Santorum Wants Penalties For Hurricane Victims

[Julius Civitatus]

Not a joke.

Not making this up.

This is for real, news just breaking. Link courtesy of Atrios:

Action 4 News - WTAE-TV CH 4 (ABC) Pittsburgh

Senator rick santorum is criticizing the government's emergency response to hurricane victims hurricane katrina victims. But he's also criticizing the ones who chose to ride out the storm. I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving. Coming up, hurricane relief in Mississippi. The lights are finally coming on in some of the hardest-hit areas.

If they were too poor, too sick, or old to get out of the city by their own means, then screw them! Little Ricky wants them to pay fines too!

No wonder some of the hurricane victims do not want to be rescued, fearing they are going to be charged for the helicopter ride. These poor people know very well how America treats the poor, and that there's nothing free here, not even humanitarian relief.

Rick Santorum just proved them right.
Sick.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

1. I hope this gets out and spreads

To see how much the government really cares about the victims.

[0007]

12. It will!

[bozo299]

70. PA voter will email Sick Santorum

I want Santorum out, and I'm a Republican (or was before Bush).
I will be emailing that simplistic idiot about this.

[area51]

77. Welcome.

Welcome to DU, bozo299.

[Wickerman]

2. Death by dehydration, drowning, alligator, etc

simply not enough vengeance for Ricky-boy?

[benfranklin1776]

10. A complete, callous asshole utterly without ANY redeeming social value.

Not surprising coming from the lowlife that once said "Its not the worst thing in the world for people to have to struggle" So long as it's we expendable poor people doing the suffering, that is, not his obscenely wealthy puppeteers. He is the outward ugly manifestation of the right wing malignancy that has eaten our country and our public institutions alive. "Punish the victim, after all it's their own fault they are poor" is their perverse mantra which they mindlessly chant with smug, sneering derision as they survey the carnage they have wrought from their gated enclaves and mansions built on the very backs of those whose sufferings they revel in castigating. :grr:

[saigon68]

16. He is SCUM a DOG TURD on the landscape of amerika

[benfranklin1776]

24. Indeed and We the People have been forced to step in this dung too long.

Come next election he needs to be scraped off the public commons and deposited unceremoniously in the regrettably large compost pile of failed demagogues and worthless scoundrels who have befouled American government throughout the years.

[kestrel91316]

78. Oh, but he's a wonderful daddy. Brought home a dead fetus for the

kiddies to play with.

[saigon68]

94. Forgot about that-- The old Fetus in the Bottle trick

Must have made Dog-Shit Rick feel IMPORTANT showing that "Bad Boy in the Bottle" around the neighborhood.

[Orion The Hunter]

3. Good grief!

Yeah all of you poor people who could not get out on your own, well we will see how you like a little jail sentence in addition to losing everything you own... /sarcasm

Santorum is such a dim-wit.

[krkaufman]

4. Dear lord, he said this on Sunday.

It's not like the actual situation hadn't been reported. How misinformed (or prejudiced).

[calimary]

55. What a worthless piece of shit. What a HEARTLESS piece of shit.

That's the worst blame-the-victim abomination I've heard yet. Hope it comes back to him a thousand-fold.

[kestrel91316]

79. He said it on Sunday to show what a good Christian he is.

[auburngrad82]

5. This man is totally insane

No wonder the wingnuts love him.

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. Approval rating not low enough yet Rick?

Which level of Hell does he want to get off on?

[katsy]

7. Balance... it's all about a balanced policy rick.

Let's fine a government that allows people to sink to such a level of poverty that they can't defend themselves against natural disasters.

And if hospitals can't evacuate their patients... we'll fine them to bankruptcy also.

If nursing homes or children's homes can't evacuate those under their care... fine them silly.

Keep talking rick... you stupid fucktard.

[meow2u3]

8. Kick'em while they're down, Ricky!

You're really showing a lot of compassion :sarcasm:

[AZBlue]

9. It just keeps getting worse - I can't stand it!

Every time I turn around some other wacko in this administration is making a statement or doing something that is more outrageous than the last wacko did five minutes ago! I'm seriously losing my patience - and maybe my mind. We are truly a country run by madmen.

[WinkyDink]

11. PLEASE LEAVE MY STATE!!

Our dogs are afraid!!!

[Orrex]

20. He doesn't live in our state...

Or anywhere like Planet Earth, for that matter.

What a fuckface.

Correction: what an anomalously lopsided fuckface.

