Second most shocking comment on the hurricane

[im10ashus]

Right behind Babs atrocious comments, this one takes the cake!

Two shaky House incumbents, Democrat Melancon and Republican Boustany, hope response to hurricane rallies voters behind them. House Republican campaign chief Reynolds touts chance to market conservative social-policy solutions; Rep. Baker of Baton Rouge is overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."
Baker explains later he didn't intend flippancy but has long wanted to improve low-income housing.
http://blog.dccc.org/mt/archives/003475.html

[livetohike]

1. Improve low income housing?

These people know how to spin don't they? We need a list of all the dumb-ass comments being made by our elected officials.

[H5N1]

2. that is one seriously fucked up dude

[iamjoy]

3. Conservative Idiot Nomination?

There are just so many.

Actually, Barbara's comments were idiocy. These comments are idiocy, they are cruelty.

[im10ashus]

5. Someone needs to be fired. n/t

[bryant69]

4. So I take it Public Housing in New Orleans was particularly good?

Or maybe I'm not understanding.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Bridget Burke]

7. Probably not. But it won't be needed at all...

if they can keep the poor people from moving back.

Yuppies in quaint new housing are a much better tax base.

[northzax]

8. notoriously bad, actually

and there have been repeated efforts to clean it up. Maybe the chance to start over will help, who knows?

[bryant69]

16. But a public servant who says this might be an opportunity to fix it up

is reprehensible?

[Bridget Burke]

25. Did he say anything about building new, improved public housing?

Perhaps his legislative record shows him to be a crusader for affordable housing for all.

Or maybe he's just glad the poor are gone.

[The_Mule]

26. Yes, it is reprehensible

I'm surprised you can't see what's fucked up about the comment. He said "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans." Since the housing is now largely destroyed, I'm assumming that he was saying that is the way he thinks it should be. It sounds like he does not want any public housing at all. He also said "We couldn't do it, but God did." The only thing "God" has done so far is to destroy the housing, something that Rep. Baker hasn't yet been able to do. If that's being "cleaned up", then that is truly reprehensible.

Let's play a little game. I haven't yet looked up Rep. Baker's voting record on any kind of public housing assistance. But, based on his comments, I bet he hasn't voted for much public housing assistance. That's how sure I am of where he is coming with his comments. I'll be doing research to see where his record stands, and I'll post what I find.

[Baconfoot]

27. There is so much to attack this guy on if you look at his website.

He gets a D+ on my grading scale just going on information obtainable through that site. However, public housing initiatives is one area where he seems to have, if you believe his website, at least put in some effort to help improve the lives of people in his district and elsewhere.

I think the comment was just a sick joke.

[The_Mule]

28. I've been searching...

his voting record and public statements and have not yet found much about public housing. His actions do not seem to match his statement that he is passionate about public housing.

A sick joke, indeed.

Even though I didn't find much about public housing, I did find this little gem at http://www.vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=106072&keyword=&phrase=&contain=

Baker speaking on the floor:
"Mr. Speaker, it was just last year that the United States Congress acted to reform the flood assistance programs of this country to ensure that those who engaged in abusive practices and thereby were over assessing the program for repetitive flood losses would no longer avail themselves of that inappropriate opportunity."

<snip>

"The reason for this policy position is quite clear, the whole goal of the effort was to incent people to make changes necessary to their property so they would no longer call on the Federal Government for flood mitigation assistance."

To me, he seems to have a history of not wanting people to call on the Federal Government for help, a typical view of the current Republicans.

[jobycom]

6. What did Babs say? I've been out of contact lately.

[OregonBlue]

10. Don't remember exact wording but she said that those people in the

Astrodome were poor so "this is working out well for them".

[Dora]

13. On the radio show "Marketplace" she said

I'm not quoting verbatim but this is the gist of it...

They're underpriviliged anyways, so this is working out very well for them...

Spoken in the context of visiting evacueees at the Astrodome in Houston.

[malta blue]

24. Also, that is was a little scary that they wanted to stay in Texas. n/t

[Toots]

9. So destroying people's homes is an "improvement" in his eyes.

He needs to be grilled on what an "improvement" actually consists of. IMO it does not consist of destruction of one's home..no matter how low income (think black) that person may be..

[txaslftist]

11. Izzat on tape?

What a great clip for a campaign commercial that'd be.

[OregonBlue]

12. Let's get this to Keith as the "worst person in the world".

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

30. Unfortunately, he's pre-empted tonight by the big concert

As for Baker's remark, all I can say is...

:wow: :wtf: :wow: :wtf: :wow: :wtf: :wow:

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Yo! Livin' Large in Your New Crib

Via this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4710667

[The_Mule]

29. Babs to victims:

"Word to all my nizzles in the Astrodizzle!"

[Lucille]

15. Sorry, I disagree. I put this one ahead of Bab's remark

The former first lady is a heartless witch, but she doesn't make policy. Baker does, and he was likely surrounded by like-minded power-brokering lobbyists who agreed with what he said.

Don't get me wrong; they should all rot.

[im10ashus]

17. I will have to agree with you on this one.

For a policy maker to make such an egregious statement goes beyond the pale.

[katinmn]

18. "Cleaned up public housing"

This flippant remark is a direct slap on all those who lots their homes and their lives.

Whoever owns this Congresscritter better fire the monster.

[EFerrari]

19. This isn't the first time I've seen this horribleness.

Our racist federal government has encouraged every local white racist in the area to preen and repeat the same sentiment.

[im10ashus]

21. It's just amazing what levels they will sink to.

Kanye West may go down in history as the first person to call * out for what he really is.

[Dees]

20. Sewer babble from a member of the Enemies of the People Party

[sandnsea]

22. "$2,000 handout"

This has got to be up there too, "That’s a lot of money. The question is how do you separate the needy from those who just want a $2,000 handout." Frank Murkowski

Everybody won't get this money because some will opt for "a cruise ship where all of their needs are going to be met." Uh, yeah, for $32,000 a PERSON.

Where's the potential abuse again?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9241177

[Shadoobie]

23. Long wanted to improve? Yea, sure.

This should be easy to check. What bills did he vote for that would have provided funding to support this area? What amendments did he try to get added on? Etc.

They could have probably improved the entire delta area for less than half of the cost of this disaster. What a POS.

And God wanted to wipe out the poor or black or both? Aaaarrrggghhh!!!!

Greg