Another Bush appointee Demonstrates His

total lack of understanding of the department he is working at.

it was President Bush's Deputy National Security Advisor for Combatting Terrorism, Juan Zarate. Frankly, this guy's speech was not just bad, it was one of the worst speeches I've ever heard in my life. It also was an insult to the 1,000 people in the audience, many of whom are leading experts who have spent their lives working, studying and teaching about U.S. national security and terrorism issues. Sorry to say, but Mr. Zarates speech was so bad, so clueless, that I observed many people in the audience literally covering their faces in frustration, grimacing, rolling their eyes, shaking their heads, and smirking throughout his talk. Pitiful.

What was so bad about Mr. Zarate's speech? In a nutshell, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Combatting Terrorism conveyed both explicitly (by what he said in his speech) and implicitly (by what he failed to say) that he has ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE about combatting terrorism. It's frightening to consider, but apparently the Bush Administration has learned nothing in four years. Apparently, the only thing it has to offer on combatting terrorism is a Tarzan-like us good, them bad, we kill bad terrorists pablum. But then again, they already knew all the answers even before 9/11, didn't they?

Anyway, all we got today from Mr. Zarat was the usual Bush Administration propaganda about how were rounding em up and hauling em in, how were systematically destroying the ability of Al Qaeda to operate effectively, and basically how we're winning winning WINNING!!! I guess the theory is that if you repeat the same lies enough times with enough fake enthusiasm, maybe someone will believe them? Or at least you can convince yourself that you're doing the right thing?

What I also found extremely jarring - and disturbing about Mr. Zarate's speech was that he and, by extension, the Bush Administration hadn't listened to one word that had been spoken over the two days of this important conference. And Mr. Zarate certainly didn't stick around to find out, almost literally running out the door without taking any questions

In light of the lessons we have learned by watching the lack of performance of the administration appointments in the Gulf Region, this should scare the heck out of everyone.


UPDATE

It also appears Mr. Brown may have pumped up his resume.

Here is what the Bush administration presented to the American People as fact.

his bio posted on FEMA's website, was "serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight." The White House press release from 2001 stated that Brown worked for the city of Edmond, Okla., from 1975 to 1978 "overseeing the emergency services division."

Here is what his employer says.

Brown was an "assistant to the city manager" from 1977 to 1980, not a manager himself, and had no authority over other employees. "The assistant is more like an intern,"