FEMA Head couldn't even manage horses

Disaster Agency's Woes Began Long Before Katrina: "Brown came over to FEMA at the urging of Allbaugh -- his old Oklahoma college roommate -- shortly after he was fired from his position as 'czar' with the International Arabian Horse Association (IAHA), a breeders' and horse-show organization based in Colorado.

First, Brown served as FEMA's deputy director and the agency's general counsel, and later, he became the first under-secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response in the newly created Department of Homeland Security in January 2003, after Allbaugh left for greener pastures.

As 'czar' of the IAHA, Brown came under heavy criticism for his leadership skills, or lack thereof. WorldNetDaily, a conservative news site, reported on Sep. 5 that Brown had actually been 'fired' by the IAHA.

A former association president, Bill Pennington, told reporters that Brown 'just wouldn't follow instruction. Mike was bullheaded and he was gonna do it his way. Period.' "