I was watching the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, and he had a panel discussion with Krystal Ball, the most awesomely awesome Joy Reid, and Steve Kornacki, and they seemed to all agree that it would be improper for the Obama campaign to mention this:
The group consensus seemed to coalesce around the notion that it would be inappropriate for the Obama campaign to note that RMoney wants to shift the burden of the FEDERAL Emergency Management Agency to the states. You wouldn’t want to politicize it, they seemed to think, and it might “backfire” among voters.
This makes no sense to me whatsoever. The decision to gut FEMA and send it to the states, creating a far less efficient 50 state model that would not have the might and wealth of the federal government, the ability to make coordinated snap decisions, and work efficiently with NGO’s, the military, major businesses, suppliers, etc.- THAT IS A POLITICAL DECISION. Not only is it a political decision, but it is based on a deluded small government ideology rather than taking a clear look at the mission of the Agency and what would best serve the public.
So pointing out, during a natural disaster of epic proportions, that one candidate had made an entirely political, foolish, and unethical decision regarding FEMA is politicizing it?
Bullshit. Politicizing the event would be pointing to a fatality and making some partisan conclusion based on no facts. Pointing out that one of two candidates has a really bad plan for the future of FEMA and disaster relief is not politicizing the tragedy, the politicization has already been done. All pointing this out does is clarify the differences between Obama and Romney.
Sadly, though, our electorate is so god damned stupid and listens to so much talk radio, Fox, and right wing bullshit, that I’m afraid that as wrong as Larry O’s panel is, they’re probably also right.
TheMightyTrowel
I’m watching breaking bad and working on lectures. Fuck this election. Fuck the US media. Fuck climate change. And Fuck Mitt Romney.
(and FUCK YOU word press!)
jharp
Except of course, sending federal money to Utah to develop Park City for millionaires under the guise of the Olympics.
What a fucking dick.
Spaghetti Lee
Well, Obama hasn’t always cared about what the Beltway deems acceptable discourse, but I doubt he’ll be pounding the podium with this, tomorrow. He doesn’t rush into things like that.
Old Dan and Little Ann
I’m letting everyone I know that Romney wants to gut FEMA. The one nutter who wrote back to me, though, figures it was no use under Bush so it can only be only worse under PBO. And the people of Louisiana know it is Governor Blanco who is really to blame for the Katrina disaster.
AT
FEMA is shit Katrina proved this. Therefore kill it.
It’s the republican way, mismanage something do badly then say its all the fault of the model so it just be blown up.
Rinse and repeat!
Shakespeare
I’d be VERY surprised if Obama & Co weren’t able to work this into either a commercial or a press conference question response before 11/6.
It’s not an exaggeration this time: This is the most important election in decades. ACA is immediately at stake, sane foreign policy, gay rights progress, rightward lurch completion on the Supreme Court…
We better win. We better win.
James E. Powell
I would be appropriate, but not effective for the president to tout the performance of a federal agency that he is currently running.
It would be appropriate, and more effective, if every Democratic elected official in the United States, state and federal, went on their local news shows and screamed about the fact that Romney wants to get rid of the only agency in the federal government that can arrive with help when disasters strike.
They should talk about nothing else for the next 48 hours.
But then, if they did that, they wouldn’t be the Democrats, now would they?
The Dangerman
Let Romney be the one to try to score points off Sandy; shit, him sending his campaign bus was a “brilliant idea”.
Obama’s up and he gets to actually play the role of President as opposed to pretend President*; that should be enough.
*I wouldn’t be surprised if, after he loses, Mitt will buy a big plane and paint it baby blue.
FlipYrWhig
I think you need to make sure that FEMA doesn’t, you know, fuck up, before running commercials based on this premise. Otherwise you’re pulling Romney on Benghazi: people in trouble! Let’s make a statement before we know what the outcome will be!
TS
The NY times has already made the statement that this panel doesn’t want.
