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From the Right by Ed Farnan

Sandy aid shows, Irish sit in the back of the Democrat party bus

Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 01:43 PM

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President Obama cobbled together a new coalition of special interests that he was able to win a 2^nd term with. Minorities, single women, gays, union members, government employees, etc., helped put him over the top.

The Irish American coalition used to have great sway in the Democrat party. But some high profile Irish Americans weren’t even invited to a traditional St Patricks special event dinner in Obamas 1^st term.

If Irish Americans had clout in the Democrat Party, the Sandy devastation in the Rockaway’s would have been dealt with swiftly and surely.

Democrat luminaries were falling all over themselves for photo ops right after the storm. Wearing hard hats and making promises to the cameras, they scored big in the PR dept.

But today, months after the storm, many residents still have no homes to move into and no power for their homes, if they still have one standing.

These neighborhoods are slowly being relegated to back page status in the media and when that happens, it is as if the problem isn’t there anymore. But it is there.

Federal aid has been slow. Democrats blame the Republicans for holding up an appropriations bill. But Republicans say the reason for the delay is that the bill put forth by Harry Reid and the Democrats, was loaded with billions in pork that had nothing to do with Sandy relief

Bill Clinton photo op

If Democrats were serious about protecting and aiding their constituency, they wouldn’t have played political games. Evidently they felt, after the media storm died down, they could relegate Sandy to politics and special interests without fear of media or political blowback.

Read Townhalls excellent exposure of the Democrat pork laden Sandy relief bill by Katy Pavlich. It itemizes the billions that have nothing to do with Sandy relief. Article

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the din from the media was ear splitting. News teams were on the ground at all times. The damaged city was kept front and center throughout the entire Bush term, as billions upon billions were poured on the city and its residents.

But this disaster in New York is different. The leader in the White house is a Democrat and so are most of those officeholders in this damaged area.

President Bush was blamed incessantly for acting slowly to respond to the disaster that hurricane Katrina caused. But the truth was ineptness by Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco, both Democrats that caused the lack of preparedness and response to Katrina.

Mayor Nagins “chocolate city” as he referred to it, was showered with billions in federal tax dollars to show the media and the rest of America we cared.

Indicted mayor of New Orleans

The media microscope was kept focused on New Orleans recovery efforts and any delay in aid was headline news. Charges of racism were raised by civil rights leaders for any perceived lack of aid, real or imagined.

As a side note Mayor Nagin is facing criminal corruption charges for misappropriating federal funds destined for the repair of his city. Did you read that in the headline news?

But President Obama & Democrat leaders are held to a different standard. New York’s Rockaway’s are still a disaster area and federal feet are dragging. The quiet desperation of American citizens needing aid from their government is being ignored in the media.

Democrat Irish Americans should take note of the shabby treatment they are getting from the very politicians they help put in office. Notice what it is like to be relegated to old news by the lap dog media.

See more: Irish American , Irish in US Politics , Irish in New York , Irish Democrats , Irish GOP

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Seanmor | Mar 05, 2013, 12:13 PM EST

The new 'cobbled' coalition mentioned in the first pargraph apparently does NOT include active service men and women, not does it iclude military veterans or Legionnaires. It appears as tho there is no place among the Obama Dems for those of us who HONORABLYserved in the nation's defencse forces and are now active in veterans' organizations. That is especially true if we are practicing Christians and are married to spouses of the opposite gender.

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Monsoonman | Feb 23, 2013, 02:03 PM EST

Bottom line is obama and the democrat party are intent on flooding america w/illiterate, low educated 3rd world waves of immigrants, who will be govt dependent and be automatic dem voters. That is the new dem power base. Highly educated folks from ireland need not apply anymore. Like where the catholic church is thriving these days.

