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Romney to Use Storm Sandy as Campaign Booster

Mitt Romney is pathetic. He's holding a "storm relief" campaign event tomorrow -- in Ohio, with NASCAR driver Richard Petty and singer Randy Owen. Is there anything the shameless know-nothing won't exploit in his attempt to win the election? AmericaBlog has more.

Earlier today, as his MittMobile van drove around, supposedly collecting supplies, he asked people to donate canned goods and blankets. Had he bothered to check the Red Cross website, he would have seen this is exactly what the relief agencies advises against doing. It can actually impede aid efforts.

Hey, Mitt, if you want to help, how about writing a check and making a personal donation? Or better yet, staying out of the way.

On a lighter note, check out #romneystormtips and #mittstormtips on Twitter -- some funny ones below: [More..]

  • "Everyone in the path of the hurricane should head to their second or third homes for safety." #RomneyStormTips
  • If your house is destroyed, borrow money from your parents to buy a new one. #RomneyStormTips
  • This is a time for bipartisanship, despite the President's bungling of this preventable natural disaster. #MittStormTips

  • Once elected, I will take away a female Hurricane's right to choose #Romney StormTips
  • If you aren't able to swim to safety, then why should the government try to save you? #Romney StormTips
  • Emergency aid is nothing but a handout for America's "victim" class. Don't expect FEMA under MY administration! #RomneyStormTips
  • Do not let your chef go home for the night. Restaurants are NOT delivering. #MittStormTips

That's all I have time to read, I'm sure you will find many more. While I haven't seen it, I'm sure someone thought of:

  • When I am President, you can rest assured there will be no more hurricanes.

Back to the truth department: Here's Romney pontificating on CNN during a Republican debate about abolishing FEMA -- he says we need to protect state's rights:

What he said:

“Absolutely. Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction. And if you can go even further, and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better. Instead of thinking, in the federal budget, what we should cut, we should ask the opposite question, what should we keep?”

"We should take all the things we're doing at the federal level and ask, what are the things that we don't have to do. And those things we have to stop doing."

“Including disaster relief, though?” debate moderator John King asked Romney.

“We cannot — we cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids,” Romney replied. “It is simply immoral, in my view, for us to continue to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids, knowing full well that we’ll all be dead and gone before it’s paid off. It makes no sense at all.”

Shorter version: Romney wants to privatize disaster relief. A campaign aide this week said that's still his position.

This milquetoast, mayonnaise, uninformed 50's dad, who can't empathize with the 99% of the American public because he has nothing in common with them and their experiences are as foreign to him as Russia and China, could be our next President. Don't forget to vote. Leave him to Beaver.

< Superstorm Sandy: How are the Inmates Faring? | Romney's Whopper On Jeeps and China >
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  • Display: Sort:
    The recovery effort for this storm is going to (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by Angel on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 07:38:53 AM EST
    take quite some time.  I'm hoping for several things: first of all that those affected are given relief and the things they need to be safe and comfortable; that the people see Romney for what an opportunist he is; that it's brought to the attention of the masses that Romney wants to abolish FEMA; that Obama and his surrogates can get out the message of Romney's continued lies - such as the blatant lie of a commercial telling Ohioans that Chrysler is moving their Jeep production from Ohio to China; that Obama's efforts in the wake of storm Sandy are superhuman in the eyes of the nation; that everyone has a chance to vote on or before next Tuesday; that Obama wins in a landslide; that the GOP doesn't again try to steal a national election, and if they do then they are thwarted and the nation turns on them.  Long list, but that's what I'm hoping for concerning the storm and the election.

    To those of you affected by the storm, you're in my thoughts and prayers.  

    I'm glad Gov. Romney is doing this (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by Democratic Cat on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 08:34:55 AM EST
    It serves to show how inadequate a private response to such devastation is.  Canned goods and blankets?  If that is all that private charity can offer, and if we had not invested in government to help handle these disasters, where would be?  Canned goods are not going to rebuild piers, fix the NY subway system, and clear debris to make roads passable.  

    I think there is a place for private charity and we should all help our fellow man in any way that we can.  But the scope and scale of this devastation requires big intervention.  This is one of the reasons we have government, to serve us in times like these and to marshal relief efforts.  Important relief efforts will also be led by private, professional charities like the Red Cross.  But they can't replace our government.

