FEMA's Michael "Brownie" Brown spanked-- but not fired.

Since last week's chummy presidential assurance that he was "doin' a heck of a job," Michael Brown's career has been headed to hell in a rocket sled. The White House will be eager to let him go down and claim that it's time to "move on," but this was the hand-picked chief of a pretty damn important agency. And the administration's choice was a sad sack with a fake resume who got a 42-minute(!) confirmation hearing, attended by five senators (including good ol' Lumpy Lieberman...). They still have a hell of a lot to answer for.

That said, the promotion of the Vice Admiral for the Coast Guard sounds like a wise choice. From most reports, they've been doing an impressive job since this fiasco began.

Director Michael Brown is being removed from his role managing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, The Associated Press has learned.

Brown is being sent back to Washington from Baton Rouge, where he was the primary official overseeing the federal government's response to the disaster, according to two federal officials who declined to be identified before the announcement.

Brown will be replaced by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad w. Allen, who was overseeing New Orleans relief and rescue efforts.

Brown has been under fire because of the administration's slow response to the magnitude of the hurricane. On Thursday, questions were raised about whether he padded his resume to highlight his previous emergency management background.

Less than an hour before Brown's removal came to light, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Brown had not resigned and the president had not asked for his resignation.

McClellan did not directly answer a question about whether the president had full confidence in Brown.

See those last lines? Less than an hour before this decision the White House was still dithering. They're apparently incapable of leading-- just making decisions based on public perceptions of his image. "Okay, the press isn't biting, we've gotta ditch the guy."