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FEMA HEAD MAY WATCH HBO’S ‘LEVEES’: R. David Paulison says he will see any report that will school him on what went wrong.
*When Spike Lee’s two-part documentary “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts” premieres on HBO Aug. 21 and 22, one particular viewer may tune in for tips on what not to do should another Category 5 storm pound America’s shores.
R. David Paulison, the man who replaced Michael Brown as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, tells the Associated Press that he may watch the film if he’s not too busy dealing with the current hurricane season.
“Levees” harshly criticizes FEMA’s response to Katrina in the days immediately following its battering of the Gulf Coast. The organization’s then-head, Michael Brown, ended up quitting the post in disgrace amidst overwhelming disapproval of his leadership.
Paulison says he would like to see Spike’s documentary in hopes of understanding how his agency went wrong.
"I'm taking this very seriously, and I'm not taking it personally," Paulison told reporters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where he joined President Bush on his briefing of the nation’s preparedness for the current hurricane season. "I want to make this country proud of FEMA again. I think we could do that."
Bush spokesman Tony Snow said the president is having regular meetings to make sure the government is ready should another disaster strike. "Whether that includes movie viewing, I don't know," Snow said.