    Gov. Romney's efforts make him look small.  So I'm glad he is doing this.

    Chris Christie has only praise for Obama's (5.00 / 5) (#17)
    by caseyOR on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 09:50:41 AM EST
    actions during Sandy.

    On the morning shows Christie talked about how available and helpful Obama and FEMA and the feds have been throughout yesterday, last night and this morning.

    "The federal government's response has been great. I was on the phone at midnight again last night with the president, personally, he has expedited the designation of New Jersey as a major disaster area," said Christie, in an interview with NBC's "Today."
    "Last night, I was on the phone with FEMA at 2 a.m. this morning to answer the questions they needed answered to get that designation and the president has been outstanding in this. The folks at FEMA, [Administrator] Craig Fugate and his folks have been excellent," he continued.

    In a separate interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Christie added to the praise, saying that "the president has been all over this and deserves great credit."

    "He gave me his number at the White House and told me to call him if I needed anything," he added.

    Take that, Mr. Privatize Disaster Relief Romney.

    Parent

    OMG, the storm surge at Battery Park (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by caseyOR on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 09:07:26 AM EST
    was nearly 14 feet. More than 50 homes in Queens have been destroyed by fire.

    Obama has declared NYC a disaster area. Well, yeah, I guess so.

    I think kdog has family in Queens (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by ruffian on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 09:30:39 AM EST
    Thinking of them today.

    Stay safe all.

    Parent

    remember Romney's remark about ocean levels at (5.00 / 3) (#19)
    by DFLer on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 10:04:56 AM EST
    the convention?

    President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans -- [pauses for audience laughter(!)] -- and to heal the planet. MY promise is to help you and your family.

    Storm surges show how vulnerable low-lying areas are. Combine that with even the smallest rise in sea levels.....worser!

    And (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Towanda on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 10:52:09 AM EST
    not just oceans, Mr. R-money.

    The storm's swath even is reaching a lot of families now needing help along the Great Lakes, previously at record low levels this year.  

    We have evacuations along the lakeshores in several states, including mine.  Living near Lake Michigan, I saw the impact of 20-foot waves this morn and still can hear, at home, its constant roar today.

    Remember Lightfoot's lyrics about the gales on the Great Lakes, especially in early November (when water still is warm -- warmer this year than in most years, too -- which can whip up winds more than later in the season.  And the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald went down almost two weeks later than these gales this year.


    Parent

    I hate the national press. (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by caseyOR on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 10:12:46 AM EST
    If I hear one more national TV journalist comment on Obama's response to Sandy (returning to D.C., calling governors, making sure the federal govt. actually helps those who need it) as if it is nothing more than a chance for Obama to appear presidential and, thus, burnish his credentials for the election, I swear to god I will put my foot through the TV screen.

    What is the deal with these jackasses? Two that I have heard recently pushing that line are Jake Tapper(ABC) and Bill Plante (CBS). Is it really a stretch to think that Obama's response to Sandy is Obama doing his job?

    Doing Ones Job... (none / 0) (#39)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 12:49:53 PM EST
    ... after the Bush Administration is news worthy.

    Your anger is directed to the wrong folks, you should be mad at the people who set the bar so GD low that it's news to not screw up in a crisis.

    Parent

    Mittens Disaster Relief Bake Sale (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Dadler on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 10:17:12 AM EST
    You understand what functional mental retardation is when you listen to this idiot. Privatizing diaster relief?  Holy sheet, aren't private prisons bad enough?  I suppose not.  Save people from death, but do it at cost!!  I'd laugh if crying weren't appropriate.  There is nothing, literally nothing, this financial pimp won't try to get phucked for money.  

    Good on Obama for his leadership, nothing like a little competence to relieve folks.

    Peace and safety to all in the affected areas.

    Sad to say (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by fishcamp on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 11:14:50 AM EST
    I have given $$ online to the Obama campaign twice now and they keep bombarding me with more requests that I can't unsubscribe to.  Also I've started getting other offers for private island rentals, cellular providers, certificate programs, and pigeon forge.  The election campaign people must be giving my email address to these other people...sh*t.

    Really clueless on their part (none / 0) (#30)
    by Dadler on Tue Oct 30, 2012 at 11:21:47 AM EST
    But par for the curse. Such are the wages of spin.