[davidinalameda]

13. I'd be proud to vote for him if I lived in Pennsylvania

what a fucking idiot

:puke:

[dchill]

68. Voting for Santorum...

is like wearing a sign around your neck that says "I'm PROUD to be a hateful, prejudiced, supercilious, sanctimonious pseudo-religious, homophobic asshole." Problem is, there are just plenty of them - they're also known as Republicans. (I live in PA, and I know.)



*edited to add "homophobic"*

[displacedtexan]

14. What about those who feared it would cost too much?

During Olbermann's historic rant, he said that some people thought they would be charged for the helicopter rescue.

As most people know, calling an ambulance can cost hundreds of dollars in some cities. Insurance covers it, but what if you're too poor to have insurance?

And Santorum wants to fine them?

Unfreepin'believeable!

[Kelvin Mace]

15. Is their another link?

I can't get the video to run.

[madaboutharry]

17. All Mr. Casey needs to do is

make a commercial of himself reading this quote. One more Dem. in the Senate.

[Bob3]

18. remember this when they start counting the dead in NO

remember it all. They hate anyone who is not them. That's what's happening here.

Monsters. Real living breathing walking monsters.

[Francine Frensky]

19. You know what's really sad?? We SUBSIDIZE rich people's beach homes

you know the us gov't and you and I as taxpayers pay not only for beach cleanup after hurricanes, but we also subsidize hurricane insurance for people who have houses on the beach.

Funny how after a hurricane destroys beach homes you never hear "well why did you build a house there?" but now it seems like everyone is asking that question of new orleans, and saying to the poor, "well why didn't you leave"

[DawgHouse]

82. You are so right!

We pay higher insurance premiums and higher hurricane deductibles so those living in beachfront homes can pay less. It doesn't make any sense!

[Barkley]

89. Didn't we pay for the evacuation of the Bin Ladens/ Saudis on 9-11?

[benddem]

21. I'm faxing a letter to his office now

in the past you have made dreadfully insensitive remarks, some down right stupid. You have surpassed all previous insanity.
You are a disgrace to the US Senate.

I probably should have said to the US population.

[Straight Shooter]

22. I was just wondering this weekend when Santorum would raise his ugly head.

And open his foul unChristian mouth.

[Lori Price CLG]

23. Everyone needs to read this essay...

Arming the Left: Is the time now? --by Charles Southwell "As long as we pose no REAL threat to the powers-that-be, to what is shaping up into a dictatorship, we will continue to be ignored. Right now, we are ignored because we present no organized power to fight this onslaught of anti-democratic, totalitarian government that we are up against..."

http://www.legitgov.org/essay_southwell_arming_the_left_is_the_time_now_102203.html

Lori Price
http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news

[mod mom]

25. EVIL. nt

[triguy46]

26. Oh, this will help...

I sure hope they march this one out around the '08 election season..

[triguy46]

28. Ya' gotta wonder...

Does he think this crap up himself, or does his staff??? I wonder how long they met before they came up with this bright plan.

This would work well in the midwest, in tornado alley. By default, we all defy the risks of living here every spring. Our decisions to stay or leave happen very quickly, with very few places to run when its "Oz" time.

[TankLV]

83. This is what happens when you have total power, and only hang around in

the private vacuum you've created for yourself.

The repukes really have no clue!

[skooooo]

27. Rick, says "contact me in Washington" at his web site, here's info

Washington, D.C. Office:
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-6324

[Synnical]

29. He also wants us to pay for Weather Info - Twice

http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=5B475746-147C-4536-9BB7-1C5340C2B38C

Buying Weather Data Twice
Sen. Santorum puts a price on weather information.

Published on 9/6/2005

Sen. Rick Santorum, the third-highest- ranking Republican in the Senate, wants taxpayers to get weather information only if they pay for it twice. He's filed a bill that would make the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA — give out routine weather bulletins only if private companies do not provide the same information.

In other words, the agencies can gather data all they want. But the bill would forbid them from giving away critical information to taxpayers unless a private company doesn't sell the same set of facts. The bill also forces the federal government to give the information to these private companies, such as AccuWeather and the 14 other weather forecasting companies, all of which are located in Pennsylvania.

Such a coincidence.

For proof of the bill's intent, critics point to a sentence in the proposal that states, “The Secretary of Commerce shall not provide, or assist other entities in providing, a product or service that is or could beprovided by the public sector.” (italics ours). How's that for writing a blank check on behalf of parochial interests?

[Sandpiper]

30. Santorum Says: Rape victims need to be punished for wearing short skirts

They need to know that there are consequences for dressing provocatively.



:sarcasm:

[marmar]

31. That bastard needs his ass totally and completely kicked...

Hey Rick, FUCK YOU TWICE, you sick bastard!!!


