Sandy another WH punt?

[Teatownclown]

Just the inaccurate story you quoted.

Nothing to see here folks.  Another false alarm. 

Shenanigans.

President Barack Obama has again failed as president by not stopping Hurricane Sandy from reaching the US mainland. This further proves his weakness as president. He also called it a storm and not a hurricane! How long will it be before he admits that it is a hurricane! Dammit he KNOWS its a hurricane!

[Gaspar]

President Barack Obama has again failed as president by not stopping Hurricane Sandy from reaching the US mainland. This further proves his weakness as president. He also called it a storm and not a hurricane! How long will it be before he admits that it is a hurricane! Dammit he KNOWS its a hurricane!

It was started by an online weather video posted by NOAA.

[Townsend]

Fugate: Obama's fast emergency declarations 'extraordinary'

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83070.html

President Barack Obama's overnight major emergency disaster declarations for New York and New Jersey were "extraordinary," Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said Tuesday.
After late-night conversations with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Obama made a verbal declaration to help assist individuals in the two states hardest hit by the storm. "This is extraordinary in that generally we do more thorough assessments, and [that] often times will take longer," Fugate said. "But because of the extent of the damage, it was evident to the president in the conversations with the governors that he would do this as a verbal declaration."

"In this administration, we've only done this once before, and that was when American Samoa was hit with a tsunami," Fugate added.

Fugate has sat on the other side of the state-federal relationship, as the top emergency responder for hurricane-ravaged Florida under former Govs. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist.

He said the president "always has the authority" to make a verbal declaration, and after speaking with the two states' governors, "it warranted those requests." Fugate said governors in other states are going to do more wide-ranging assessments before asking for major declarations.

Fugate said FEMA does not try to estimate the number of people killed nationwide by the storm, but he said he has seen unconfirmed death totals as high as 30 nationwide. He said he "wouldn't even begin to guess" how many people had been made homeless, or how many federal personnel were deployed across the East Coast to assist in coordinating rescue efforts with local personnel. Fugate also declined to compare the storm to any previous U.S. disasters.

Asked about whether future U.S. leaders might try to alter FEMA's funding levels and how that might affect disaster responses, Fugate said he was concentrating on the task at hand. "I live in the real world, not the future world," he said.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83070.html#ixzz2AoVrzGVM

Charlotte might as well write something about the President in her web.  He's this close to a ticker tape parade.

[Hoss]

Fugate: Obama's fast emergency declarations 'extraordinary'

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83070.html

Charlotte might as well write something about the President in her web.  He's this close to a ticker tape parade.

And along those lines "Brownie" chimes in:

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2012/10/michael_brown_fema_obama_hurricane_sandy.php

This guy should go back to tending Arabians...

[Hoss]

[nathanm]

I predicted yesterday on another forum that we wouldn't see the end of today before the Republicans started trying to make political hay out of this. A little bit of my heart died when the Politico story went live, as I had figured they would at least wait until first light.

Chris Christie has something he would like to say to you, Gassy:

[TulsaRufnex]

And along those lines "Brownie" chimes in:

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2012/10/michael_brown_fema_obama_hurricane_sandy.php

This guy should go back to tending Arabians...

No kidding... loved this quote... "One thing he's gonna be asked is, why did he jump on this so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in...Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas?" Brown says. "Why was this so quick?... At some point, somebody's going to ask that question.... This is like the inverse of Benghazi."  -- Michael Brown

Wow.  Just wow.  The poster child for "partisan hack political appointment" thinks he has answers and advice...

How Reliable Is Brown's Resume?
By DAREN FONDA AND RITA HEALY Thursday, Sept. 08, 2005
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1103003,00.html

Brown did do a good job at his humble position, however, according to his boss. "Yes. Mike Brown worked for me. He was my administrative assistant. He was a student at Central State University," recalls former city manager Bill Dashner. "Mike used to handle a lot of details. Every now and again I'd ask him to write me a speech. He was very loyal. He was always on time. He always had on a suit and a starched white shirt."

Give 'em heck, Brownie!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCBxI9yKLgw
When I was a lad I served a term
As office boy to an attorney's firm
I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor
And I polished up the handle of the big front door
I polished up that handle so carefully
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

As office boy I made such a mark
That they gave me the post of a junior clerk
I served the writs with a smile so bland
And I copied all the letters in a big round hand
I copied all the letters in a hand so free
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

In serving writs I made such a name
That an articled clerk I soon became
I wore clean collars and a brand-new suit
For the Pass Examination at the Institute
And that Pass Examination did so well for me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

Of legal knowledge I acquired such a grip
That they took me into the partnership
And that junior partnership I ween
Was the only ship that I ever had seen
But that kind of ship so suited me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament
I always voted at my Party's call
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navy

Now, landsmen all, whoever you may be
If you want to rise to the top of the tree
If your soul isn't fettered to an office stool
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule
Stick close to your desks and never go to sea
And you all may be Rulers of the Queen's Navy

[Townsend]

Romney's FEMA quotes are coming back to haunt him.  At least it's coming up on my Left-of-Fox news shows.

