You know what I found interesting about this story of FEMA holding a phony press conference with pretend-reporters?

I am not sure I have ever seen a more heavy-handed, amateurish attempt at propaganda by a government agency in all my years of studying the subject. I mean, come on: A phony press conference almost guaranteed to be discovered as phony? Where was the subtlety? Where was the deviousness? Some attempt at being covert?

I had this bizarre vision of some of history's most vile and long-gone propagandists, hearing the story, laughing at the amateurishness of it, and saying: "Now if they had asked me........"

Obviously, I celebrate the amateurishness, as it gave us a fascinating window on an almost laughably unsubtle attempt at manipulation. That these people even tried to get away with this tells us much about how desperate FEMA -- a seriously wounded government agency -- is to rebuild its reputation.

If the subject interests you, you may want to check out Jeffrey Herf's The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Ideology and Propaganda During World War Ii and the Holocaust. Harvard University Press, 2006. Often caricatured as a bunch of sturm und drang, Herf shows how the NAZI press relations and propaganda apparatus was actually quite subtle and relied on what today's political strategists often call the "message discipline" of sticking to no more than one theme each day.

From: HCJ [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Simone Delgado
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 6:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Part #2 of Fake FEMA News Conference

Isn't it just one more crime for the endless collection of crimes perpetrated by this criminal administration? All is connected.

I am not surprised at all!!

Simone

On Oct 27, 2007, at 9:16 AM, Gorelick, Steve wrote:

The New York Times

October 27, 2007

Fake News Briefing by FEMA Draws Official Rebukes

By ERIC LIPTON

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 - The Federal Emergency Management Agency staged a

fake news conference this week, with agency staff officials, pretending

to be reporters, peppering one of their own bosses with decidedly

friendly questions about the response to the California fires, the

Department of Homeland Security acknowledged Friday.

The action, first reported on Friday in The Washington Post, drew a

rebuke from the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Michael

Chertoff, and an apology from the agency official who was at the

lectern, Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy director.

"We have made it clear that such a stunt will never be tolerated or

repeated," a spokeswoman for the department, Laura C. Keehner, said on

behalf of Mr. Chertoff.

The questions from the staff were posed after FEMA gave reporters only

15 minutes notice for a news conference on Tuesday, meaning that other

than television camera crews, no reporters showed up before questioning

began. A toll-free telephone line was provided so reporters could listen

in, but it was not set up to allow questions.

As a result, staff members asked Mr. Johnson a series of friendly

questions like, "Are you happy with FEMA's response so far?" and, "What

lessons learned from Katrina have been applied?"

Mr. Johnson gave no indication that the questions came from his own

staff.

"I'm very happy with FEMA's response so far," Mr. Johnson said in

response to one question, according to a transcript.

Dana Perino, the White House spokeswoman, said the event was mishandled.

"It's not something I would have condoned," she said. "And they - I'm

sure - will not do it again."