A Big Storm Requires Big Government
“Disaster coordination is one of the most vital functions of “big government,” which is why Mitt Romney wants to eliminate it. ”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/opinion/a-big-storm-requires-big-government.html
Hill Dweller
@The Dangerman:
Willard’s transparently phony “storm relief” rallies are just as absurd.
slag
Using real world situations to elucidate relevant policy issues? Unheard of! The only rational time to discuss any particular policy is when no one gives a shit.
The Dangerman
@Hill Dweller:
I would hate to be a member of his advising team; the idea to send the bus was probably his (his advisors: “great idea, Mitt, why didn’t we think of that?”). Having people bring a can of soup to a rally is similarly “brilliant” and probably also his idea. I’ve heard Mitt likes
cocksuckersyes-men.David Koch
The problem is the corporate media would gang up on Obama.
remember back in May, the Obama campaign brought up how Romney repeatedly said in 2007 that he wouldn’t pursue Bin Laden. The CM immediately attacked Obama for being mean to his opponent by holding him accountable for his words.
And while the Obama campaign would be right, it would get drowned out with all the tsking noise.
We have to remember, this is the same corporate media that gored Al Gore for sighing and not being sufficiently deferential to Shrub during the first debate.
Jewish Steel
Blech. Sounds like a bunch of cult of the savvy horseshit.
Hill Dweller
@The Dangerman:It also comes across as desperate.
Someone on the other thread said CNN was reporting Willard had talked to FEMA. Why is he talking to FEMA? Why is he telling the press? Most people are going to see through his bullshit.
Villago Delenda Est
Why is this in the least bit surprising. When that plane crashed in the Hudson, with no loss of life, the morons of our worthless media proclaimed it was a “miracle”. BULLSHIT! No invisible sky buddy had anything to do with the cool, professional, trained responses of the pilot, the first responders, and the crew of the plane. Those things happened because profit-infringing and damaging training and preparation happened that denied the executives of the airline a new Maserati that year.
No doubt that when the after action is done on Sandy, the morons of the media will again appeal to the deity addled fucksticks out there, instead of giving praise to the heroes of the entire thing, who are many, but have one thing in common: they all trained for exactly this sort of situation, to the detriment of quick, short term profit for the enterprises they are employed by.
We need to start fabricating tumbrels for these assholes. Seriously.
pseudonymous in nc
Rmoney has already denied that he said that stuff, so the video clearly does not exist.
(Point being that the only thing permitted to be reported in the last week of a campaign is the Designated November Surprise for one candidate that will be declared on scant evidence. Also, interminable shit on faithless electors and electoral college ties and other journo fapping material.)
My guess is that Obama will just do a fair bit of very visible Actual Non-Bullshit Presidenting over the next couple of days with the FEMA director by his side.
The Dangerman
@Hill Dweller:
Desperate, true, but entirely ignorant of the size of the event. There are 60M people effected, maybe 6M without power tonight…
…and he sends a bus. A bus that will basically be a security nightmare for anyone that might want to use it.
Now, if he had personally chartered every bus within several states and sent them, I’d salute him; sending his campaign bus is a sick joke.
ETA: I hope someone uses it and takes the nastiest shit imaginable in it.
NotMax
Romney has a whole week to pivot and convince his audience that there was no storm of any consequence (or perhaps that any consequence is “God’s will”).
And the 27% will buy the argument lock, stock and barrel.
YellowJournalism
@TheMightyTrowel: You forgot FTFY. Doesn’t matter if the season is over.
BarbCat
@James E. Powell: What you said. All the surrogates starting as soon as possible. The President should just do what he did today: inform the nation of the efforts & competence of a well-run administration, exude confidence in the resiliency and compassion of the American people. I see him touring with Corey Booker, who is Superman.
TheMightyTrowel
@YellowJournalism: Hrumph grumble grumble.
Allan
The operative words in that sentence are “the Obama campaign.”
This is why Jesus invented SuperPACs and the internets.
SuperPACs so that Bill Burton’s folks can blare this message.
The internets so that the rest of us can flood the zone with this point over and over and over.
Get busy.
Yutsano
@YellowJournalism: THANK YOU!! We must not forgot our traditions around here.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Allan: In Fact, Krystal Ball specifically mentioned that the Super PACs should be on this idea.