[Townsend]

Sandy Underscores Debate Over Government's Role

http://kwgs.com/post/sandy-underscores-debate-over-governments-role

President Obama offered thoughts and prayers Tuesday for all those who have been affected by Sandy. He also offered something more tangible: the full resources of the federal government.

"The most important message I have for them is that America's with you," he said. "We are standing behind you, and we are going to do everything we can to help you get back on your feet."

For Obama, the federal government is a critical vehicle for that kind of help. Republicans put more faith in local government, and even voluntary efforts.

On Tuesday in Ohio, Mitt Romney sponsored a canned food drive for storm victims and told a parable about the virtue of individual action. When he was in high school, Romney said, a small group of students managed the big task of cleaning up a trash-strewn football field, after each student was given responsibility for scouring one small section.

"And if everybody cleans their lane, why, we'll be able to get the job done," he said. "And so today we're cleaning one lane, if you will. We're able to gather some goods for some people that are in our lane. We're going to help them."

Romney did not suggest that this kind of voluntary effort alone is a substitute for the government. But during a Republican primary debate last year, he did argue that disaster relief should be as decentralized as possible.

"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," he said at the time. "And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that's even better."

State disaster officials have sometimes clashed with the federal government, though that's been less of a problem in recent years. Unlike his predecessor, President George W. Bush, Obama named a disaster professional to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA director Craig Fugate understands the states' perspective — he used to run Florida's emergency agency. Obama has promised to keep red tape from getting in the way of recovery.

"I told the mayors and the governors if they're getting 'no' for an answer somewhere in the federal government, they can call me personally at the White House," the president said.

So far, the federal government seems to be delivering. Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey had nothing but praise for the federal response when he spoke Tuesday on Good Morning America.

"I have to say, the administration — the president himself and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate have been outstanding with us so far," Christie said. "And I want to thank the president personally for his personal attention to this."

New Jersey and most of the states hit hard by the storm were already reliably Democratic in the presidential race, but that's not true of disasters generally. Texas leads the nation in federal disaster declarations, with deep-red Oklahoma not far behind.

Even so, for Republicans bent on reducing federal spending, the FEMA budget remains an attractive target. When Romney was asked directly during that same GOP debate last year if disaster relief should be on the chopping block, here's what he said:

"We should take all of what we're doing at the federal level and say, what are the things we're doing that we don't have to do? And those things we've got to stop doing. Because we're borrowing $1.6 trillion more this year than we're taking in. ... We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids."

That's an inconvenient comment in light of this week's storm. Romney ignored reporters' questions about FEMA funding at Tuesday's canned food drive.

President Obama will continue to make the case for an active federal role Wednesday, not at a campaign rally, but by touring hard-hit New Jersey.

Oklahoma's tornado bait towns would be screwed.

[Townsend]

Somebody shouted "No more questions about Romney!" into someone's earpiece.

[patric]

Sen. Inhofe needs to fly in to Jersey and tell those people to stop making this storm stuff up.
Im sure there's a street somewhere clear enough to land on.   

[nathanm]

I think Christie and Obama are having an affair the way they're talking about each other.

[guido911]

Just read that some workers from Alabama got punted out of New Jersey because they were not union. Narrows my selection down for which states get my financial support.

On a related note, just got word some of my kin in New York lost their home to flooding. "Yes", I am going to help them out. 

Anyone else have family in that mess?

[dbacks fan]

Just read that some workers from Alabama got punted out of New Jersey because they were not union. Narrows my selection down for which states get my financial support.

On a related note, just got word some of my kin in New York lost their home to flooding. "Yes", I am going to help them out. 

Anyone else have family in that mess?

Sister-in-law lives north of Princeton was fortunate and only lost four large trees and got some water in the basement  no house damage. She managed to get a generator for the sump and a couple of things in the house. Biggest problem was getting back to work on Wednesday with all of the traffic issues. Was really concerned because her husband passed away earlier this year, and her son lives in Los Angeles.

[Townsend]

"Yes", I am going to help them out. 

Good?

My family's upstate so they're all good.