by Christopher Tidmore
There is a word in politics for Senator David Vitter’s newly discovered opposition to President Obama’s FEMA-director, MENDACITY.
It encompasses all of the emotions of the blockage of Craig Fugate nomination to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) just weeks before the advent of Hurricane season. It is an expression beyond audacity, beyond reasonableness, beyond belief.
Vitter’s opposition cannot be the simple beast of Washington Partisanship for Fugate served with the distinction as Emergency Preparedness Director under Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, preparing an emergency response through four different Hurricanes.
Fugate is the GOP anti-Brownie.
Vitter’s fellow Republican Senator Mel Martinez (Fla.) was quoted by the Tampa Tribune saying it was “dangerous politics for a Republican from storm-ravaged Louisiana to be holding up the FEMA chief just three weeks before hurricane season starts.”
“‘He needs to be in there,’” Martinez said. “‘Some people utilize (the nominations) process as a way of making a point, or getting attention.’”
Ostensibly the attention Vitter claims that he desires is towards unfunded reconstruction liabilities that FEMA owes from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. However, Vitter’s move will do nothing more than block a worthy nominee well into Hurricane season. At that time, such a nominee might have other things to worry about than the 300 million dollars owed toward Charity Hospital.
He might be a slightly bitter, Vitter.
“I can assure you that this isn’t about politics,” Sen. David Vitter wrote in an e-mail complaining about the Obama administration’s handling of his inquires about FEMA on Thursday. Yet, if one clicked on the “PUTTING LOUISIANA FIRST” logo embedded right next to that quote in the mail, he or she would have been whisked away to the David Vitter for U.S. Senate website, which says: “We need your help in order to win this campaign.”
“Support David by making a contribution today,” the homepage invites right next to a “DONATE” button. Vitter is up for reelection next year, as the political website Politico noted in a tremendous understatement.
They quoted White House spokesman Nick Shapiro’s comments Thursday night: “President Obama has followed through on his promise to put politics aside by tapping Craig Fugate, who was originally appointed by [former] Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to lead FEMA. With hurricane season three weeks away, Fugate’s stellar record and bipartisan support deserve Senate confirmation—not partisan posturing from a Louisiana senator who should know better.”
When the nomination was announced, Jeb Bush said, “Kudos to President Obama for a great choice.” U..S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) was quoted as saying Obama “couldn't have chosen a better FEMA director.”
All Joel DiGrado, a Vitter spokesperson, could fire back with was: "Sen. Vitter is using every means of communication available to explain his reasons for holding the FEMA nominee to Louisianans - namely the more than 70 days it has taken FEMA to make a policy decision that affects people recovering from storms that hit almost four years ago. If anyone is politicizing this, it is the [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee] and the administration."
For DiGrado to claim that his boss is not “politicizing” this nomination constitutes the essence of Mendacity. As Porn Star Stormy Daniels transverses the state reminding the public of Vitter’s sexual transgressions, the Senator is simply seeking to change the subject—and raise a little money from core GOP contributors motivated to write a check every time someone says ‘No’ to the Obama Administration.
Senator, let Fugate go before the confirmation process, and then ask your questions. You might get a better response for your constituents that way. Of course, that would require another vocabulary word--HUMILITY.
Christopher Tidmore hosts The Political Roundtable on KKAY 1590 AM Donaldsonville/Baton Rouge from 4-5 PM weekdays. His past columns for this year can be found at
