Catalyst Partners

Author Archive: Richard Cooper

A Shocking Place for Private Sector Engagement – FEMA

Brace yourself. I’m going to say something that many people will find astounding, if not shocking. Are you ready? OK… here goes.The center of gravity for private sector engagement at DHS is at FEMA.Five years ago, if you...

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The End of the Other Gulf Disaster: Administration Lifts Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling

If you’ve spent any time on the Gulf Coast over the past few months, it should come as no surprise the people are upset over the BP oil spill. They have every reason to be. Their shorelines, marshlands, waters...

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The Message was Loud and Clear: Senate Hears Terrorist Threat in U.S. is Growing

While I did not have the fortune of being able to watch Wednesday’s full hearing of the Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee with DHS Sec. Janet Napolitano, FBI Director Robert Mueller and NCTC Director Michael Leiter, I’ve...

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Results are in (kind of): I'll Buy Olive's Lunch

As luck would have it, the question of all questions about TSA would not be the first questioned asked. It instead would be the last. As regular readers of Security Debrief know, my friend and fellow Catalyst...

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Lunch is Riding on Bennie Thompson’s First Question for Pistole

Like any office space, there is plenty of banter back and forth between my colleagues and me at Catalyst Partners where our corporate motto is, “if you walk into our office with an ego, you will leave without it.”...

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What I Hope Kevin Costner Says Before the House

It’s not at all unusual for a Hollywood celebrity to make an appearance on Capitol Hill. Whether they are advocating for a particular cause or issue, their public visibility has the ability to shine a greater light on a...

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Keep DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier

Back in 1983, the era of Reagan and when MTV actually played music videos from artists who didn’t wear meat, there was a made for TV movie called, “The Day After.” The film was about life in America...

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GOP Takeover & the Future of Congressional Oversight

With just about every Midterm Election poll forecasting Hurricane Katrina-like destruction for Congressional Democrats and a prospective GOP takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives, it begs the question, “What will change?” Speaker in waiting, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH),...

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Lighting the Fires of Hate in Gainesville

It never ceases to amaze me the people who proclaim to be representatives of God but are so willing to unleash hate. As disturbed as I am by such behavior, I am even more disturbed that there are people...

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Five Years Later, Gulf Coast Reflections – Part Four

Lake Charles, Southwest LouisianaIn a state as disaster prone as Louisiana has been over the past few years, it's hard to remember that when something bad does occur, it doesn't impact everyone. I was reminded of this when I...

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