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Subscribe to RSSUpdated 3:15 pm: Twitter has a way of really highlighting the comity in Washington.
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter (R), upset with Harry Reid saying Hurricane Katrina was "nothing in comparison" to Hurricane Sandy and the devastation caused to the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area, lashed out on the social network calling the Senate majority leader an "idiot."
"Sadly, Harry Reid has again revealed himself to be an idiot, this time gravely insulting Gulf Coast residents," Vitter Tweeted, linking to a story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Vitter later also released a statement with the same language and adding, "Both Katrina and Sandy were horribly destructive storms that caused real human misery. And by most any measure, Katrina was our worst natural disaster in history. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 1,833 deaths and over $108 billion in damage. Hurricane Sandy has caused 131 deaths and $65 billion in damage."
On Friday, Reid said the following on the floor, urging passage of Sandy funding:
"I really do believe it is important that I have the record reflect the reason we have gotten as far as we have on Sandy is because of the senior Senator from New York. It is too bad that it has taken so long. When we had that devastation from Katrina, we were there within days taking care of Mississippi, Alabama, and especially Louisiana--within days. We are now past 2 months with the people of New York and New Jersey.
"The people of New Orleans and that area, they were hurt but nothing in comparison to what happened to the people in New York and New Jersey. Almost 1 million people have lost their homes; 1 million people lost their homes. That is homes, that is not people in those homes. So I think it is just unfortunate that we do not have the relief for New York and New Jersey and the rest already. It has to be done. We have to meet the needs of the American people when an act of God occurs."
The Times-Pic writes:
"Sandy devastated some of the nation's most populated areas, but it didn't come close to Katrina. Hurricane Katrina, and the flooding that followed when federally built levees failed, killing 1,833 and causing more than $145 billion in damage. Sandy has been blamed for 120 deaths and over $80 billion in damage."
Monday afternoon, Reid released a statement saying he "misspoke" on Friday:
"In my recent comments criticizing House Republicans for threatening to betray Congress' tradition of providing aid to disaster victims in a timely fashion regardless of region, I simply misspoke. I am proud to have been an advocate for disaster victims in the face of Republican foot-dragging, from Hurricane Katrina to Hurricane Sandy, from fires in the west to tornadoes in the Midwest. I have worked hard with Senator Landrieu to ensure that the people of the Gulf Coast have the resources they need to fully recover, and I will continue to advocate on their behalf until the region is fully recovered."
The House passed a $9.7 billion Sandy recovery aid package Friday, which the Senate took up and passed by unanimous consent. The House is expected to take up another $51 billion aid package as a result of Sandy Jan. 15th, after it returns from recess.
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i meant gaffe's.
Reid shows his ignorance yet again. He is mad because we have not given his blue states unlimited slush funds to spend as they see fit instead of at least trying to make sure the money goes to those truly affected by the storm. Obama insisted on making sure that the overwhelming majority of Sandy relief funds be channeled through programs that have almost no restrictions on how the money is spent. These programs are the same places that ACORN got most of it's funding from. Pretty much anybody at the State level can get at the funds meant for the Sandy victims and those funds can be used for any gov't program that the local politicians want to use it for. Anybody want to guess how much of the aid money will be siphoned off for graft?
Reid should stay with issues he is only good at in his state, PROSTITUTION & GAMBLING!!!!!
Calling Sen Reid Stupid is like calling Snow..White !!! It is Correct in Every Description you can come up with !!
Very sad that this is the best our government representatives can come up with....is the childish bickering over which was worse than the other. It's irrelevant, a major catastrophy is a major catstrophy, so work it out children.
Reid, Pellosi and the rest of the Democrats are idiots and crooks. Anyone supporting Obama would also be an idiot... and history will prove it.
And opening your mouth and spouting nonsense only proves that you're an idiot. and history will prove that!
"You're doing a hell of a job Brownie". Now that was stupid. Right up there with "Mission accomplished".
^ You obviously don't know anything. Your post proves your just a sheep following the liberal herd to slaughter....
harry reid is an idiot and a mouse of a man, he pelosi and obama your welfare momma should all be put in a gunnysack and drowned for the benefit of mankind.
