FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, proved itself unprepared for the post-hurricane situation in Louisiana, and now will have to prepare itself for an even more deadly assault on its reputation. The publicity disaster follows reports in The Washington Post and other media outlets that FEMA fem and director Michael Brown may be less than qualified for the position he holds. Federal agency historians are describing it as possibly the worst media-related catastrophe to ever strike the organization.

Damage to the agency’s character hasn’t been fully assessed, but early estimates predict anywhere from one to five careers may be permanently injured or even extinguished. Early signs of the disaster’s effects came when the White House reversed its original “FEMA good” public statements for the more critical “FEMA can do better” statements of recent days.

The fallout comes from public outrage over the slowness and inefficiency of relief efforts in the wake of the hurricane Katrina disaster and the extent of destruction from floods in the Louisiana area. As the outcry increased, media outlets investigating FEMA Director Michael Brown uncovered sources who say the director may have misrepresented his qualifications or been misrepresented by people in the administration. Some are accusing the administration and Brown’s supporters of making him the director because of his work on the Bush campaign, rather than his experience with disaster relief—not that the Bush campaign was unofficially a disaster, but such a designation doesn’t put it on par with the flooding of New Orleans.

Last week, the president commended the FEMA director with a resounding and dignified, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” Quite a contrast to the administration’s more recent admission the relief efforts were going abysmally slow, and Thursday’s remark by the president, “Brownie, get your shit together. Quit dragging ass and get ‘r’ done or we’re gonna shitcan you.”

But some are asking, given the degree to which Brown’s resume may have been misrepresented, if the FEMA director shouldn’t be shitcanned already. With the poor relief efforts attracting media attention and adding lead to the president’s always-precarious approval rating, Brown was removed from his on-site duties in the relief efforts. Such an action may precipitate Brown’s stepping down from his position to make way for some other Bush crony with slightly more experience.

Reports surfaced this week that 5 of 8 top FEMA officials, including Brown, had little or no previous disaster relief experience, and at least 3 played vital roles in the Bush 2000 election campaign. Director Brown himself cited only one disaster-related job, allegedly overseeing disaster relief efforts in Edmond, Oklahoma, but sources now say the job was closer to “administrative assistant” or “intern,” or in the common parlance, “little bitch” to the real boss.

If Brown is asked to stepped down from his role at FEMA, some are already anticipating a quick appointment by the president for his old supporter. Insiders at the White House are talking about the possibility of a Federal Emergency Public Relations Agency (the less-interesting acronym FEPRA), who will need someone to run it with the kind of publicity disaster experience only this most recent crisis can provide.