Dem and GOP Response to Gustov

If you’ve been reading the conservative blogs the last fews days you are probably aware of video floating around showing former DNC chair Don Fowler saying Gustov shows God is on the side of the Democrats. He made the comments on a flight back to South Carolina with SC Democrat Congressman John Spratt who seemed to think the comment was funny. If you haven\’t seen the video, here it is.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrBus8ORR78[/youtube]

FOX News has been reporting on this today and interviewing congressional Democrats about the comments. It\s fun to watch them squirm and try to redeem the individuals involved.

John McCain and the RNC, on the other hand, are going to great lengths to be helpful to those in the path of the storm. Most events scheduled for the first day of the Republican Convention have been canceled and it’s likely that more cancellations will follow. McCain and the Republicans don’t think it’s appropriate to hold a party while people may be dying and certainly loosing their homes and property and McCain wants to use the convention to raise money for the victims of Gustov.

It is clear that repairs following Katrina are nowhere near complete and the damage from Gustov could be every bit as bad as Katrina or even worse. While it’s unfortunate that this hurricane comes along precisely at the beginning of the Republican Convention, reality is inescapable and, thankfully, John McCain and the GOP are well aware of that fact.

Interestingly the Obama campaign has already weighed in on McCain’s activities and those of the GOP. They’ve said it is appropriate that McCain and the GOP should take such action but, and this is the interesting part, they are already questioning whether McCain is taking advantage of the situation for political benefit! It seems they assume everyone acts the way they do.

nGood ol’ Don Fowler thought Gustov would wreck the plans for the Republican Convention and that was a good thing in his view. But when that actually happens and McCain and the GOP respond in a positive fashion, attempting to do all they can to be helpful, well, that’s just political opportunism!

‘m never surprised by anything the Democrats do but I am occasionally amazed. The utter gall of these people is simply staggering. The fact is, there is no conceivable response the Republicans could make that the Democrats wouldn’t spin into something bad.

Here are the facts. FEMA is prepared and doing everything possible. Bobby Jindal, the Republican Governor of Louisiana, in stark contrast to former Governor Kathleen Blanco, is actually on top of the situation. Even Ray Nagin, ever fearful of making the same mistakes again, is following the lead of Republicans on the state and federal level so that the evacuation is progressing very well. There will almost certainly be far less loss of life this time around and the national guard will be guarding neighborhoods and enforcing a strict curfew so that people’s homes aren’t looted. It is doubtful that the police will be illegally confiscating firearms again either.

Three years ago the Democrats successfully demonized Republicans over Katrina, this in spite of the fact that both the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana were Democrats. Both managed to escape blame for what they were clearly responsible for with Blanco speaking at the Democrat Convention last week! This time I guarantee that, if evacuations and relief efforts are successful, Democrats will claim credit while still finding a way to demonize Republicans.

In the end, all events are seen by Democrats as opportunities. The human toll is far less important that how Democrats can use events to their advantage. Don Fowler’s comments above illustrate that fact nicely. Even horrible suffering can be a good thing if it advances their agenda. This may sound harsh but it is difficult for me to interpret events any other way considering how the Democrats have operated to this point.

I would love to see both parties work together to minimize the negative impact of this storm. It would be simply amazing see the parties work together rather than just look for political advantage. What a breath of fresh air that would be. But I’m not holding my breath. I realize full well that some Republicans are just as guilty as Democrats when it comes to looking for political advantage in every situation. It just seems like the Democrats have it down to an art form that is practiced by virtually eveyone in the party.

I’d love to see that change. Rick Warren said in his presidential forum a couple of weeks ago that he believed both candiates love their country and want to make it better. I hope that’s true. But until that goal surpasses the goal of winning, it won\’t matter much because anything can be justified when you believe that we’re lost as a nation unless your party wins.

Also see: Michelle Malkin – While Louisiana prepares for Hurricane Gustav, Dems gloat and guffaw; RNC opening night cancelled; Fowler apologizes