"When we had that devastating Katrina, we were there within days taking care of Mississippi, Alabama, and especially Louisiana. Within days," Reid said. "We are now past two months with the people of New York. And the people of New Orleans and that area - they were hurt, but nothing in comparison to what has happened to the people of New England."...which is funny, because all I remember Democrats talking about back then was how slow the response was because George Bush hates black people.
But that's not the important point, here. The important point is that now we know that in the Inside-The-Beltway mind, Sandy was far more devastating than Katrina, despite the latter killing 1833* to the former's 113.
This provides us a handy metric for future use: If you live in flyover country, you're right around 1/16th of a real person to the bicoastal power elite.
*Well, 1833ish. Some parts of the Gulf Coast were so thoroughly annihilated that we're really kinda spitballing, here.
35 comments:
I'm not sure which is worse: the thought that the political elites have no memory past the most recent election, or that they believe that is the case with the voters. Or that the latter may be a mostly correct assumption.
Does that 1833 number of dead from Katrina include those murdered by the New Orleans Police?...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
Tam I think you are being generous... He said that Katrina was "nothing in comparison" if they were 1/16th of a person it would be about equal...
That does give a good indication of how he views the central part of the country, especially since even slaves were considered 3/5th of a person.
I'll be the racist pig. Perhaps Obama's administration doesn't care about homeless (mostly) white people.
Frank beat me to it. That was my first thought when I saw your astrick.
Of course the number is lower in Manhattan, NYPD cops are notoriously lousy shots.
Roger,
"Perhaps Obama's administration doesn't care about homeless (mostly) white people."
Wasn't the Obama administration that punted on the initial aid bill. That'd be House Republicans hatin' on the crackers.
Another pathetic statement... sigh... And +1 on Frank's comment!
Republicans just hate *everybody*!
I still want to hear why Obama is doing it right on Sandy and Bush did it wrong on Katrina. . . That should be a great piece of spin. . . And where is the outrage from the left against Obama for all these people they are not helping???
Ya, I thought so. . .
"...And where is the outrage from the left against Obama for all these people they are not helping???"
Oh, there's plenty of outrage. It's all still W's fault, and if he can't be blamed, it must be the Republicans' fault. So the outrage is directed there. Just watch the news.
" bicoastal power elite"
That's a concise and felicitous turn of phrase so early morning.
Suggest trademarking.
..."we were there within days taking care of" ...." Within days," Reid said."
Who is this mysterious "we" and what were they taking care of?
I distinctly remember both a reported lack of care and not much "we" - except for the actual people on the ground.
According to the Constitution, shouldn't those of us outside the bicoastal power elite be at least 3/5's of a person?
Chris - I'm not sure which is worse: the thought that the political elites have no memory past the most recent election, or that they believe that is the case with the voters. Or that the latter may be a mostly correct assumption.
The last case is worst.
To borrow from a wise old sage, "Who's the fool? The fool, or the one who follows him?"
I'm always reminded of the Simpsons when pork laden relief bills come up.
Speaker: All in favor of the amended Springfield-slash-pervert bill? [entire Congress boos] Bill defeated. [gavel]
I'm kinda shocked Boehner held the line on something. If only to push it off a few weeks.
How about accurate geographical references in his political propaganda?
The people of New England? Southern Connecticut caught some damage, otherwise the "people of New England" really didn't suffer much.
I know this because the day after the storm, I left my powerless house in NJ and took the family to my parents' undamaged, fully powered house in MA.
I'm sorry, I musta missed all the footage of Joisy-ites bein' helicoptered off'en the roofs of their hovels...and the flooded school-buses in their yards that could have carried evacuees out of danger. Missed that, somehow.....
The citizens of Joplin are unimpressed.
And +1 for Farmer Frank.
which is funny, because all I remember Democrats talking about back then was how slow the response was
Exactly. My recall of the fury directed at Fema post Katrina was that Fema hadn't responded quickly.
How does Reid manage to contort like that.
I can't believe you're comparing Sandy to Katrina, Tam. Just think of all the upper middle class New Yorkers and Philadelphians who lost expensive vacation homes on the Jersey Shore. Think of all the donations to the DSCC that won't be made this year because the insurance hit for Hurricanes in 22% of value. Most importantly, won't someone think of Snookie? Oh, the humanity!
