Didn’t I write this??
Didn’t I say in my post yesterday that, following the stupid comment by Harry Reid on Monday, within one day someone would come to the forefront and blame the fires on President Bush? Didn’t I write that, didn’t I promise you that would occur?
Wait a day; another Demorat will ultimately find a more direct way to link these fires to the GOP. Mark my words.”
And if Harry Reid can politicize the Southern Fornicalia fires, why can’t:
Fornicalia Lt. Governor John Garamendi — whose job it is essentially to receive a paycheck, have an office, get a per diem and a car — was elected, horribly, to the LG position on January 1st of this year, against Tom McClintock who is, in my estimation, the most logical, the most sensible, the most intelligent politician on the continent (the reasons he wasn’t elected, of course). Would it shock you to read that the 62-year-old Garamendi is a registered Demorat?
Last night, on Chris Matthews’ Hardball, Garamendi said (highlights are mine, for obvious reasons):
MATTHEWS: Raging wildfires in California have consumed now more than 1,200 homes and businesses and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee the area.
President Bush will visit the fire-damaged region Thursday.
President Bush will visit the fire-damaged region Thursday.
For an update, we turn to California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi.
Governor, thank you for joining us.
Is the federal government doing what it has to do here?
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JOHN GARAMENDI (D), CALIFORNIA:
Well, they’re doing a lot. And we appreciate what they have done thus far.
Resources are coming in, the U.S. Forest Service, 70 units from Arizona and Nevada. And all that’s good. I have got some doubt about the value of President Bush coming out here.
That—you know, how many times did he go to New York—to New Orleans, and still made promises, but hasn’t delivered? We have the Terminator out here, Governor Schwarzenegger, who is doing a good job. And we will see.
MATTHEWS: Do you think it’s public relations, rather than action?
GARAMENDI: Of course it’s public relations.
The action is taking place by the hardworking firefighters, the men and women, the police that are out there on the line, and the community that’s pulling together to support each other. That’s where the action is taking place.
And I know—OK, President Bush comes out. We will be polite. But, frankly, that’s not the solution. How about sending our National Guard back from Iraq, so that we have those people available here to help us?
MATTHEWS: Let me ask you what you think the situation will be by Thursday, when the president arrives? Will these fires still be raging?
GARAMENDI: We have some indication that the Santa Ana winds are going to die down tomorrow. If they do, these fires will set down. They won’t be out for several days, if not for several weeks.
But we will have less of a blowup that we’re having today and yesterday and the day before. It’s really all about the winds. If those winds do die down, then we will see this fire set down. On the other hand, when the winds die down, it usually turns around from the other direction, and will blow back into areas that haven’t yet burned. We’re in for a tough situation for several more days. Thursday is likely to be another tough day.
MATTHEWS: Do you think the president’s arrival will distract from the efforts to fight the fire?
GARAMENDI: Absolutely, no doubt about it.
The president goes someplace, you have got a huge entourage. You have got Secret Service all over the place and all the chaos that comes with whatever the president arrives, wherever the president happens to arrive.
But, listen, what we really need are those firefighters. We need the equipment. We need—frankly, we need our troops back from Iraq. We will get on here. Whether he comes or not, that’s not really—really the issue. I just hope that, if he does come, he brings more than he brought to New Orleans.
MATTHEWS: OK, thank you. It’s great having you on, Governor, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi of the state of California.
Quite frankly, Garamendi is full of partisanshit. Here are the figures for the National Guard in Fornicalia:
- 2,000 currently in Iraq;
- 17,000 still in Fornicalia
In addition, I doubt the National Guard is tasked with taking much firefighting equipment to Iraq.
Garamendi, you are such a useless tool.
BZ
P.S.
Amid worries of new blazes adding to the firestorm already afflicting the region, a man in Hesperia has been arrested on suspicion of arson, and police reported shooting and killing another arson suspect after chasing him out of scrub behind Cal State San Bernardino.
You know that a number of these fires have got to be copycats.
These people are despicable. They will blame Bush for anything they can possibly get away with, pathetic
I to saw this asshat on the news today and thought the very same thing.
This is the only negative person I’ve heard so far.
We’re happy to have him. It will take nothing away from the firefighting efforts.
The guy can’t win, he’s damned if he comes he’s damned if he doesn’t.
He’s a scum bag, I voted for McClintock.
Well, the LT.Gov is right about a couple of things…
Bush does distract from the work at hand, and it is a Photo op.
Other than that the LT is full of shit and is just speaking the Pelosi line.
I think since ol GW is in San Diego, maybe he can fly to some of the border crossings for his buddies and bring water and food. His border jumping buddies are stealing food and water from the fire affected refugees…
(See Jenns post.)
Jenn: on the other hand, McClintock pissed me off Big Time. I wrote him a check for $1,000, he CASHED it, and I received NOTHING for it; not a form letter, not a copy of a carbon copy copied on a diagonal, not even a “go to hell.” NOTHING. I figured I had paid for AT LEAST a piece of paper. But no. . .
Bush: Yes, it is a photo op. And it does distract, but only for the associated Flacks for the involved agencies, and Flacks don’t do work anyway, except Admin Flack Wonk work. But the one thing I really enjoyed about Bush’s statement at the scene was his resounding SLAP to the face of the Louisiana state government. It was GREAT.
BZ
I didn’t hear Bush’s statement. I’ve been outside working in the yard all day. Dang!
But yes… you certainly were right. Unbelievable what putrid vile comes out of the mouths of the Dems, isn’t it? Well… let them babble on. They only succeed in making total asses out of themselves.
BZ, yeah that statement made my day…”It is great when folks at state level take the lead in emergencies” ROTFLMAO..
Oh well now Chocolate City Mayor will be saying it’s because San Diego is White folks….He don’t know shit, most of San Diego is Mexican, so the yards look good, and the dishes are clean….
Garamendi is a jerk who doesn’t have his facts straight and purposely lied in an attempt to bash Bush. Completely despicable!!
The Santiago fire, near my home, was alleged set by an arsonist. The politizication of the fires makes me sick. My boys’ school was closed Friday. We couldn’t breathe around here all week.
It’s been really bad, but the weather’s changing, cooling off.
GARAMENDI: Of course it’s public relations.
Well of course! But as jenn suggests, there would have been whining outrage as well, had Bush not made an appearance.