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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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Like anybody's gonna listen to Diaper Boy.
It's funny how the GOP and Tea Stains fail to recall his getting caught with hookers while wearing diapers!
Even somebody like that knows reid is an idiot.
all of you people need to get this obama has spoken and said WE DO NOT HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM truly he told boehner that last week and pelosi stated that we are not through taxing the American people we need more tax money to spend maybe someone is not calling out the real idiots
I'M WONDERING.....
How did Chicago get rebuilt so fast (just two years) after the Great Fire without FEMA or any Federal Aid?
How San Fransisco get rebuilt so fast after the great earthquake of 1906 without FEMA and federal govt. aid?
EASY.......They didn't sit around on their asses waiting for some s(hmuck in Washington to "help" them. They didn't expect anyone but themselves to help themselves. We have become a nation of pussies brainwashed by the liberal mantra......"You can't do anything without our "help". Send us all the tax money you can, so we can "help" you.
From now on let each state take care of its own natural disasters and not put the burden on those not impacted!
Then next Hurricane Season let's see which southern states scream for help from NY/NJ/CT.
I'd rather just break-up this union in a peaceful manner so we no longer have to be controlled by idiots such as Obama, Ried and the fat-ugly dike (misspelled on purpose), Clinton, who after all; her husband was the one starting us down the road to accepted debauchery! As Chris Rock said, she wouldn't give em a hummer, and it helped teach all the children in the 90's exactly what a BJ was!
Gee thanks Clintons!
I know. The southeastern US and gulf coast are in the bullseye every year. They don't ask for help from the northeast, they just get the job done.
Bob/Planeguy2/AlamoVet: some interesting reading:
http://www.geotimes.org/nov05/feature_disastercosts.html
Note the percentage of counties hit by flood. Makes me want to borrow the neighbors bobcat and make a drainage pond;-).
Vet. surely you jest! How many gazillions of tax dollars have gone to Florida over the life of this country? And just to make the point personally, how many natural disasters have been cleaned up with federal dollars from those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest? Hurricane Sandy was unique. The string of annual hurricanes that hit the Deep South is not unique. If people choose to live along Hurricane Alley they should be required to purchase insurance from the private sector - an idea which should be strongly supported by the Republicans who represent those people, hate government, and tout the virtues of the private sector.
I don't see why Vitter felt the need to make that comment. Everyone knows Reid is an idiot.
It takes one to know one.
how about a conservation about who did a better job getting back on your feet and back to normal
The worst people on earth are "rich liberals!" When this all falls apart because of the current (non) leadership we have, those "limousine liberals" have the resources to survive the schit storm, while the rest of us will fight and claw for every scrap we get!
OK, that was lame...
Yup, $16 trillion and counting, and not a plan to solve the problem. A country in desperate chaos is not a pretty sight! When Obama states; "we don't have a spending problem" and we do,,,,,you know it's just around the corner...........
Yeah America goes from bad to worse depending on how much Dumb FUX NEWS you watch...
To bad your nutty, clueless party lost the White House and more seats in the house and senate last November...
Maybe if the GOP took some responsibilty for the mess we're in, you might have fared better...
And we are stuck with a Speaker of the House of Representatives - the chamber where all revenue and spending bills must originate according to the Constitution - begging for leadership from the White House. If the House of Representatives has a flag, it should be white for surrender.
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, we are stuck with a Minority Leader who seems bent on establishing a record for the number of filibusters that will never be broken.
And both of these gentlemen have the gall to blame the President for their own failure to legislate.
bill clinton?
I've never agreed with Vitter on anything. I'm a registered moderate Democrat . But in this case, he is correct.
And before anyone begins to defend Reid. Explain why all the wind turbine contracts in his state went to China. Green Jobs???
Reid is now, and has been, a embarrassment. That's why the loons that campaigned against him, almost won.
That is kind of like the pot calling the kettle black isn't it? (or which ever the way it is.) Of course no one ever accused politicians of being Einsteins.
Can nobody shut filthy criminal whoremonger David Vitter up??? It is thoroughly disgusting that such a person, with hard evidence of his crimnality existing, is allowed to even be present in the Senate--let alone spew the nonsense he does. Vitter should be toast, and would be if not for the general criminality of the GOP.
A talented politician, Anthony Weiner lost his position in Congress for the mere suggestion of impropriety and lapse of judgment. Documented evidence exists that David Vitter fully engaged in criminal prostitution, and he is allowed to continue on. It illustrates just how far the GOP has fallen.
Weiner was a talented CROOK...you must be an idiot along wth reid
Heck of a job there Brownie.
Reid says he mis-spoke. Does this mean that a speeder mis-pedeled? I love how LYING and UNINFORMED OPINION have become mis-spoke. The whole of Congress and the Senate need to STFU and get this country rolling again. Bunch of whiney idiots!
Finally, he has said publicly what the rest of us have known for years, and reid is not the only stupid fu*k on the dems side of the aisle
Harry Reid is an idiot. He wants to blame everyone else and yet he can't accept any of the blame. The folks of the Northeast that were hit by Sandy never experienced anything like that before. However, the folks of the Gulf coast face storms that bad and worse every year. People were so quick to blame Pres. Bush when the then sitting congress and FEMA didn't get aid moving into the area for weeks. Now, when it's the Democrat's home grounds that are in trouble, it's not the fault of the President...it's all the fault of congress. When will people wake up and realize that Washington is full of professional politicians and nothing more. They don't really care as long as they get their salary, their full pension (even if they only serve 1 term in office), and their golden fleece medical policy.
