Here’s yet another illustration of the ugly binary logic of the Bush administration, which deals almost exclusively in false dichotomies — with us or against us, stay the course or cut and run, etc.

As I described below, approximately 1,000 firefighters from around the country are being used as community relations specialists and PR props rather than helping in the relief effort.

I neglected to point out, however, that some of them have began refusing to wear FEMA t-shirts as a form of protest. In response, as Atrios and Salon point out, the FEMA spokesperson said this:

“I would go back and ask the firefighter to revisit his commitment to FEMA, to firefighting and to the citizens of this country,” said FEMA spokeswoman Mary Hudak.

Black put it best:

So, if you object to having yourself be flown across the country so you can be a human prop for the president instead of actually using your skills to help the citizens of this country then you need to revisit your commitment to “the citizens of this country.”

It’s a dangerous, demagogic logic. And you know the Bush administration is in trouble if they’re deploying it against firefighters who want to help hurricane victims. Next up — Tom Tomorrow’s prediction: “you’re with us, or you’re with the weather!”