James E. Powell
@Hill Dweller:
Most people are going to see through [Romney’s] bullshit.
I can’t believe that you actually believe this statement.
Another Halocene Human
@The Dangerman: There isn’t “a” campaign bus. Where have you been for the last six months? He just charters buses wherever and pays to have them wrapped. That takes, like, a day.
And I hope you take that shit in the flipping toilet. Somebody has to clean those motherfouling beasts when you’re done playing with them, you know.
Make a nice stinky shit, the kind you can smell from the driver’s seat, maybe with whatever it is you eat that makes it stick to the toilet bowl so even repeated flushes … don’t.
Another Halocene Human
@BarbCat: I see him touring with Corey Booker, who is Superman.
Booker is more like The Flash, saving cats from trees and pussy from lonely Friday nights in between ridding Opal City of two-bit bank robbers and homocidal maniacs with mardi gras costume fetishes.
Another Halocene Human
Oh, FFS sake, moderated for making a pw$$y joke?
Oh, and Cole, could you bother to feed the hamsters that power this blog? They’re getting tired.
John Cole
@Another Halocene Human: Half the fucking internet is out, millions are without power, and you are bitching me out because your FREE blog is too slow.
Jesus christ.
Mandalay
@FlipYrWhig:
This.
Romney is surely waiting to pounce and start a fire should FEMA perform less than perfectly. No need to give him the gasoline and matches.
4jkb4ia
You could not ask for worse timing than to make the statement that FEMA should be devolved to the states when you are going to have an epic disaster involving at least 3 or 4 states. That ought to be so obvious that maybe that is the point of saying that Obama would politicize the statement. He wouldn’t really be politicizing what Romney said as much as he would be politicizing the hurricane and FEMA actually being competent. Chris Christie in the aforementioned NYT liveblog actually said nice things about Obama as far as Obama’s saying that he was available if Christie needed anything. Which makes the point that even Chris Christie is sane enough to realize that sometimes you need help from the federal government.
4jkb4ia
Oh, it’s Primary Romney, so of course it doesn’t count. Sigh.
PeakVT
Who knows what Rmoney really believes. But do deep red states like LA, MS, AL, GA, and SC really want to go it alone when it comes to major disasters?
Yutsano
@PeakVT: Ask Piyush what he was doing when the Gulf oil spill happened. Oh that’s right, HE CALLED THE FEDS!! But of course they all earned it amirite? Not like those socialist moochers in Noo Yahk who went crying to Big Daddy after Irene.
kuvasz
A pro-Obama political action committee can do what the official Obama campaign can’t.
PreservedKillick
@PeakVT:
You need to wonder about all of this “send it to the states” crap. Just which states, do you suppose, might benefit from this? Just game out what happens.
Their are going to be two groups of states, by and large. The ones who suddenly have more money than they had before – and who, oddly enough, support the notion of a federal government – and who have a more liberal outlook. They will probably sign a bunch of mutual aid pacts and so on.
It would probably look like a red state / blue state map, where the red states are going it alone (until exactly the point where they get into trouble) and the blue states work together. The same thing probably happens with medicare, medicaid, health care plans, etc.
How long do you expect the united states to continue as a viable entity once we start down that path, Mitt? I mean, seriously? How many little sub countries will we devolve into? Two? Three?
Never mind the fact that what you are doing is taking our federal model and moving to one that most closely resembles the euro, eh? Because that’s working so well.
Judge Crater
Obama’s campaign needs to fold Romney’s weasel words five ways and shove them up his ass.
Gregory
Our so-called “liberal media” is — as Josh Marshall pointed out four years ago — “wired for Republicans.” They filter criticism of Republican incompetence and mendacity through the notion that the Republican brand is popular. But it isn’t — if it were, Romney wouldn’t have to dissemble so much about his policies.
As John points out, it’s legitimate criticism to point out that one of the two candidates for President made a foolish suggestion that would have a very real cost in lives and suffering, and that said suggestion was based on Republican small-government ideology, so maybe that isn’t so hot either.
