based reporting we do best. Your support means more reporters, more investigations, and more coverage.

Make a donation today! No thanks
r

I WANT TO FUND FREE MINDS AND FREE MARKETS

Every dollar I give helps to fund more journalists, more videos, and more amazing stories that celebrate liberty.

Yes! I want to put my money where your mouth is! Not interested
r

SUPPORT HONEST JOURNALISM

So much of the media tries telling you what to think. Support journalism that helps you to think for yourself.

I’ll donate to Reason right now! No thanks
r

PUSH BACK

Push back against misleading media lies and bad ideas. Support Reason’s journalism today.

My donation today will help Reason push back! Not today
r

HELP KEEP MEDIA FREE & FEARLESS

Back journalism committed to transparency, independence, and intellectual honesty.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

STAND FOR FREE MINDS

Support journalism that challenges central planning, big government overreach, and creeping socialism.

Yes, I’ll support Reason today! No thanks
r

PUSH BACK AGAINST SOCIALIST IDEAS

Support journalism that exposes bad economics, failed policies, and threats to open markets.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

FIGHT BAD IDEAS WITH FACTS

Back independent media that examines the real-world consequences of socialist policies.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

BAD ECONOMIC IDEAS ARE EVERYWHERE. LET’S FIGHT BACK.

Support journalism that challenges government overreach with rational analysis and clear reasoning.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

Support journalism that challenges centralized power and defends individual liberty.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

BACK JOURNALISM THAT PUSHES BACK AGAINST SOCIALISM

Your support helps expose the real-world costs of socialist policy proposals—and highlight better alternatives.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks
r

FIGHT BACK AGAINST BAD ECONOMICS.

Donate today to fuel reporting that exposes the real costs of heavy-handed government.

Yes, I’ll donate to Reason today! No thanks