Oklahoma ranks third in the nation on disaster relief. That puts an unwelcome spotlight on two of the slimiest purportedly God fear’n denizens in DC. US Senators Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe have more than anti-science lunacy and extreme right-wing fundamentalism in common. Both these clowns are deficit hawks who have repeatedly voted against disaster relief and tried to kill funding for FEMA:
HuffPo — Late last year, Inhofe and Coburn both backed a plan to slash disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy. In a December press release, Coburn complained that the Sandy Relief bill contained “wasteful spending,” and identified a series of items he objected to, including “$12.9 billion for future disaster mitigation activities and studies.”
In 2011, both senators opposed legislation that would have granted necessary funding for FEMA when the agency was set to run out of money. Sending the funds to FEMA would have been “unconscionable,” Coburn said at the time.
Representatives for Inhofe and Coburn could not immediately be reached for comment Monday evening. Inhofe earlier tweeted: “The devastation in Oklahoma is heartbreaking. Please join me and #PrayforOklahoma. Spread the word.”
Oh, we’re gonna spread the word alright fellas, count on it.
Their approach is entirely self-consistent. If you are a ‘good christian’ and pray right, god will protect you. If you are unworthy, god will smite you, so why would you be deserving of disaster relief. Gotta hand it to them its a closed loop argument. Oh, they’re also delusional arseholes.
I’d say it’s “karma” except:
1- I don’t believe in that shit
2- All the people who are suffering because of their budgetary decision.
Think they’ll learn anything from this?
Sure. This is in their backyard and, more importantly, their constituents who might not be voting for them the next time around if their opponents say “Remember the tornado in 2013? Guess who didn’t want to provide federal relief to you folks.”
How soon before someone starts blaming ‘teh gays’ for this?*
*OK, I did as a sarcastic comment. Last week Minnesota passed an equal marriage law, this week is this. There’s no connection between them except ones people choose to make.
Yes, pray for Oklahoma. Because it’s too late now to do anything effective, like, say, building public shelters or having rational building codes.
Reforming building codes, man. That could be the climate change movement’s TX school board.
Whatever you do, don’t think this will in any way hurt the twins from Oklahoma. They are smart enough to spin this to their advantage. By objecting to relief elsewhere they are standing up for fiscal responsibility and if anyone tries to do likewise to them (not sure that anyone would be as cruel, but let’s run with it) they’ll play the persecution card. Even if the twins vote against funds which down the road would help their state with an eventual disaster, they’ll try to get their slice reinstated, and whether they do or not, will sell this to the voters as “fighting for Oklahomans”.
These guys might be scientific illiterates and blinded by religion, but they do know a thing or two about their electorate and how to work the system.
Does that figure go back over time to include the Dustbowl era when Steinbeck’s ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ was set I wonder?
@5. SallyStrange : Whilst I agree with the sentiments of your comet there can i just make one minor note :
Is it too late to effectively send aid or where possible go and help as a volunteer and /or a few other immediate disaster relief aid type actions?
I hope it isn’t.
I don’t know I’ll add thus I’m asking.
Think folks need to do that and then plan for the next time with new tougher building codes and suchlike as well.
Repeatedly voted against disaster relief?
Repeatedly voted against disaster relief!
What kind of sick scumbag do you have to be to vote against that?
Sure, I’ll pray for OK, that’s the only price tag those 2 slime balls can accept. The cheque is in the mail to te American Red Cross. From Canada.