:grr: :argh: :grr: :argh: :grr: :argh:

[Karla Marx]

32. How unspeakably cruel. No shock here.

The rethugs are cruel and inhumane. I wouldn't be surprised if they call the parents who didn't/couldn't leave N.O. unfit and try to take their children away.
The rethugs hate themselves so much they take it out on the rest of the world. Truly sickening.

[ananda]

33. Will people actually..

.. vote for this puss postule on the ass of Bushco again?

I shudder to think.

Sue

[wryter2000]

42. Welcome to DU, Karla

Sorry it's under such sad circumstances. :hi:

[Karla Marx]

54. t'anks, writer

I lurk daily but post rarely. But I am well pissed about the maladministration's utter neglect of the people of N.O.

[calimary]

56. Welcome to DU! Glad you're here!

It would almost be worth moving to Pennsylvania to be able to vote against this shithead. Or would that be shitheart?

Help us work to get him OUT of the Senate, and to yank that jackass friend of his out of OUR White House, too.

[iamjoy]

34. What Is "Choosing" To Ride Out The Storm

What if you are an emergency service worker?
OK - you had to stay.

What about if you are the spouse/child of an emergency worker.
What a hobson's choice, abandon your loved one (from the family values crowd) or get fined for staying.

[Pacifist Patriot]

37. Shoot, I didn't even add them to my letter to the senator.

Good point!

[babyk]

35. We should thank him

for that political gift.

[wryter2000]

43. Hi, BabyK

Welcome to DU :hi:

[calimary]

57. Welcome to DU!

Help us send this miscreant, AND the schmuck at the top of the food chain, too, to the UNEMPLOYMENT line and the dustbin of history.

[Pacifist Patriot]

36. I just sent this to him.

Senator Santorum,

I am beyond outraged at your response to the New Orleans residents unable to evacuate from their beloved homes prior to Hurricane Katrina. Are you devoid of compassion or merely ignorant? Surely you are aware that a large percentage of those left behind were people too impoverished or infirm to leave unassisted. Where were you when they wanted to leave the city but could not?

Even those who remained voluntarily should not be chastized when their own president told Diane Sawyer on September 1, 2005, he didn’t think anyone anticipated levee breeches.

In my opinion, there should be penalties against complacent politicians who neglect their constituents in greatest need. Perhaps if you ceased advocating policies that oppress the poor and take steps to improve their standard of living we won't be faced with such a dilemma in the future.

Regards,
Rev. Ann Fuller

[rodeodance]

39. very nice

[wallwriter]

44. Great letter. More civil than I could have been...

[PA Democrat]

51. That's a wonderful letter!

Santorum is my senator and he was very busy last week working on his plans to eliminate the "death tax". A letter pushing his tax plan of pure greed arrived in my mailbox on Wednesday, with the horror of Katrina's aftermath unfolding all along the Gulf coast Perhaps in his preoccupation with making the wealthiest Americans even wealthier, Santorum forgot to consider the least fortunate among us as Jesus taught his followers.

[texpatriot2004]

61. Well said RodeoDance. Well said. Santorum is evil obviously.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

38. Heartless ass

His net approval rating for August was -4% in PA. I'm curious to see what his numbers look like for September after this comment.

Has he forgotten he's up for reelection in 2006? Or is he buying the BS that America will just forget about what happened in NOLA 2005 by then?

It's time we start thinning the herd of these jackasses and he's one that needs to go.

[wryter2000]

40. Ding Dong

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, Santorum. It rings for thee.

Buh-bye!

[donheld]

41. This is what leads our government

Insanity at it's worst.

[tk2kewl]

45. Maybe he should bring a couple of dead babies home from NOLA ...

for his family to grieve.

[Raiden]

46. Santorum should get a penalty for being such a dumbass!

What a douche!

[footinmouth]

47. Compassionate Conservative ???

I'm starting to think these people have a special book of talking points. Statements like this make me proud to be a heathen Democrat.

[CatholicEdHead]

48. Just when you think they can not get any lower

crap like this comes along.

[onenote]

49. yep, let's impose penalties on those who stayed and died

Maybe their insurance should pay for recovering their bodies. Or if they were uninsured, we could just throw their relatives in debtors' prison.

And I don't want to hear anything about how Santorum is dumb as a rock. Rocks don't deserve that kind of insult.

onenote

[pursuivant]

50. I want penalties for callousness

For one thing, it would bankrupt just about every Republican out there.