Sure, Republicans will produce lots of fauxtrage, but they would anyway. But since Romney is obviously wrong here, and he can’t deny making the remarks, this issue doesn’t fit into the media’s favorite lazy “he-said, she-said” framework, so they don’t want to deal with it at all. Pathetic.
low-tech cyclist
Yeah, you wouldn’t want to cause voters to get the idea that elections are more than a popularity contest, would you? That there were actual stakes to this thing? That who wins this election might affect their actual lives in significant ways?
Jeez, the MSM is so worthless. It just defies description.
Shalimar
@PeakVT:
Yes. At least, that is what the Republican governors will say in public. My guess is that behind the scenes they would be lobbying to keep FEMA, if for no other reason than because it is nice to have someone else to blame when things get fubar.
kay
Obama needs effective surrogates. He isn’t supposed to do everything himself, nor should he.
Democrats have always been horrible at promoting one another, or sticking to one message for more than 5 minutes.
We all pat ourselves on the back and say it’s because we’re all such mavericks, but I wonder if it’s just huge egos and an inability to work with others toward a goal.
There’s no reason The President has to point this out. He’s supposed to have a Party. It’s one of the rare upsides of political parties, the ability to promote a message without the candidate saying it directly. Democrats refuse to learn this.
There’s a huge organization called The Democratic Party. They’re supposed to do some of this work. Instead, it’s individuals promoting themselves or a seperate agenda.
I haven’t seen the Obama campaign use any surrogate besides Bill Clinton since the “Obama is being mean to private equity” disaster, and I don’t blame them. Bill Clinton seems to be the only Democrat who knows what “surrogate” means.
Baud
@kay:
I couldn’t agree with this more.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
Since we’ve been all weather news all the time, my husband was surprised when I mentioned Ron Bonjean’s idiocy. He was equally surprised when I pointed out that the disastrous handling of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 played a huge role in getting FDR elected.
Kane
This is the same Beltway media that said Obama shouldn’t go after Romney’s activities at Bain Captial because it would be considered an unjust attack upon the Free Market. And they said that no one should mention Romney’s taxes or his off-shore accounts or his Swiss bank accounts because that’s all regarded as unappealing attacks of envy. And it’s considered reprehensible to raise the issue of Romney’s Morman faith, even though he has claimed that every decision that he makes is influenced by his faith. And no one should raise the issue that Romney received several deferments for a war and a draft that he supported, allowing others to serve and to sacrifice instead, because that would be a deplorable attack upon his patriotism.
The same Beltway media said that TeamObama shouldn’t mention President Obama’s successful mission of taking out Bin Laden because that would be seen as bragging. And it was deemed as “despicable” to ask the relevant question of what would Romney have done about Bin Laden.
The Beltway media also suggested that TeamObama should avoid talking about any of the many accomplishments achieved by President Obama and his administration because that is considered to be divisive partisan politics. And it was also suggested that it would be bad form to remind voters of the historic mess that the Bush administration left behind because that would be playing the blame game.
And then it was this same Beltway media that had a fit when Obama didn’t draw blood in the first debate.
kay
@Baud:
It drives me crazy.
You don’t have to be a genius to be an effective advocate for someone else. You just have to know WTF your ROLE is, you’re NOT speaking for yourself. If you can’t do that, then don’t call yourself an “advocate” or a “representative” or a “surrogate”.
This isn’t difficult, but it’s apparently impossible for Democrats to understand.
kay
@Baud:
I was thinking maybe the reason Clinton understands it is, HE ran into the same problem. If I read a conditioned statement from a Democratic surrogate one more time, I am going to scream.
“Obama is right, but…”
You’re a surrogate, dumbass! You’re speaking AS and FOR Obama. I’m convinced it’s ego. They cannot resist putting themselves in there.
different-church-lady
It makes perfect sense when you realize that pundits always think the Democrat is obligated to play Ravishing Ronald while the Republican is free to be The Crusher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHn7yvD1QT4
Omnes Omnibus
@kay: I am sure you have seen big headed trial lawyers do the same thing. The urge to be clever, to self promote, or simply to be the center of attention overwhelms their concern for the interests of their client.