"...and the flooded school-buses in their yards that could have carried evacuees out of danger."
Well the train guys did leave 600 million dollars of rolling stock and new locomotives in the lowest marshalling yard in Northern Jersey and it predictably got flooded out.
Pity we didn't get round the clock visuals of that. And remember 2-3 guys could have hooked all that gear together and towed it away to somewhere non-floodable and they didn't bother. And no one has lost their job about it.
There are six states in New England - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. While New York and New Jersey are in the Northeast region, they are not part of New England. Some identify parts of upstate New York as sharing some of the same culture, but that only upsets many of the residents of upstate New York. On the other hand, Vermont is the only state of the eight Northeast states mentioned that does not require a license to carry handguns either open or concealed, which makes them unique from the others, almost like an island population of citizens who know what it is like to be free, to have liberty and choose to keep it that way.
But why is Harry so mad? I mean, the damage was so Minimal that they could run Marathons just a couple of days later.
At least that's the impression I got from Mickey Bloomberg.
I now believe George Orwell was an optimist.
Gerry
Remember flyover country citizens don't even count as productive people. Google "Down Winders"
Anyone who thinks we're not a bad apple or two away from death camps is either an idiot or willfully blind to facts.
Gerry: Orwell may have been an optimist, but Huxley was a prophet. Divert the proles with enough entertainment, and Minilove and Minitru become unnecessary.
Scott S. Well, things are looking awfully Weimarish, to be sure. We had an administration large numbers of cranks believed to be not properly in power (not my president)and another considered by a smaller number of nut jobs to be not properly in power (birthers), a big spending spree on borrowed money, we even have the "Dolchstoss", the "stab in the back" where the war would have been won on the battle field but for the home front and communists/other groups of disloyals, nurtured by ex military (not 1918 but Vietnam).
We have everyone seemingly polarized in political parties with no chance of compromise,and people panicked over things causally not possible (Germans in 1929 were panicked over a "gas gun" which could spray a knockout gas a la the Green Hornet, so it had to be banned. 20 years ago there was the idea that the Glock was plastic and therefore not detectible via x ray. Now it's scary looking weapons with the equivalent of air dams and go fast stripes and 6 point harnesses in street cars.
The only thing we're missing is the brawling in the streets between the international socialists and the national socialists. Occupy came closest to that one.
So, we are only one arrogant constitution-ignoring charismatic totalitarian leftist bully thug from real trouble.
@Sebastian - "Most importantly, won't someone think of Snookie? Oh, the humanity!"
Snookie is human? I was thinking Oompa Loompa.
I was on Staten Island two weeks after Sandy hit, later in Bed-Stuy, and then on Coney Island.
Harry Reid is full of shit.
Where's Brownie when you (really)need him?
"Pity we didn't get round the clock visuals of that. And remember 2-3 guys could have hooked all that gear together and towed it away to somewhere non-floodable and they didn't bother. And no one has lost their job about it."
They're union. They get paid the big bucks for that.
mustanger said...
"Pity we didn't get round the clock visuals of that. And remember 2-3 guys could have hooked all that gear together and towed it away to somewhere non-floodable and they didn't bother. And no one has lost their job about it."
Seems odd. I know when Irene came through recently, the railroad in Newport News, VA cleared the rail yard out and occupied every bit of inland yard and siding till deep in West Virginia. I bet the local manager lost his job, but no-one else.
Anyone remember during the Southern CA wildfires in 2007 (as opposed to every other year they happen, which is every year) when Harry Reid claimed they were due to global warming?
Later in THE SAME INTERVIEW the interviewer returned to that topic and asked Reid to expand on his claim. And Reid flat out denied that he'd said any such thing.
During. The. Same. Interview.
Calling him a whore is slander to honest prostitutes. Calling hims stupid slanders persons of limited intelligence.
Calling elected "representatives" who act like that a "horse's ass" is slandering horses everywhere.
And to think they voted overwhelmingly for Bam and his people. BTW.. Repubs held up the bill due to the unlimited pork in it and no discretion as to how the fund woud be spent.. Too much hankey-pankey in the bill
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