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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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Senator Reid is an idiot and a career politician whcih is part of the problem in Washington. He is the Senate Majority Leader and they haven't put a budget on the floor for 4 years and all budgets must come from the Senate. Whether you like him or not he at the very least is an incompetent leader. He needs to go!
if you can't read go back to school. if you can read then learn how to comprehend. if you know how to comprehend then stop lying. thank you.
depraw
Please tell us what buget has been submitted then?
The one they submitted was voted down 97-0.Even the dems couldn't pull one vote.
What I think depraw was referring to was the Constitution
Article 1 - Section 7
Since all budgets must start in the House by law then using Joe Fox's logic on Boehner.
this cajun is calling someone else an idiot? Now thats funny.
I'm not a Vitter fan nor a Blanco or Nagin fan. La. is one of the most corrupt states if not the most corrupt state in the country. That said what Reid said was idiotic.
Fema can't respond until requested and Gov. Blanco and the Mayor both declined help until it was too late. I'm not a Bush fan either but he was over blamed for a slow response.
Nobody can understand what went on down there in the aftermath of Katrina/Rita unless you were down there and witnessed the devastation . I was sent there in early October 05 and remained until March 06.
I was a subcontracted Federal Security Officer for a company hired by Homeland Security. I had four assignments ranging from closing an evacuee center in northern La. , A three week gig protecting a Corrupt Salvation Army branch that became a Federal Entity because it's purpose was to provide aid to Rita victims. That was in Lake Charles located in a former Kia Dealership that survived Rita. They had a riot and so four of us went there for three weeks and filed a report they are going to have another one by the way they are mistreating and lying to the Rita victims. We had to protect the Whiteshirts . After only three days our sympathy went to the 40 or 50 people across the street swearing at us everyday blaming us for the things we told them such as extra phonelines were being installed and more lies. They had one phone for 6,000 prople who called constantly only to hear a busy signal. It gets worse but I'll starting closing because long threads don't get read. Then 44days providing 24/7 security at the second largest Red Cross Disribution Center in the U.S. My final six weeks I lived with Katrina vivtimms on one of the three ships docked that housed between 600 and 800 people because every building in St. Bernard Parish was destroyed. The stories I heard when they needed an ear to listen were incredible. We would watch the news and laugh because the entire country didn't know what was happening nor cared. If you were not there to see what disasters do that bring out the worse in us and also the best you will never understand.
John you are wrong illinois is the most corrupt state in the country all you have to do is look at their political list AL CAPONE MAYOR DALY BLAGOVECH AND obama needless to say this peaks for itself as a well used city of wickedness also not to mention the crime rate matches the political junk that comes from there
@gw-684624 Ok, I'll concede that . Capone was long ago but Blago wasn't. I disagree about President Obama though. La. is one of the most corrupt states and has been for a long time.
Everything I said about Katrina/Rita is the truth. I've posted the corrupt Salvation Army story many times in full detail and told them to sue me to try to get the truth out. It was a lifechanging experience down there and surreal.
If the Republicans had not been so cheap and so ugly concerning the recent flood victim bill, there would have been no need for Harry Reid to pitch his fit. While Reid should not be comparing disasters, the Republicans should not be acting like such asses. Sen Vitter,of all people, would not know an idiot unless he looked in a mirror.
If the Republicans had not been so cheap and so ugly concerning the recent flood victim bill,
Do you even have a clue as to what was in the Bill & what they passed last Friday?
Only a liberal could call $10 billion to be followed by a potential additional $51 billion cheap. But hey, what's another $60 billion to be added to the $16 trillion and counting debt we are leaving to our children and grandchildren, right Suval? And why bother taking the time to make sure the legislation is crafted in such a way as to prevent the funds from being misused or falling into the hands of corrupt politicians, contractors and their cronies, right Suval? Just pile on the debt and corruption, its the liberal way.
H Reid is the epitome of the party hack politicians that plague Washington DC. Calling fellow law makers names and casting blame does not solve problems, but only makes it more difficult to get them resolved. But jerks like H. Reid are not really interested in solving problems. He, and other like him (on both sides of the aisle) are more interested in trying to cast political mud balls at their opponents. H Reid has grown into a bitter old man and is a poster child for the need for term limits. Please, Harry, do US all a favor and step aside. Nobody will miss you and the country will be a lot better without you. You can retire to Venezuela.
I Thought REID was Only part of The OBAMA / REID VENTRILOQUIST Team...?
Obama Throws His Voice ...and The DUMMY ...SPEAKS...
The most overused phrase in Washington's politico speak ,"I miss spoke" or" it's been taken out of context"Last but the best " I want to make one thing perfectly clear"
You forgot Obama's favorite "I'm confident"
A much more important issue is what happenned to Vitters nose ?
Probably infection from some unknown strain picked up from going down on one of his skanks
typical Teapublican cant say anything without calling names...so professional
And dems have never been guilty of name-calling.
Typical Democrat can't say anything without telling a lie....so UNprofessional!
Dems haven't been caught doing it as many times as Republicans! You guys are out of control!
You are joking right? All we here is insults, excuses, blame and comments calling from violence from the left-wing and you have to make that idiotic post?
Guess that is the typical liberal comment. Hypocrisy and blind followers.
Reid was wrong in making the comparison, Vitters was wrong in calling him an idiot, but this is typical of the "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality of Republicans. Oh, and pun INTENDED!
We know many of us that post here use words or phrases that are inappropriate when talking about our leaders, but to hear this sort of thing over and over from colleagues- almost unanimously from a Republican to a Democrat is beyond acceptable. Civil considerations are the foundation of any society. This childish name calling shows that the quality of person being elected to our Congress has diminished to a level of uneducated thug and that perosn has no business representing anyone in this country, much less being repsonsible for our laws and budgets.
