Remember Aaron Broussard, the president of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana who went on “Meet the Press” accusing the Bush administration of bureaucratic homicide and crying over a story about colleague’s mother’s death, which turned out to be false?

Turns out that Broussard might have been trying to shift blame to cover for his own inadequate response to the disaster. Last week, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that residents of Jefferson Parish were furious with Broussard when they learned that he left Jefferson Parish pumping stations unmanned for more than 24 hours after Hurricane Katrina hit, arguably worsening the flooding in the area:

“This wasn’t an act of God. It was an act of stupidity, and we’re the little guys now stuck between the parish and the insurance companies,” said Danny Callahan of Metairie. “We are the ones who have to pay for the decisions politicians make.

Then on Wednesday the Times-Pic editorial board turned on Broussard after it became clearer that Broussard’s decision to evacuate the pumping station workers to distances up to 100 miles away before the storm delayed their return to the pumps.

Maybe Broussard can be excused for making mistakes under pressure during a crisis. But what’s his excuse for going on national TV and blaming everyone else? (via CJR Daily)