Senator James Inhofe (R. OK) is basically saying, "Fuck you, I got mine":
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), who opposed emergency disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Sandy and called the bill a “slush fund,” suggested he’ll support legislation to provide similar assistance to victims of the tornado in Moore, Okla., provided it’s tailored narrowly enough to prevent federal dollars from being appropriated to other states.
“[Sandy aid] was totally different,” Inhofe said on MSNBC Tuesday morning. “They were getting things, for instance, that was supposed to be in New Jersey. They had things in the Virgin Islands. They were fixing roads there, they were putting roofs on houses in Washington, D.C. Everybody was getting in and exploiting the tragedy that took place. That won’t happen in Oklahoma.”
Inhofe’s remarks are telling not just because they hint at a double standard. They also suggest Inhofe will support disaster relief for Oklahoma whether or not it’s offset with other budget cuts. Inhofe’s Oklahoma colleague, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) says he’ll fight to make sure Oklahoma disaster relief is offset. Conservative Republicans have been trying unsuccessfully for two years to use disaster assistance as an opportunity to cut domestic spending programs elsewhere in the budget. - TPM, 5/21/13
By the way, another great diary about this story came out and I wanted to give it a shout out:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I wanted to provide you all with video content of him saying it.
It makes me sad that the state that gave us The Flaming Lips also gave us assholes like Inhofe and Coburn. Inhofe's statements are an example of reverse NIMBY:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
The problem is this. Human nature dictates that things that directly impact us and the people we know and love seem like they are different in kind from things that don’t have that same impact. Politicians, who contrary to some naysayers are actually human, fall into that same trap. It’s sort of a reverse NIMBY — Not In My Back Yard — phenomenon. As in: If it happens in my backyard, it matters more because, well, it’s my backyard.
That mentality explains why Inhofe said Tuesday that “everybody was getting in and exploiting the tragedy that took place. That won’t happen in Oklahoma.”
Whether or not Inhofe is proven right remains to be seen as Congress in the coming days hashes out how best (and how much) to help the people of Moore. But, tragedy is tragedy — whether or not you know the people involved. We would all do well to remember that. - Washington Post, 5/21/13
Inhofe will be facing the voters next year and unfortunately I don't see this race anywhere near as a pick up possibility. If you would like to help out with the Oklahoma Tornado relief efforts, USA Today lists organizations you can get involved with:
http://www.usatoday.com/...
And now I leave you with one of my favorite Flaming Lips tracks: