Diversity, Alacrity, Fraternity

In preparing for the worst -- an attack on millions of Obama's guests on Jan. 20 -- FEMA seems to have forgotten to plan for its own.

FEMA managers apparently will require 50 to 60 workers on Inauguration Day to staff the National Response Coordination Center, just steps from the Mall. But we're told the brains behind the operation have not given employees any clues as to plans for feeding, sheltering and transporting them amid the chaos that will consume downtown Washington.

"There are no plans for feeding people, sheltering people -- anything," said Leo Bosner, head of FEMA's employees union. "Given the poor planning we've seen out of our bosses the last couple of years, we're kind of worried."

FEMA spokeswoman Debbie Wing said it is not 100 percent certain that the agency will staff the downtown facility, and FEMA is considering staffing response coordinators at an alternative facility in the suburbs. Nonetheless, Wing said, managers will ensure that employees have what they need.

"We have made contingency plans for food and meals for the employees to be catered and also made accommodations for facilities, showers and cots and blankets," Wing said.

So everyone just calm down. FEMA will naturally share those plans with its employees. There's still more than a month to go.

Gracious Remark of the Week

The winner is Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), who rejected an offer to be U.S. trade representative. People who reject jobs offered by a president-elect often wax on and on about how deeply, deeply honored they are to be offered such a wonderful job, the job of their dreams, but family, other personal commitments or such things make it simply impossible to accept.

Not Becerra, an eight-term congressman who's said to be eyeing the speakership. According to news reports, he told the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion that he declined to be considered because he didn't think trade was important to the new administration.

"My concern was how much weight this position would have and I came to the conclusion that it would not be priority number one, and perhaps, not even priority number two or three," he said.

That's going to make Ron Kirk, who's taking the job, feel all warm and toasty.

Witt Isn't Returning

Speaking of FEMA, former chief James Lee Witt has taken himself out of the running -- apparently for business and personal reasons -- for his old job. Witt is said to be backing Mark Merritt, an ex-FEMA official who now works for Witt in their consulting firm. Former congressman Nick Lampson (D-Tex.), who won -- and then lost -- the House seat that former majority leader Tom DeLay once held, had been looking at the FEMA slot, we were told, but is now drifting toward some other options.

Let Us Know

Don't forget: If you've gotten an invitation to one of those "previously scheduled" and important events at Blair House between Jan. 4 and Jan. 15, events so important that the White House couldn't accommodate a request by the president-elect and his family to bunk there in that period, please send them to movingout@washpost.com.

If you've got news and tips on who may be getting jobs in the new administration, send those, too, to movingin@washpost.com. Any news on where Bush administration folks are headed? Send it to movingout@washpost.com.

With Philip Rucker