We need to get the professional politicians out of Washington and start putting regular people into office. Force them to pay into a pension plan and get an actual medical plan that they have to pay for (instead of it being all given to them).
Hurricane Sandy wasn't anywhere close to the destruction that Hurricane Katrina caused. The storm surge that came on shore from Sandy was less than 15 feet. The storm surge from Katrina was over 25 feet high and went over a mile inland in Mississippi and Alabama. The Katrina surge swept houses from their foundations. Sandy's didn't.
Politicians need to learn to check their facts before they open their mouths. Unfortunately, that probably won't happen.
"My Hurricane was bigger than your hurricane!"
"Oh yeah! Sez who? My hurricane killed 100 people so na na na na poo-poo"
"You stupidhead, my hurricane killed over a THOUSAND and a thousand is more than a hundred!"
"Yeah, sooooo what ca-ca breath!!! Mine was a SUPERSTORM yours was just a hurricane."
"Your storm was a weenie!"
"Your storm was a like a little piece of poop on a stick!"
"Oh yeah!!! I'm gonna tell my lobbiest on you!!!"
"Go ahead... my lobbiest can beat up your lobbiest..."
.... and so goes the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Vitter should stick to toe sucking! His paid girlfriends love that!
Yep you butt wipes from all political partys are at it again with the name calling and all of the 20/20 hindsight and putting all your misplaced efforts here trying to convince the other side your right.
Well every damn one of you is wrong, especially those who say if they need help they should get help, well what are you all doing here when they need your help no matter what party they are, get your heads out of the dark stinky place and call the people you and your stupid votes put in to office and tell them how you feel if you have the Balls to do so, which it seems you don't as you cry here about the damage, it is not the damage that counts it is the people and those who died in both 'SuperStorms' or are you all really that stupid?
Call the people you voted in and push them to do their job for which they were elected, and do something constructive instead of all your negative BS here, and if you don't like to hear or see the truth stick your head back up into that dark stinky place and lie to yourself that you are without sin and can always becounted on to cast the first stone, how is that for the truth with out being a political statement, nothing but the truth, check your mirror and see the truth there, what a bunch of self righteous dipsticks.
@Gill You are the only right one in the world, right there Gilly boy??? Sad, you are so despicable, i can smell your stinky foul mouth from here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is disgusting that a filthy crimnal whoremonger like David Vitter is even allowed to enter the Congress. Full documentation of his crime exists. It illustrates just how low the GOP has fallen.
While it is disgusting, it is no different than the democrats. Eliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, John Kennedy. It goes on everyday. We need term limits to get these people out.
It illustrates just how low the GOP has fallen.
Ever heard of the Mustang Ranch? Nevada the only state with legal whore house's, you know the same state Reid is from.
jeremy5
Bubba don't count because he didn't pay Monica for the Blow Job?
Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. Vitter casting that stone, was so stupid on his part. So what, Reid said something wrong, the intention was clear! Vitter uses prostitutes in D.C., he cannot be casting stones! There needs to be more civility in Washington! These people are supposed to represent us, here, and abroad, do that, and quit with the name calling, and general stupidity!!!!
And taking this long to help those victims, total B.S. on the Rethugs part!!!!!!!
I'm sure Katrina and Sandy vicitms, their families and friends feel much better now...
Harry Reid IS the poster child for term limits. His voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me! His outrageous comments and sniping at republicans...his outrageous lies about Romney's taxes. He said he would never cooprate with Romney if he became president. He has to GO! HE and THE DEMOCRATS are the reason why we are in this financial crisis. Spending without regard for tomorrow with no budgetwhich is the law of the land! THey are wreckless! and they wonder why the teaparty exists. It is enough to make your head explode!
Sorry greenman761, but you are forgetting about the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, the Bush cuts for corporations, and the fact that the costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were never placed into the U.S. Government budget until 2008.
Well, Romney never did produce 10 years' worth of tax returns.
What is enough to make your head explode is the fact that poor and middle class people are duped by the Republicans time and time again. The Republicans only work for, and protect the extremely wealthy in this country. Don't ever forget that.
sueca
Bush tax cuts for the Wealthy? So you didn't get yours? Then what did the Deal stop last week? Maybe yours should have gone BACK to where they were?
Maybe when the democrats come for our guns, the majority will finally realize that they have been duped and vote them out of office! They reduced our pay already and now want to take some more flesh! Cut the spending now!
Harry Reid is an Idiot?
and this is news to..........
the real idiots: Boehner, Cantor, McConnell and Graham to name a few.
Look, Katrina and Sandy were both horrific storms that have ruined people's lives due to the Congress's inaction on climate change. Congress should quickly pass relief bills whenever there is such a disaster, not play politics with it.
Vitter is out of control by calling the Senate leader an idiot. Vitter is the person who is an adulterer, who went to a whore house, and yet still retains his seat. He should be thrown out of office pronto. He has proven that he lacks good judgment.
as opposed to Harry Reid's extra-marital activities. OOPs.. can't say anything about democraps right?
Vitter's indiscretions were front page news if you recall. The Madam had his name in her book, and his payments. His poor wife had to stand there with him when he half-heartedly apologized.
There has never been a newspaper article about anything about Reid - so where is your evidence.
Vitter has just proven again today, that he is not suitable for office.