Baud
@kay:
It’s ego, but it’s also culture. There is too much reward for setting yourself apart from the Democratic Party, and not enough for being an advocate for the Party.
Emma
@Villago Delenda Est: You know, I always took your statements (not to mention your handle) with a grain of salt. Now, I am willing to contribute to buy the materials needed for the construction.
Kay
@Omnes Omnibus:
Exactly. I was upset that the Obama Campaign had to run an ad that says Romney lied about the Jeep jobs going to China. Obama shouldn’t have to say “lied”. That’s for someone else to do.
Clinton spent all day yesterday saying Romney lied about the Jeep jobs, because Obama can’t say that.
I was reading back to Florida 2000, and I’m convinced Democrats didn’t lose that fight because Bush had better lawyers. The lawyers knew they were advocates. They understood their role. Gore’s surrogates didn’t know they were advocates. They had all kinds of opinions on the counting of votes. They lost the media narrative fight. They cut him off at the knees again and again and again.
It was ALL “I think…”
But, they really impressed everyone with their nuanced analysis and dissenting personal opinions, NONE of which are remembered.
Kay
@Omnes Omnibus:
Christie gets it:
The wingnut governor of New Jersey is a better surrogate (and smarter politician, in terms of getting what he wants) than Democrats. They’ll both win. Imagine that.
Matt McIrvin
@pseudonymous in nc: I predict a brokered convention!
Omnes Omnibus
@Kay: Yep. The key to advocacy is always remembering the goal. Do everything you can to move toward the goal and as little as possible of anything else.
4jkb4ia
NYT leads the editorial section on the webpage with Romney and FEMA. This is also the top editorial in the print edition.
Cassidy
@kay: But if we didn’t have people like Spatula and Blingee, where would our moral compass be? We’d have no purity! We couldn’t sit and lose, smugly knowing we thought the right thoughts!
Kay
@Cassidy:
I’m talking about surrogates, not regular people. People who present themselves as speaking for “Obama” or “the Democrats”. It’s just painful to watch. They appear as surrogates, the media celebrity gives them an opportunity to opine or differentiate themselves, and they always bite. I just cringe, because I know it’s coming, “well, I would have done this and this differently…” Who cares? You aren’t speaking for yourself.
They’re not there to convince the media celebrity how smart they are. They’re not there to raise objections. They’re surrogates. They’re Obama. That’s the whole point of putting them out there.
It’s ego. They cannot leave an opportunity to talk about themselves sitting there. They always pick it up. In 2000, the issue wasn’t what Leiberman believed in his heart of hearts about the counting of military ballots. He was supposed to be presenting Gore’s argument. A united front.
Biden gets it, thankfully.
Omnes Omnibus
@Kay: Kay, on an unrelated note, check out the No Quarter blog at Milwaukee JS this morning. It identifies the person who funded the voter fraud billboards in Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Columbus. Turns out it was a VC guy from the Milwaukee area who is a major Walker donor. Cool thing is that theGrio, one of ABL’s current or former gigs was part of the group that brought this to light. Can’t link as I am doing this on my phone.
parrot
now that stoopidity is bringing in those returns to the private sector, fema is sure to follow …
Kay
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thanks so much. The Color of Change campaign against ALEC was really effective. I know it was directed towards gun laws, but it also worked on voter suppression issues.
I think that’s the way to attack voter suppression: go after those corporate sponsors of the laws who rely on selling consumer products and who care (deeply) about their “brand”. It’s an ugly thing, and they won’t want to be associated with it. No way they can pretty-up denying people the right to vote.
Unsympathetic
FEMA is funded by the states paying 25% and the fed paying 75%. The abject stupidity of this comment from RMoney is that the states receiving an inordinate amount of the aid are Republican states along the Gulf coast.
Maude
Vice President Biden. He will say something that will hurt the fee fees of the Romney camp.
