Damn Democrats
Aug 2nd, 2007 at 12:57 pm by Brendan
I think everyone is pretty horrified by the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. Reports are coming in that suggest the bridge was “structurally deficient”, thanks to delayed maintenance brought on by Minnesota’s Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty’s decision to veto transportation bills two years in a row.
Now, you’d figure that in a moment like this, our Pweznit’s focus would be on the victims and their surviving families. He’s always good for a faith-based platitude, some meaningless drivel that says nothing, means even less, but sure sounds pretty coming out of his mouth. You MIGHT figure this. But as RenaRF at dailykos points out you would be wrong.
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I just finished a Cabinet meeting. One of the things we discussed was the terrible situation there in Minneapolis. We talked about the fact that the bridge collapsed, and that we in the federal government must respond and respond robustly to help the people there not only recover, but to make sure that lifeline of activity, that bridge, gets rebuilt as quickly as possible.
[snip]We also talked about — in the Cabinet meeting talked about the status of important pieces of legislation before the Congress. We spent a fair amount of time talking about the fact that how disappointed we are that Congress hasn’t sent any spending bills to my desk. By the end of this week, members are going to be leaving for their month-long August recess. And by the time they will return, there will be less than a month before the end of the fiscal year on September the 30th, and yet they haven’t passed one of the 12 spending bills that they’re required to pass. If Congress doesn’t pass the spending bills by the end of the fiscal year, Cabinet Secretaries report that their departments may be unable to move forward with urgent priorities for our country.
This doesn’t have to be this way. The Democrats won last year’s election fair and square, and now they control the calendar for bringing up bills in Congress. They need to pass each of these spending bills individually, on time, and in a fiscally responsible way.
That’s right: Tim Pawlenty-of-nothing’s neglect of his state’s infrastructure is the fault of the Democrats in Congress.
Funny how things work out like that.
I KNEW this hadda be those Wraskelly Wepublicans that caused all this. And, of course, the pure-as-the-driven-snow Demeocrats, when called out for their part, why, how appalling!
No matter what Bush would say or do in this tradgedy, it ain’t gonna be enough, right gang?
Kevin, you’re missing the fact that it IS the GOP that’s responsible for thios: it was Pawlenty who vetoed Minnesota’s transportation bill. TWICE. The national Congress elected in 2006 had nothing to do with this.
I’m sorry if reality doesn’t conform to your political ideology.
And there’s only one “d” in “tragedy”.
Now I’m not going to defend Pawlenty and his veto’s of the bills since I know nothing about them and they very well could have deserved to be vetoed.
But drawing the conclusion that the President was blaming the inaction of the congress on current spending bills is not supported by the quote that is used here. Now I know most here don’t think that Bush can speak about more than one subject in a week but hey guess what he can and was in these remarks. So stop with the everything Bush says/does/thinks/doesn’t do is evil routine it gets real old.
What’s hard to understand here John? Bush was talking about financing issues causing this accident, the switches to attacking Democrats in Congress for not passing budget bills before their recess, and ends with a call for them to “act responsibly”. Let’s make it simple and break it down, shall we?
1. Bridge collapses due to bad maintenance (a budget issue)
2. Bush, in a speech about the bridge collapse, calls on Congress to pass unrelated federal budget bills and implies they’re “playing politics” and being lazy by not acting quickly enough for his tastes.
3. By conflating these two issues Bush has cemented the one act (bridge collapse) with the other (democrats in congress), thus leaving people to unconsciously (or consciously, if they’re partisan enough) blame the Democrats.
Is it really that hard to understand? The man’s got no f*cking shame; quit defending him here.
[...] of a president. It’s their job to rally a traumatized nation to action, but as Brendan of Suburban Guerrilla points out Bush had other ideas. Rather than blame a tax-cut obsessed governor who twice vetoes [...]
Officials say bridge has been “structurally deficient” since 1990!!!
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/08/01/72163114
–Quick as a bunny now - one of you Demoretards go dig up the names of any/all Republicans who held office in Minnesota back then. I want to know every sordid detail, ok? If those responsible aren’t dead yet, I want them indicted. If they are, then this tragedy cries out for a posthumous censure!
Back then? 1990 is not so long ago for humans. Though it may be ancient history for a rabbit.
And ,little rabbit, a bridge is not an oak tree. It does not grow stronger with time The danger increases every season and so does the guilt of inaction.
Which leads us to think of the present crew and how their stated priorities could explain why they did not repair the bridge inspite of knowing, with their special human awareness, that it might fall into the water.