BROWN DISCUSSED HIS WARDROBE DURING KATRINA

November 5, 2005

Brown Discussed Wardrobe During Katrina

WASHINGTON -- Newly-released e-mails show former FEMA director

Michael Brown discussing his wardrobe during the crisis caused by

Hurricane Katrina.

A House panel has released 23 pages of internal e-mail offering

additional evidence of a confused and distracted government response

to Katrina, particularly from Brown, the former head of Federal

Emergency Management Agency, at critical moments after the storm hit.

The e-mails show that Brown, who had been planning to step down from

his post when the storm hit, was preoccupied with his image on

television even as one of the first FEMA officials to arrive in New

Orleans, Marty Bahamonde, was reporting a crisis situation of

increasing chaos to FEMA officials.

" My eyes must certainly be deceiving me. You look fabulous _ and I'm

not talking the makeup, " writes Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director

of public affairs to Brown on 7:10 a.m. local time on Aug. 29.

" I got it at Nordstroms, " Brown writes back. " Are you proud of me?

Can I quit now? Can I go home? " An hour later, Brown adds: " If you'll

look at my lovely FEMA attire, you'll really vomit. I am a fashion

god. "

A week later, Brown's aide, Sharon Worthy, reminds him to pay heed to

his image on TV. " In this crises and on TV you just need to look more

hardworking ... ROLL UP THE SLEEVES! " Worthy wrote, noting that even

President Bush " rolled his sleeves to just below the elbow. "

Some lawmakers immediately decried the e-mails.

The e-mails " depict a leader who seemed overwhelmed and rarely made

key decisions, " said U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La. He criticized

Brown for addressing " superficial subjects _ such as Mr. Brown's

appearance or reputation _ rather than the pressing response needs of

Louisiana and Mississippi. "

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