Tuesday, two of the most respected programs on PBS, Nova and Frontline, examine Katrina. Storm that Drowned a City looks at the science while The Storm investigates the politics. Drowned will be availabe online the week of December 5th (they also now have audio and video podcasts) and The Storm will be online before the end of the week.

Smith has the first interview with former FEMA Director Michael Brown since he resigned. He also interviews Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, James Lee Witt who was FEMA Director under Clinton, Richard Clarke, head of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, and Warren Rudman.

While Brown's clothes look nice, the interview isn't pretty. He still seems like he is in over his head. He admits he made a misstatement about the convention center three times during TV interviews:

Martin Smith: So, you said it three times.

Michael Brown: I said it three times.

Martin Smith: So, how do you misspeak three times? I don't understand.

Michael Brown: I understand why people can--can now look at that tape and say, "Brown's saying he just learned about that? He really must be an idiot." I simply misspoke. I knew about it 24 hours before and I should have said we learned about it 24 ago, Brian.

Martin Smith: I just don't understand how you would misspeak three times a--about that situation.

Michael Brown: Well, I'll tell what we'll do. Next time there's a--there's a really big disaster. We'll put you in charge of it. We'll not give you any sleep, and we'll put you on this side of the chair--on this side of the camera. And we'll pepper you with questions for a couple hours at a time and see how tired you are.

Having worked on one Frontline Smith supervised (about General Motors) back in 1993 and seen him on several panels since then as well as his work, I'm sure Smith would have done a better job. But that isn't the point. It was Brown who was supposed to be able to deal with disasters instead of being one.

Smith asks him, "Did you fail?" Brown still is in denial. He replies, "No I did not fail. I'll make a great confession to you here. FEMA makes mistakes every disaster."

It is true FEMA makes mistakes, but not always of the massive kind they made under his watch. Smith gives some historical perspective. President Bush and Andrew Card should have known better. His father also appointed a political hack to head FEMA and then Transportation Secretary Card was brought in to try and clean up the mess after Hurricane Andrew.

Clinton appointed James Lee Witt who was the first FEMA director with disaster management experience. Bush (even though he praised Witt during one of the 2000 debates) repeated the sins of his father, first appointing his campaign manager, then Brown. Bush also cut funding for Project Impact which provided funds for communities to prepare for disasters. Rudman, who was on a commission, called for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security is critical of how it is was implemented.

Even with Brown gone, there is still criticism of how the Bush administration is dealing with Katrina's aftermath. Hopefully, both Nova and Frontline will take another look a year from now.

Martin Smith will be online Wednesday, Nov. 23rd, at 11am ET, to discuss the program (it will also be archived).
Ed: JH