Editorial: A disgusting display

Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

In response to California's disastrous wildfires last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency called a news conference.

FEMA officials gave the media only 15 minutes' notice of the Tuesday briefing, making it impossible for reporters to get there in time.

But instead of rescheduling the event, FEMA pulled an astonishing stunt: Three agency staffers sat in the briefing room and posed as reporters as they asked FEMA Deputy Administrator Harvey Johnson questions about the agency's response to the wildfires.

Suffice to say, the questions pitched by these "reporters" were softballs, allowing Johnson to wax on about how FEMA was doing a fantastic job of responding to Californians' needs.

FEMA had provided an 800 -number for reporters who could not attend the briefing, but it was a listen-only line - therefore, real reporters could not ask questions.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Saturday blasted the phony news conference, calling it "the dumbest, most inappropriate thing I've seen since I've been in government." And that's saying something in light of this White House's track record for deception.

The Bush administration has taken some dumb steps when trying to manipulate the media - including the Education Department's 2005 payment of $240,000 to television commentator Armstrong Williams. In return, Williams promoted Bush's No Child Left Behind Act on his nationally syndicated television show.

Chertoff said Saturday he would take "appropriate disciplinary action" against the errant FEMA workers. However, he stopped short of saying what that action will be.

One of the participants - John Philbin, who was FEMA's external affairs director at the time of the phony briefing - was to start a new job as public affairs director for National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell. But McConnell rescinded that job offer Monday.

Certainly, anyone involved in FEMA's fakery should be fired. But it remains deeply disturbing - although not particularly surprising - that FEMA staffers were comfortable creating this farce in the first place.