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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > From the Right > Obama Fiddles While Texas Burns.

From the Right by Ed Farnan

Obama Fiddles While Texas Burns.

Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 01:05 PM

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While President Obama was taping the Oprah Winfrey show, attending fundraisers to collect money for his re-election campaign and other affairs of state so critical to America's well being....... A runaway natural disaster is turning one of our states into cinders.

Texas has been burning up by wildfires that have destroyed over two million acres, obliterated over 900 buildings and so far killed two firefighters. But the federal government has turned a deaf ear to its pleas to turn Texas into a federal disaster area. If this isn't an environmental and social disaster just what is?

Texas Governor Rick Perry asked President Obama for help two weeks ago, in fighting the biggest fires in Texas history, so far Obama has not responded. FEMA is still trying to reply to the request for help from Texas. The problem, according to federal officials is no money.

But when another natural disaster occurred in Alabama caused by tornadoes, it was instantly jumped on by Obama when he took a short trip from Cape Kennedy to Alabama for photo ops. Amidst the rubble of Alabama and the flashes of hundreds of cameras and recorders, Obama could look presidential in declaring Alabama a federal disaster area and unleash millions in assistance to that state.

In the meantime Texas is still burning and has not received the much needed declaration from president Obama to say it a disaster and open it up to millions in federal assistance.

Is there some bad political blood between Governor Rick Perry of Texas and President Obama that is causing the citizens of the state of Texas to suffer? The Republican Governor of the red state has been a vocal critic of Obamas policies in the past.

The reason for a national government is to provide assistance to individual states that are facing catastrophes beyond their ability to fight alone.

Would the bluest states, the most indebted, highly unionized, most democrat receive the same response Texas is getting? Just think about it if Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, California, or New Jersey were burning up for over two weeks would their letters for help get lost in the mail?

Unless our President wants to be saddled with the same lasting impression as Nero fiddling while Rome burned. He better act Presidential and help Texas.

Editors update today May 3: Texas U.S. Senators, Cornyn and Hutchinson have both requested the that the Obama administration declare Texas a disaster area due to over 7,000 out of control wildfires burning the state up.

Editors update today May 6: Texas still has no emergency declaration from the Obama administration. However President Declares Emergency for Louisiana, Feds Mobilize for flood response ( The state of Sen. Mary Landreau, whose vote for Obamacare was key to its passage.)
http://www.wdsu.com/news/27807947/detail.html#ixzz1LcrKy8Q2

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39 comments

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seanomelbourne | May 01, 2011, 07:43 PM EDT

Why is Farnan such an ignorant whinger he has the same respect for the truth as Adolf.

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Monsoonman | May 01, 2011, 06:47 PM EDT

Where's Maloney? Did those tornadoes miss you Lad?

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Monsoonman | May 01, 2011, 06:31 PM EDT

So all Texas needs to do is turn into another blue state and tax the hell out of the private sector to make everything alright? The problem with forest management under obamas greenies is that it is almost impossible to control burn anymore...You knw green house gasses/global warming? So you're supposed to manage the underbrush by hand trimming millions of acres, of course with unionized public sector employees...Oh the insanity, beam me up Scotty! Hence we now have super fires that create more, gasp! "green house gasses"!!!!

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tundish45 | May 01, 2011, 05:46 PM EDT

On the local politics aspect consider the Texas Forest Service, which seems to have failed to prudently regulate timber management and in the crisis seems to be understaffed. Which political party has led it to this sorry state? The party opposed to regulation and spending, or the tax and spend party which favors regulation? Sounds like Farnan opposes regulation and tax and spend behavior until his pants catch fire.

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tundish45 | May 01, 2011, 05:23 PM EDT

Didn't Texas Gov Rick Perry say a while back that Texas should leave the Union? And that small government is the best government? So isn't this complaint that US tax dollars aren't being thrown at burning mesquite a little hypoctritical?

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Monsoonman | May 01, 2011, 04:15 PM EDT

The article is 100% correct. Fact: fires are the most destructive and largest in history. Fact: obama has not declared Texas a disaster area. As usual with obama it is all political and punitive when you don't do it the chicago way. Politics should have NOTHING to do in a Presidents allocation of resources for the nations disasters.

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odonnell521 | May 01, 2011, 03:25 PM EDT

Farnan's habit of fabricating lies is starting to get a bit tiring. Here's the facts. According to Rachel Racusen, the spokesperson for FEMA, Texas has gotten 22 federal grants to help fight the fires. A total of 16 of those came in April alone. Ah, if it were Fox News talking points, I don't know how this guy would ever get a column written. Here's what a real columnist, Reno Berkeley said this week - "Governor Rick Perry's constant confrontational attitude towards the president seems to know no bounds. First, he wants to secede, then he refuses federal funds from the stimulus, and then he takes it. Of course, the money he got that was supposed to be used for educational purposes was diverted into the general fund. And now, when an entire state like Alabama has entire towns completely leveled, Perry is crying like a baby because he hasn't gotten his share. Perhaps the governor's hair got in the way of his brain function."

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Skibberrean | May 01, 2011, 01:53 PM EDT

DITTO! Monsoonman. He is a fraud and a disgrace to this wonderful Capitalist Country that our Fathers,Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers built. God help us in 2012 that the American people will see this administration and Obama for what it is.

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Monsoonman | May 01, 2011, 01:06 PM EDT

Some of you, who have not had your total allotment of kool aid yet, are starting to see what a vile, vindictive political animal you elected to the whitehouse. You took the worst that corrupt chicago politics could belch out, but dressed in nice clothes and a friendly smile and transferred it to our highest office. shame on all of you for voting for your own self interests rather than the best interests of our country, children and grandchildren.

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Nicomax | May 01, 2011, 01:00 PM EDT

None of the 'blue' states you listed had governors who suggested secession.

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Monsoonman | May 01, 2011, 12:57 PM EDT

Jamthecat: Would you please post a link to the story that says this article is a lie? Post obamas disaster declaration that allows FEMA disaster aid and monetary aid for Texas. TIA (thanks in advance)

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jamthecat | May 01, 2011, 12:49 PM EDT

As a Texan I can say, flat out, Rick Perry is lying and Ed Farnan is deliberately spreading what he knows is a lie, all for political purposes. Texas HAS received Federal aid, just not as much as Texas' governor wants. It's his and the Legislature's own damned fault the state is in this kind of peril, but God forbid they be held accountable for it when they can shift the blame to someone who's actually trying to help them.

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peterson | May 01, 2011, 12:49 PM EDT

Obama is the worst ever U.S.President !!

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jdi2269 | May 01, 2011, 12:39 PM EDT

WHY DOESN'T ANYONE PRINT THE WHITEHOUSE LEAK THAT OBAMA WAS GOING TO ALABAMA ON FRIDAY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO MISS THE NFL DRAFT ON ESPN ON THURSDAY. THIS JERK REALLY HAS HIS PRIORITIES SET!

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Monsoonman | May 01, 2011, 12:35 PM EDT

Most of the posts here criticizing Texas Forestry management are willfully ignorant, or just plain ignorant.....Obamas greenies who have burrowed in and seized control of the EPA and other agencies who dictate to states on how they manage their forests, have banned proper forest management, thus the era of super fires have begun under their watch. Fire bad in their opinion, another example of college theoreticians in charge of policy in the real world. It doesn't work.

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