Mitt Romney engages in "immoral" behavior that "makes no sense at all"
Remember during the Republican primary debate when John King asked Mitt Romney about disaster relief for tornado and flood victims? When King revealed that he had recently been in Joplin, Missouri--Romney launched into a diatribe about why FEMA needed to be gutted and replaced by private enterprise.
When Romney sited the national debt as justification for denying help to Americans who are victims of national disasters--King asked Romney again, if he really wanted to cut FEMA funding.
Romney doubled down.
He then called FEMA funding "immoral" and he added that it "made no sense at all."
In effect, in a Romney Administration the Federal Government would play no role in assisting victims of tornadoes, fires, floods, earthquakes--or hurricanes and storms like Sandy, which is currently wrecking havoc along the eastern seaboard. Those victims would be on their own.
So, this morning I was surprised--to say the least--that Mitt Romney converted one of his campaign busses into a rolling donation vehicle that will be barreling through the Sandy aftermath. I applaud anyone who wants to help disaster victims. No doubt, help is needed and donations are wanted.
The problem isn't that Mitt Romney is helping. The problem is that Mitt Romney's America would eliminate FEMA--and that he's willing to turn these same victims into political props for personal gain as part of his Presidential campaign.
Has any presidential candidate ever sunk this low?
Has Mitt Romney ever inserted himself into the aftermath of a national disaster and helped disaster victims with food, water and supplies before? Mitt Romney certainly has the means to do so and there have been plenty of recent disasters in America. Fires have ravaged Colorado; tornadoes destroyed Joplin, Missouri, and of course, Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters ever to impact the United States.
Mitt Romney didn't help during those disasters. He didn't pack a bus full of supplies and roll into New Orleans or Joplin. The truth is--that Mitt Romney didn't plunge himself into the epicenter of these tragedies--because it wasn't politically expedient to help those victims. In fact, he stated that those victims would be and should be on their own.
What do you want to bet--that this rolling spectacle shows up only swing states where the race is tight?
If Mitt Romney had his way, every Sandy disaster victim would be denied FEMA help--condemning them to untold suffering and trauma. They'd have no way out, after losing their homes and everything they own. Yet, Romney will use these same people as a political backdrop--handing them toilet paper and graham crackers while the cameras roll as he flashes looks of concern.
Mr. Romney, if you have any decency whatsoever, you will not exploit disaster victims in order to enhance your personal brand. You will not treat a natural disaster as a political opportunity where you spout carefully crafted soundbytes and make the 6:00 news in media markets that you deem critical for your campaign.
If you really want to help, you can do so without the glare of the cameras and without securing media coverage.
Right-wing radio programs have begun the initial phases of this publicity stunt. Glenn Beck has the story about Romney's bus, as do other right-wing sites. Mr. Romney is hoping that "key positive messages" about himself filter through his base and up to the larger media outlets. And of course, Mr. Romney will be ready and waiting for the rolling cameras and camera flashes--positioned by his bus and positioned with the victims.
I've grown used to Mitt Romney's flip flops on healthcare, his denial of his own tax plan and his ever-changing positions on education, equal pay for women and climate change. It's been an exhausting campaign full of Romney's chameleon-like behavior that included an impulsive Benghazi press conference which was staged to create a 'presidential theater' around himself.
Those things are shameless and disgusting. However, exploiting disaster victims--victims that Romney has made very clear deserve no federal assistance or help--would be unparalleled in terms of shameless and disgusting.
Disaster victims deserve help, but they don't deserve to be used like chess pieces in Mitt Romney's selfish political games.
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Links to story about Romney's campaign bus
http://twitchy.com/2012/10/28/romney-campaign-using-romney-bus-for-east-coast-storm-relief-efforts/
Link to the video of Romney during the primary debate where he says he would gut FEMA.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/06/14/244973/mitt-romney-federal-disaster-relief-for-tornado-and-flood-victims-is-immoral-makes-no-sense-at-all/
= new reply since forum marked as read
It is excellent...
mitt is right, FEMA needed to be gutted and replaced by private enterprise,there no need for us to lose out on these opportunities the profit potential is great.we should not be doing this for free,Has any presidential candidate ever sunk this low? mitt is confident he can do it.i am too,i remember when he told the lady who lost her home to call fema,because their job was to help poor and such f*ckuped people.the combination of arrogant and stupidity is mind blowing
...and he was careful not to mention FEMA.
He knows what the political ramifications of that would be.
Mitt sends his prayers, though, which will get you nothing and a bag of chips--minus the bag of chips. 
...for your kind words. I felt it was so important to address this situation.
When Romney said that he wants FEMA gone, we don't really grasp the harsh reality of such extremism, until we are in the middle of a disaster.
Contemplating the decimation of federal assistance to Americans--while we're in the throes of a disaster truly illustrates how wrong Mitt Romney is for this country.
Again, I appreciate your nice comments. 
