While the cake pictures are a perfect visual of how much McCain was interested in not partying while a major city drowned helping out three years ago when Katrina hit and devastated the Gulf Coast, there is another typical example of McCain’s shameless pandering and politicizing a potential natural disaster by diverting attention from relief efforts towards himself and his selfish grandstanding (just like the market stroll in Iraq) which I haven’t seen mentioned all that much.
And a hat tip to Bob Geiger for pulling together some real good information regarding McCain’s numerous votes AGAINST Katrina relief in 2005, and helping to strike down Democratic bills and amendments that would bring tax benefits, health care and emergency relief to victims of Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
Oh yeah - both Obama and Biden were either co-sponsors of, voted for or drafted Katrina relief or oversight bills.
Biden was the sponsor of Senate amendment 1661, which was to provide emergency funding to victims of Katrina. The vote failed 41-56, with McCain voting against it.
As Geiger notes:
Biden's legislation would have provided many things including money to purchase interoperable communications equipment to help first-responders dealing with the disaster, $10 million "to find, unite, and transport children impacted by Hurricane Katrina to their parents, legal guardian, or next of kin" and funding to assist victims of domestic violence in affected areas.
[...]
"The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has reported that over 1,000 children have been displaced by this storm -- that means they are not with their parents or guardians -- and in this amendment we provide $10 million for that effort," Biden continued. "We also provide $9 million to support domestic violence victims impacted by the storms. We all heard of the reports of sexual assaults in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and we will support those victims who have not been moved to new shelters."
McCain also voted against not one, not two (this one failed by three votes) but three other Democratic-introduced Senate amendments that would have brought much needed relief to Hurricane victims.
And yes, he voted against a bipartisan oversight commission to study the failings and recommend corrective measures to ensure that the next time will be better.
Let’s keep reminding America how much McCain really cares about putting country first.
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Thanks to Lauren S for the following video:
1 comment:
Fixing New Orleans should not be the federal government's job. The fed's didn't rebuild Chicago after the great fire. Where was the state of Louisiana? Have you ever been to Louisiana? That place is a mess. Most of the blame for that catastrophe lies with local and state government, not with the federal government and certainly not with John McCain.
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