[calimary]

58. How about a property tax on the vacant land where his heart should be?

Because CLEARLY this guy doesn't have one. We'll see you next year, rickie-baby. I, here in California, am saving my pennies so I can donate to whomever is running AGAINST you. I'm targeting him personally for defeat.

And BTW - Welcome to DU!

[Peace Patriot]

52. I thought I'd heard everything diabolical possible from these people

when Pat Robertson called for the assassination of the democratically elected president of Venezuela, the very popular Huge Chavez, who has harmed no one, and helped many.

Now this. A user fee for tragedies and disasters. Which will, of course, hit the poor the hardest...

...and this, after they abandoned the poor of New Orleans to die, leaving them no way to get out--Amtrak, Greyhound shut down, no transport provided--no food, no water--and took five days to START rescuing people, with many thousands dying...

I don't think I've ever heard anything so cruel, especially in the current climate of raw nerves and trauma.

The last I heard about a day before the storm hit, was that it had been downgraded to a Category 4 or 3, and was not likely to cause that much damage, and, in the first few hours of the storm, I was rejoicing that nobody had died...then the levees broke...

How were people who had no transportation and no money anyway, supposed to know how bad this was going to be? I seem to recall they had only 24 hours on the mandatory evac--with all transportation service shut down. And what were they supposed to do, even if they knew?

This remark should never be forgiven. It should stain his name forever, not only as cruel, but as the purveyor of lies and disinformation to cover the Bush regime's deliberate slaughter of the poor.

[TheDonkey]

53. I LOVE IT!!!

he's really doing a great job to ensure he isn't reelected.

[Nia Zuri]

59. Prong #2 of Rove's 4 pronged strategy...

1) Deflect blame to local and state level 2) Depict victims as cause of their own situation..."why didn't they get out" 3) Place * in hero scenarios e.g. arrival of aid coincides with his visit to NO 4)Depict vistims as brutal savages unworthy of saving...scare the hell out of white America...play on racism. Am I missing anything?

[geniph]

60. Go ahead and fine 'em, ricky-boy

What do you expect them to pay with, indentured servitude?

Oh wait - that asshole would probably LOVE that idea.

:mad:

[Arkana]

62. If this is true, Little Ricky just torpedoed his reelection campaign.

What an ass.

[DarienComp]

76. no sh*t.

He just lost reelection today.

[arwalden]

63. Santorum Is A Sack Of Shit. He's A Puss-Filled Wart On Bloated Pig Carcass

[laylah]

64. What a low-life POS!

How in the WORLD do these people look at themselves in the mirror? I just do NOT get it!

Jenn

[Roy]

65. Is this going to apply to mountain climbers????

How bout people exploring caves that gets trapped

Or is this just for those who choose to get their enjoyment by choosing to be too poor, too elderly, or too sick to leave an area after receiving last minute mandatory evacuation notice?

Yep, they should all be put away, then the incompetence of republican administrations who choose to leave people to die won't be so obvious.

I'll vote for that, who wouldn't???

[NEOBuckeye]

66. Heartless Bastard

And I thought Cheney's heart was rotten.

[Patsy Stone]

67. He also wants to shut down one of the Hurricane Center's

websites, or make it a pay-for play thing too, doesn't he? I think it was him.

If it was him, then, he won't tell you when they're coming, and you're gonna be penalized if you don't leave.

Well, that seems about on par. :puke:

[Gin]

69. Another thing.....lots of folks were either on SS/ unemployment

or welfare...it was the end of the month...no money left to go anywhere with. That added to the disaster. Go to hell Santorum.

[Coastie for Truth]

71. Rick wants to charge for NOAA wx reports, too

He is an insult to Pennsylvania (I am a Pennsylvanian - my pre-need plot is in Plum Boro).

As a former "Coastie" (US Coast Guard veteran) - and as a Red Cross Disaster Service volunteer -- there is no way a responder can "force" an adult to accept "rescue."

Oh well - what can you expect - bottom of the class at Dickinson Law School, took the Bar Exam several times before he passed.

[fortyfeetunder]

74. Oh wow, a candidate to replace O'Connor!

:sarcasm:
Last in his class in law school, a low-life senator. Considering Michael Brown's credentials, he'd be a perfect candidate to replace Sandra Day O'Connor!!!
sarcasm off.

[pitohui]

72. a tougher penalty than dying ?

rick, go back to what you're good at, box turtles are still fucking like box turtles last time i checked, right in my fucking back yard, i have photos

ok, hate to say it, but the constitution needs to be amended such that if a senator is elected who is a total fuckwad, then the rest of the states should have the right to vote him off the island

forgive the language

i have lost someone (confirmed & buried), and i am still missing someone

rick santorum can go blow

no man without a heart or a soul should be allowed to be a senator

period

[really annoyed]

73. God, what an a**!!!

I'm so sick of this guy.

