No McDonald's for Brownie

The former FEMA director (who's still on the FEMA payroll. Yes, you're still paying his salary) is apparently a believer in the slow-food movement:

Wednesday, August 31, much of New Orleans is under water. A FEMA official inside the Superdome sends an urgent Blackberry message to his boss, director Michael Brown. Marty Bahamonde, said to be Brown's eyes and ears within the city, writes, "The situation is past critical. Hotels are kicking people out. Thousands gathering in the streets with no food or water. Estimates are many will die within hours."

Bahamonde tells Senate investigators he doesn't remember getting a response to that e-mail but later was forwarded this one. Brown's press secretary fretting about Brown's dining plans for that evening. "It is very important that time is allowed for Mr. Brown to eat dinner," she writes. "Given that Baton Rouge is back to normal, restaurants are getting busy. He needs much more than 20 or 30 minutes."

In addition, it is very important that New Orleanians in the storm be given time to eat. Given that thousands of people are looking for food, FEMA needs much more than 4 or 5 days to get it to them.