HECK OF A...

HECK OF A JOB, SAUERBREY. Yesterday, Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly warned about the under-qualified U.S. State Department's Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, Ellen Sauerbrey, a GOP activist and former Maryland state legislator:

If the [Iraqi] refugee crisis worsens, as it's likely to do, keep an eye on Sauerbrey. We may have another "Brownie"/FEMA story unfolding.

That's certainly what some people thought when she was nominated, which is why The Los Angeles Times' Oct. 2005 article on her appointment by Ken Silverstein got slapped with the headline "Shades of FEMA's Brown in Bush Pick":

"This is a job that deals with one of the great moral issues of our time," said Joel R. Charny of Refugees International in Washington, which opposes Sauerbrey's nomination. "This is not a position where you drop in a political hack."He and critics from other relief organizations - who spoke on condition of anonymity because they work closely with the bureau or receive funding from it - have pointed to the controversy over former FEMA Director Michael D. Brown, who resigned Sept. 12 after his lack of disaster experience became an issue in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His agency's disorganized response to a major catastrophe was widely disparaged.Sauerbrey's nomination came Aug. 31, two days after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast."I don't want to say this is Michael Brown redux," Charny said, "but what qualifications does she have to deal with the core issue of refugees? The answer is none."Erin Healy, a White House spokeswoman, defended Sauerbrey's qualifications."An important focus of the position is not only dealing with the aftermath of conflict and displacement of persons, but the prevention of refugee situations," Healy said. "Ambassador Sauerbrey understands the importance of stability and democracy, and how they prevent the displacement of persons."...Kathleen Newland, director of the independent Migration Policy Institute, said Dewey, Taft and earlier bureau heads had deep field experience before being named to the job."The refugee bureau has not been a spot for political appointments," Newland said. "This is not a position for on-the-job learning."

Unsurprisingly, Sauerbrey has failed to prevent the refugee crisis that's developing in and around Iraq, despite her understanding of democracy, and has yet to take a leadership role with the international community to come up with a more hands-on, first-responder type of plan.

--Garance Franke-Ruta