After Sandy, FEMA Goes From Goat to Glory
Perhaps Romney learned something post Benghazi about political hip shooting after Americans die.
Naawwww.
He’s just aware that there’s no political upside to talking about this - in the wild west view of territorial government that the GOP has adopted from the libertarians, everyone should care from themselves and not count on others after a disaster. If he says something he either discourages his base, or he aggravates and enervates a lot of people to vote against him who otherwise might not go to the polls.
FEMA, ridiculed after Hurricane Katrina and the subject of proposed budget cuts after the financial crisis, is being praised by governors and mayors from storm-ravished states along the East Coast.
“I have to say, the administration, the president himself and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate have been outstanding with us so far,” said Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on “Good Morning America” Tuesday. “He worked on that last night with me…offered any other assets that we needed to help.”
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said this morning that he spoke to Fugate “a bunch of times” and was assured that as New York City and surrounding areas begin their recovery, there will be “no shortage of dollars.”
Though nearly every public figure supports speedy relief for disaster victims, FEMA often becomes a political football when it comes to funding.
Mitt Romney, who said earlier this year that the states should have more responsibility for responding to natural disasters and suggested that sending disaster relief to the private sector would be “even better,” would not answer repeated questions from reporters Tuesday about whether he would cut funding to FEMA.