I feel so sorry for you. Your hate has consumed you to the point that it is the only thing that defines you.
^ I feel sorry for you. Your a fake and a fraud.. You follow posts to make yourself feel good about your lonely sad existence.
The statements Reid has made in the past have long labeled him as someone who says whatever comes into his head with no filtering mechanism to keep him from looking like a fool. Who voted for Reid in the first place? It could only be fellow Nevada idiots with IQ's well below 60.
Nevada - quit embarrassing yourselves - get this senile old fool out of office!
Maybe the difference is that George Bush was responcible for taking care of Katrina and Barak Obama is responsible for for taking care of Sandy
Well, Vitter should be censured for insulting mentally deficient people by lumping Reid in with them!
ahhhhh it's good to see civility again in the congress the idiot from lousiana saw what his party did forkatrina and he complains when the democrats try to get some aid for christies folks [new jersey] what an idiot he is!!!!!!!
Sen. Reid is an idiot- Good work Sen. Vitter !
Reid is simply a little weasel who has no gonads. Yea, sure Harry, almost 2,000 deaths is comparable to less than 200. Harry is the perfect "progressive", no balls, no brains, a tail and some whiskers.......
He is absolutely corrent. Harry Reid is dumber than a lug nut on a chevy wheel. I thought Lucas was an indiot along with Waters but Reid should quit politics immediately and operate a shoe shine stand in Yemen! This guy is dangerous and should be locked up for being so stupid. The rich losers in Vegas, food industry and the casinos are the only thing keeping this imbecile in office. Take a hike Harry and go back in to boxing where you can get a few more blows to you beanie.
Isn't it interesting that during the aftermath of Katrina, Bush was vilified by both Democrats and the media for lack of response, yet "dingy Harry" now says that the Katrina relief effort was initiated "within days"?
Yeah, I noticed that too. Libs tend to spin the facts to their own advantages, don't they?
These politicians need to be FINED for poor behavior. Geez, I wouldn't even buy a used car from this guy. My sympathy to all the victims of disasters and also to the senators constituents for having such a pickle brained Senator.
Reid is an idiot. No argument from me on that one. But at least he's not a proven whoremonger, like Vitter.
The Katrina victims sat around in their free travel trailers or relocated and never came back. The Sandy victims jumped in and got to work cleaning the mess up.
that is because Obama left them no choice....just ask fataarse crybaby Christy.....
Jerks and more jerks.
Harry has to have someone write his speech when he answers the telephone.
Jerks and more jerks.
I find it very disturbing that grown men like Vitter continue to call people they disagree with schoolyard-level names. Enough with the name calling already. How about just saying something GROWN UP like "Mr. Reid is not well informed about the facts" or "I beg to disagree with Mr. Reid's comparison of....." As long as we tolerate elected officials snarling at each other like rival gangs in a school yard, NOTHING positive is going to get done in this country. Stand and call Vitter and other name callers out on their behavior and tell them to GROW UP!
Well, normally I'd agree with you on that. But we're speaking of Harry Reid here. And "idiot" seems like a very kind label to assign to him, considering his record of lies and outrageous claims over his tenure in the Senate. At least Vitter didn't use the term "babbling mentally-ill Neanderthal". Now that would have been rude and child-like...but accurate.
Wow!... Finallllllllyyyyyy! I'm sorry it took death and destruction to point out the truth about the Nevada Idiot. He and his party (Obama) have not passed a sigle bill to help the economy. And yes the house has at least 4 I know of and the bonehead has set on them.....never bringing them to a vote. 1st time in the history of this country has a party been in power 5 years now and not passed a budget..... They just print money and spend...........
The only thing worse than either of these storms is all of the hot stinky air coming out of the mouths of Reid and Pelosi. I would rate that hot air is at least a category 5
Can anyone explain why Reid being called and idiot news hell we all knew this
Pot calls Kettle black. Nothing here to see, move along.
I love the statement by Reid praising the government response time for Katrina and criticizing the response time for Sandy. Didn't we have a Republican president when Katrina hit? And now we have a communist and the response time stinks. Wow, democrats. Do you realize what Reid just acknowledged? The Republican (George Bush) did it better than Obummer!