Brownie turns blue

(Via the Washington Post)

Brownie, you give a heckuva interview! Former FEMA chief Michael Brown unloads about his post-Katrina downfall in the August issue of Playboy -- calling himself a "scapegoat," warning that the nation is even "less-prepared" for this year's hurricane season, and sharing some PG-13 opinions of former colleagues.

· On Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), accusing him in a hearing of not comprehending the devastation: "For that little twerp to claim I didn't understand death and suffering -- he can just bite me, for all I care."

· On President Bush saying the levee breaches were unexpected: "He doesn't have an incredible command of the English language."

· On DHS boss Michael Chertoff ordering him out of the field: "I am so mad at myself for not saying 'screw you.' "

· On Bush calling him "Brownie": "It's typical of the president. He's a cheerleader . . . How many people in the world do you think have ever called me Brownie? . . . When he used that nickname, a lot of people in the media went, Is he an insider?"

· On his much-mocked prior job with the International Arabian Horse Association: "Dealing with horses' asses taught me how to deal with the federal government."