FEMA has admitted that it was probably a mistake to hold a press conference without members of the press. On Tuesday the agency, perhaps trying to get a jump on the kind of negative publicity it received after Hurricane Katrina, stuffed a press briefing with its own employees, who lobbed softballs such as “Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far?”

Yes, vaguely familiar person whom I’m sure I don’t know or pay, we are very happy with our response.


ABC News:

It looked real enough for cable networks to briefly air the live event.

“I’ll be glad to take some of your questions,” Johnson said.

“Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far?” one staffer asked.

“I’m very happy with FEMA’s response so far,” Johnson replied.

And so it went for more than 10 minutes, without any journalists.

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