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Seanmor | Feb 23, 2013, 10:04 AM EST

The more members of any Irish community suport the Dems, the more they are taken for granted. But those of us who are stunchly loyal to true American values and hold HONORABLE discharges from the U.S. military are being less helped by republicans, especially in their dealing with the undocumented who speak perfect English, have education and skills that enable them to make valuavle contributions to the U.S. and are eager to assimilate. Politicins are like the Catholic clergy in that they seldom, if ever, give credit to the Irish who have contributed so much to Americal society.

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Joe Glackin | Feb 22, 2013, 07:56 PM EST

It seems they were trying to use and stir up this disaster too for their propaganda etc. They had liar and racist Ian Paisley sorry Al Sharpton providing some positive input. Like he did in the discreditable way he used Tawana Brawley. He tried to stir the Hurricane was anti Black etc etc. LOL

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Joe Glackin | Feb 22, 2013, 07:47 PM EST

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Monsoonman | Feb 22, 2013, 01:38 PM EST

NOTHING comes out of the corrupt senate w/o harry reids finger prints all over it and a cut of the vig going his way. The truth is the sandy aid pkg was so corrupt it even gagged the maggots that feed off of it and full of Dem special interest pay offs. Wake up and smell the Kool Aid, your party is utterly corrupt

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McNamara31 | Feb 22, 2013, 09:39 AM EST

Monsoonman BALONEY...Truth is: A review of the mark-up of the Senate bill reveals that all that extra, non-Sandy related cash is actually set to provide billions for “storm events that occurred in 2012 along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast within the boundaries of the North Atlantic and Mississippi Valley divisions of the Corps that were affected by Hurricanes Sandy and Isaac.” This was done to get the 7 GOP Senators representing these areas to pass the Sandy legislation that they didn't have the empathy to pass without getting "a little piece of the action".Anyone wanting to see the actual marked up bill can by googling Forbes: Pork Holding Up Senate Sandy Relief Bill Funneled Into The Troughs Of GOP Deficit Hawks? You Betcha.

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ceceann | Feb 21, 2013, 05:42 PM EST

In addition to your examples, I have heard from others who thought they were covered under the FEMA flood insurance that they paid for, that it did not cover their first floor flood because it was one step down and therefore considered a basement. Disgraceful!

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WoundedKnee | Feb 20, 2013, 01:03 PM EST

kerry214: Empty abuse is no substitute for argument. If you disagree with Farnan, as I usually do, confront him with logic and facts, not with stupid abuse.

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Monsoonman | Feb 20, 2013, 12:27 PM EST

Firmly convinced if it wasn't for a corrupt media, the democrats would be tarred and feathered and run out of town. Read what the democrats put in the sandy relief bill and you will be shocked, that's what the republicans tried to stop. But you are so ill informed, you do not know, so instead your knee jerk reaction is to blame those who are really looking out for you, so sad.

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jamieLM | Feb 20, 2013, 11:46 AM EST

I'd agree with jerrydonovan if the bill was just for Sandy relief and didn't include a lot of worthless, expensive pork attached to it. We don't need to spend more money on a bridge or road to nowhere and to study whether cows give milk. Been there, done that. Shame on Congress if they have attached pork to this bill. @kerry214, I believe in calling a spade a spade when people are suffering and their govt. is not meeting their needs, in spite of all the promises. Dems and Reps should be held to the same standards in dealing with Americans in extreme distress who are homeless and drowning in red tape.

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jerrydonovan | Feb 20, 2013, 11:22 AM EST

Mr.Farnan,Iforget what the vote was on the Sandy relief bill .Would you please re-print it indicating as to how many Democrats voted in favor and how many Republicans voted in favor of the bill and also how many from each party opposed the bill.The facts can speak for themselves.

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kerry214 | Feb 20, 2013, 01:24 AM EST

Mr. Faman, is there no end to your pot stirring ? No, dirt to dig up so you create your own news. Your entire commentary is beyond the Pale. Go listen to talk radio. Rush is going nuts these days, go give him some help.

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