Cassidy
@Kay: I know what you meant, but for liberals, it’s the same sickness regardless of media exposure and status. It’s ego, but I think it goes further than that and those two are perfect examples: My liberal ideals are better than yours. It comes down to a narcissitic need to be recognized as more right or more principled than the next guy.
MaxxLange
Let me get this straight. Emergency spending for disaster relief is immoral, because it adds to the deficit. You’re asking your grandkids to pay for that formaldehyde outgassing trailer, after all, when you lock your lips around the big, creamy tits of FEMA. Defense increases and tax cuts and off-budget wars, by contrast, are a part of God’s plan.
Pongo
I agree with commenters on the show. Not necessarily that it should not be mentioned, but not by Obama and not right now. Look at the kudos Christie is getting from all corners for praising Obama’s reaction to the storm. People don’t respond well to tragedy as political fodder–at least not until some time has passed.
Obama could make a point about how critical FEMA’s role is in disaster prep and recovery and what an outstanding job they do and leave it at that. Let others make the obvious corollary to Ryan’s plan to gut it. Pres needs to look presidential and like a leader, not a politician, right now.
Omnes Omnibus
@Kay: You’re welcome. It came to my attention at work this morning. You are right the sunlight is one of the best disinfectants in this type of case. Olive the fact that the response the Einhorn’s claim of trying to perform a public service is asking the question l If that is the case, why are the billboards only found in minority neighborhoods?”
Jackmormon
Nancy Pelosi has been out this last week making good arguments for The Democrats.
patrick
as an aside, am I the only one who feels a little bad for Krystal Ball? what were her parents thinking naming their girl that? I bet she went through hell in grade school with a name like that….
feebog
The Obama team does’nt need an ad. I made this point on an earlier thread; if FEMA does a competent job you are going to see people like Chris Christie out there admitting that FEMA and by extension Obama has this. That is far more effective than an ad. A Republican Governer, one who almost undoubtedly will be a candidate for the same office in four years, telling the country that Obama is doing a great job. Priceless.
nellcote
Isn’t this what “social media” is for? Give the Rmoney/FEMA video a bunch of hits then blast the link on Twitter/FaceBook to every msm critter over and over until you get their attention. Follow up with live surrogates ready to make the point especially on the Sunday shows. And somebody please lock Ed Rendell in a closet until after the election.
btw isn’t Rmoney using the special taxpayer provided SS armoured campaign bus by now? I can’t imagine he’d turn down a perk like that.
ruemara
@kay: Been saying this for 3 years. Thank you, Kay.
TG Chicago
I agree that it would be a bad move for Obama to pounce on this. Consider:
Obama goes full-throated on FEMA support. What is the Romney campaign going to do? They’ll find some evidence of FEMA’s fallibility and blast it everywhere: Why, FEMA only brought 8 generators to this hospital when clearly they needed 10! Local control would have prevented this!
Doesn’t matter what the particulars of the situation are. Maybe the hospital didn’t update an emergency plan or maybe they had to temporarily divert 2 generators to help out with a bridge collapse or whatever. It doesn’t even matter if 99% of all hospitals up and down the east coast got everything they needed. If the Romney camp can find any tiny flaw (which is inevitable in a disaster response, no matter who is running it) they’ll say “FEMA failed, just like after Katrina!” And there’s not nearly enough time before the election to correct the record.
I think Cole is being naive here — he’s forgetting that the Romney camp will happily lie about what’s happening to create whatever narrative they want. Romney will tread lightly around using this storm for political purposes, but if Obama opens they door, Romney will take the opening and lie, lie, lie.
bcinaz
Look at it as a PSA – PBO really should inform the electorate that if RomneyRyan win, competent disaster response in the Brave New World of Climate Change will cease to exist. Private companies will be deciding whether you, your family, your business, YOUr ASS are WORTH SAVING, and making decisions based on their own metrics.
kevin
this is a job for surrogates and the vp. You send out surrogates to scream about Romney on FEMA while simultaneously saying the pres is too honorable to cry foul.
master c
oh dude-Im here from a link! Pierce callin you OUT!
master c
love that he is linking you…..two of my faves.