Come on man! We live in a country which glorifies and rewards stupidity and callous, rude behavior. What more do you expect from our representatives?
SNOOKI FTW!!!!!!
gtfoutta here
Harry, Nancy and Barney are all idiots and this is why we desperately need term limits.
Do you still have the pictures of Vitter in diapers when he was caught with hookers? Was it in his campaign ads?
Heck, we was cheered buy the GOP when he came back to Congress after the arrest!
Herron, your reply doesn't make any sense.
marjorie. Guess you don't know about Vitter, the diapers, and the hookers! Google it!
Ahh yes, Vitter. That fine elected official that was caught in diapers with hookers! What a FINE conservative!
I would like more information on the hookers. Like some pictures and rates. And about the diapers. We got pictures and rates with Eliot Spitzer.
Vitter got it right. Reid is an idiot. Too bad he doesn't have a job in small town in Nevada, where he couldn't do any damage.
Was he right about wearing diapers when he was caught with hookers?
Vitter is the arch-idiot in the U.S. Senate. He's number ONE!
I agree HR was a jerk to compare the two. That being said, however, he was trying to make a point which is deliberately being missed - because fewer lives were lost to Sandy and the total so far in $ is less, does that mean the do-nothing Congress should have taken two months to get them relief? And had Boehner pull the rug out from under them when they were finally supposed to do something? If anything, remembering what they went through from Katrina should have made Gulf Coast states MORE sympathetic to the plight of the Sandy victims. They probably are, in fact - it's the politicans who can't stop with the one-upsmanship.
Mandy V-2179055
The DO NOTHING Senate drew up the Bill week before last & just sent it to Congress on New Years EVE. So go back & talk to the IDIOT Reid about that Bill. They are the ones that doubled the amount with Pork that the people would never see.
No pork, the bill covers all disasters for 2012. Obviously Boehner couldn't read well enough to figure that out.
Idiot is giving him to much credit.
thank you Yahooo, forgot that one. haha
Reid the idiot, been saying that since obama has been in office, if obama stopped quick, Reid would have a broken nose or head stuck up obama's ass, as the same goes for pelosi. all idiots in my book to let this man screw this country so bad we will never be normal again, we will wear rag's on our heads and bow to every @!$%# in government.
Vitter......isn't he the one who was caught patronizing prostitutes. Pot, yeah this is kettle, you're black?
Plain and simple, Harry Reid IS an idiot, has always BEEN an idiot and will always BE and idiot. The man is obviously too old for office and thinks he is above the fray and entitled to do what ever he pleases, even as far as breaking the law! It is in the law to have a budget and the American people, sadly, do nothing about it and let him get away with it. In fact, we have let the liberals (a horrible mess of a party) get away with murder and the American people can only blame themselves. Therefore, the American people are idiots too, but hopefully they will wake up once this so called socialist president leaves office.
Reid was frustrated and made a stupid statement. This is a fact. Vitter was obviously trying to take attention away from his Repub brothers and sisters who don't give a rat's behind about the people suffering in the Northeast. This is also a fact.
You have to wonder if Chris Christie is thinking about changing parties. He does not think much of many of his Repub cohorts anymore.
There is nothing a republican can say that has any value anymore. They have burned their bridges and if I have anything to say in any election I will never vote for any of them. They are crass bigots, destructive, biased, self-involved, greedy, and a useless bunch of losers stealing money out of the American public's pocket.
They have poisoned the politics in this country to further their selfish personal objectives and have no heart or integrity. If there are any exceptions, they are not in Washington. And Harry Reid is a bad guy for a statement he makes?? Name calling - maybe keeping company with hookers does that to a person.
bunch of losers stealing money out of the American public's pocket.
Guess you missed the things like 16.4 trillion in debt and YOUR president saying the debt is not an issue. It is his 4 trillion dollar obamacare that is the number one priority.
You're High. Republicans and hookers? You mean like Eliot Spitzer? Ooops, he was a Dem. Self-involved, greedy, and useless? You mean like a major tax cheat? The poster child for tax cheats is Charlie Rangel. D'oh! Another Dem. And the top political adulterers that come to mind are Clinton and John Edwards. Damn! I can't seem to get off of this Dem kick.
And you don't think the Democrats steal money from Americans? Oh, wait. You're right. They only want to steal from the people that work the hardest and earn the most. After all, the rest of you slobs need a teat to suckle up to.
Maybe these clowns should stop wasting time fighting with each other, get something together that is RELIEF MONEY ONLY, and get that sh-t passed. Why the hell do they have to add waste to everything?! It should be a crime to attach anything to disaster relief...
What a joke these elected crooks are. Every one of them, dum-dum's and re-re's.
It is relief money. It is a bill for all disasters occuring during 2012, and a few from 2011.
you are absolutely wrong. no bill ever gets passed without garbage spending attached to it.
While I absolutely do agree that Reid is an idiot, there's a lot more to compare in these two storms than dollars and deaths. Perhaps a factor in the damage is the fact that Katrina struck a city built below sea level. Heck, Death Valley is also below sea level, but 1) it's 200 miles inland, and 2) very few people are stupid enough to live there.
And as for the death toll... when a hurricane is headed your way and "the Man" tells you to get the f**k out of town, you have two choices. 1) listen and live, or 2) remain in your tin-roofed shack and prove Darwin right.
Agree
But unfortunately, Darwin overlooked the fact that competence has to put up with incompetence when it comes time to vote for our elected officials, thereby making it take much longer to weed out the herd.