[blue neen]

75. Rick Santorum is the anti-Christ.

He has the unmitigated NERVE to say that these people need penalties???!! OMG! Meanwhile, he has been SCREWING the taxpayers of Pennsylvania and Penn Hills School District by having them pay to cyber-school his children while they live in Virginia.

You know what...there is no penalty that is tough enough for this man.
There are no words to describe how utterly useless he is. I'm absolutely apoplectic right now because I didn't think that it was possible to despise him more.

But now I do.

I will work around the clock on Casey's campaign next year. I will do anything to rid our state and this country's Senate of this hater.

[tabasco]

80. Santorum knows exactly what he is doing.

He is pandering to his racist base.

An utterly disgusting POS.

I support harsh penalties for corrupt politicians that destroy great nations.

[Barkley]

92. I agree; he wants to punish/ hurt black people.

That's what people do when they are out of control of their emotions of fear -- lash out.

Has he recommended increasing the penalty/ fines against firms that price gouge in a disaster/crises?

[Tight_rope]

81. Ignorance is a disease...and Senator Rick Santorum has a serious

case of it.

[pokercat999]

84. There is no such thing as justice in america

there may be however....revenge

[Sacajawea]

85. And I want a penalty for Santorum...Just because he exists.

Which I wish he didn't.

[Carolab]

86. Rick S. should pay FINES for having his kids in out-of-state schools.

Piece of shit.

[stickdog]

87. Great idea. I think we also need to charge all Iraqis for making

us invade them.

And the Red Cross needs to imprison all starving people for living where there's not food.

What's weird is that Rick never struck me as Swift before.

[Barkley]

88. I just know he'd never say this nonsense if the victims were white

Of course I can't prove it. Good observation about the being charged to be 'rescued'. California charges for some rescue services now.

[NYC]

93. We already paid for the rescue. Taxpayers funded Homeland Secuity

and Homeland Security's FEMA. Why should people pay twice? The purpose of Homeland Security is to protect America and Americans. They failed. Can we have our money back?

[magellan]

90. Just another reminder that Santorum and the rest of the Repugs

...haven't got a clue -- nay, they completely fail to care -- what it's like NOT to be them: well off, white, and sanctimonious to the point that one wonders if they fart angel dust.

Ricky boy seriously needs to unstuff himself and try being human. Just once.

[Princess Turandot]

91. Ever notice how close his name is to the word "sanatorium"..

I think of that every time I hear his name, as in one for the chronically insane.

[barb162]

105. no, but thanks for pointing it out, Can we called him Senator

Sanatorium

[Coventina]

95. Lower than the scum growing in the kitchen sink of a bad housewife

:mad:

[Patiod]

96. doesn't Matthew 25 suggest "fining the hungy, the poor, the naked"

Just emailed Santorum's office - with my correct email, phone, address, etc. with a rant about this.

Yeah, he's a Christian.

[Megahurtz]

97. What a Fucking Kook.

I hate this guy.:grr:

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

98. Santorum stuck his foot in his mouth after walking the cow pasture

What a fucking idiot.
:banghead:

[Name removed]

99. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[progmom]

104. wow. are you a truly evil person?

or do you just play one on TV?

[RaRa]

100. Evil wump ass shit

I had the stomach flue recently and I thought that I was such a baby. I mean, vomiting is the nastiest thing in my protective little world - I could of cried. So, I've thought about that recently, thinking, what if I had been like that in NO at the time of Katrina? There's no fucking way I would have moved 2 feet from my room, let alone leave the city. So what about folks who were feeling like shit? Huh, Ricky? They CHOSE to stay? You are our one PATHETIC excuse for a human being.

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RaRa]

103. Bye you equally evil piece of shit

freeper

[osaMABUSh]

101. I'm so glad I live in PA so I can help get this slime out of office

But it bothers that we share the same alma mater, Penn State.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

106. I heard a story about a blind woman who didn't leave

because they wouldn't let her take her guide dog.

And how about the ones who haven't left because they don't want the government (specifically, assholes like Senator Sanctimonius) from swiping their property from them?

Just keep talking, jerk. Show the people what kind of slimy scum you're really made of.

[antonialee839]

107. Hopefully, we will finally vote this ratbag out of office.

[niallmac]

108. Add 'extortionists' to the list of volunteers needed urgently.n/t

[niallmac]

109. Rick is so consistently stupid he tends to draw a crowd. n/t