Santorium blames National Weather Service for Katrina Damage

[LynneSin]

Boy do those lobbyists at Accu-Weather sure have Ricky-boy deep in their pockets. As you all know, Mr. Santorum wants to make deep cuts to the National Weather Service (which is run by the government) in order to favor his friends at pay-site Accu-Weather (major Santorum contributors).

This comment is just OOZING with sleaze because you know Santorum wants to find every excuse possible to eliminate the free NWS in favor of paying for Accu-weather

http://witf.org/temps/FM/news1.shtml

Santorum has critical words for forecasters in the wake of Katrina 09/09/2005
Damon Boughamer
(Washington) -- U.S. Senator Rick Santorum is suggesting that early mistakes in predicting the path of Hurricane Katrina may be a symptom of lost focus at the National Weather Service. Santorum, who introduced legislation earlier this year to curb the output of government weather forecasters, says tracking life-threatening weather must be central to what the agency is doing.

http://witf.org/temps/FM/00150_tcorbett2.mp3

Asked about Katrina by WITF, Santorum described weather service warnings for Florida, where the storm first made landfall, as “not sufficient." Santorum’s bill instructs the government to abandon weather prediction and data reporting efforts that duplicate private-sector activity. He came under fire when it was revealed that the head of State College-based AccuWeather, which would benefit, has given his campaigns thousands of dollars.

[FightingIrish]

1. So will we have a faith-based weather service?

[noonwitch]

5. The 700 Club sometime does that

Remember when Pat prayed a hurricane away from the east coast/Virigina Beach?

Just when I thought a politician couldn't be dumber than W, Santorum has to open his mouth.

[JHB]

12. Do I remember? I was where it hit!

That was Gloria, and the eye passed over my house.

We had some luck in that it hit at low tide, so flooding was minimized, but it was still a killer.

[politicaholic]

42. So I take it Pat didn't find God's ear that day?

And I thought Pat was God's buddy. I guess we should donate more to make him more "Godly".

[JHB]

44. Pat was only praying to save Virginia Beach...

...not the whole coast. And he didn't need Gloria to think that his prayers were better than those of Jews, Catholics, and assorted non-evangelical Christians a little ways outside New York.

[JuniperLea]

2. Funny how so many people took it seriously

and was able to gleen the danger level from their reports!

Yeah, it's everyone's fault but Chimpy McNutJob's!

[BlueJac]

3. I thought he would blame the .....

American family and it's deterioration!

[LynneSin]

7. Rick Santorum and Accuweather: Read it and Puke!

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=795841&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Critics Question Timing of Santorum Bill
Critics Question Timing of AccuWeather Donation, Santorum's Weather Service Bill

WASHINGTON May 27, 2005 — Two days before Sen. Rick Santorum introduced a bill that critics say would restrict the National Weather Service, his political action committee received a $2,000 donation from the chief executive of AccuWeather Inc., a leading provider of weather data.

The disclosure has renewed criticism of the measure, which Santorum, R-Pa., maintains would allow the weather service to better focus on its core mission of getting threatening weather info out in a "timely and speedy basis."

Opponents say the bill would endanger the public by preventing the dissemination of certain weather data, and force taxpayers to pay for the data twice. The bill would prevent the weather service from competing for certain services offered by the private sector.


AccuWeather, based in State College, Pa., provides weather data to a variety of outlets, including media organizations such as The Associated Press.

[rodeodance]

4. sanrorium is citing little green people on Mars also.

[tanyev]

6. Whaaa?

The National Weather Service got it absolutely right. What is he talking about?

[ewagner]

18. Correct!

The forcast track 24 hours before landfall was off BY ONLY 30 MILES!

That's pretty damned good....!

[Skidmore]

8. Santorum is the even eviler twin

of my brother-in-law, obviously separated at birth. Looks like him, talks like him, similar gestures, just as clueless and sanctimonius and mean spirited.

[Pathwalker]

9. That lying sack of ten day old SHIT!

Max Mayfield briefed Bush, Chertoff, Brown, Nagin and Blanco TWO DAYS BEFORE THE STORM HIT. Maz Mayfield TOLD THEM to expect TOTAL DISASTER!!
Pennsylvanians - this male is a blight upon this nation - fire him!!!

[cdb]

10. I am trying to fire him, believe me!!

The asshat keeps sending me letters after I send him emails ripping him apart!!

[Pathwalker]

23. You have a very beautiful state, but that POS

casts a dismal shadow on your otherwise great state - please tell everyone you know what a NATIONAL embarrassment he is - please!
And keep up the good work!

:hi:

[LynneSin]

30. That piece of shit needs to be sent packing home.....TO VIRGINIA

That asshat doesn't even live in PA.

I think the democratic candidate should use that NWS warning that was dead on and combine it with Santorum trying to blame the NWS

This is important campaigning information. If Rick has it his way, news sites wouldn't be able to get free information from the NWS but required to pay for the much costlier stuff like Accuweather.

Fuck you RIck and the dog you rode on!

[LynneSin]

11. I'm boycotting local news channels that use Accuweather

I know that not all of them use it, but in the future I'm making it a point to watch only news stations that use services other than Accuweather!

[Zynx]

13. The track of Katrina's landfall was actually pretty dead on.

[Halliburton]

14. I used to check accuweather a lot

but after they began lobbying for Santorum, I stopped checking their site for weather updates. NWS will have to do.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. I just link their weather maps and images without the advertising

[NightOwwl]

15. That is such a lie (surprise!)

Did you see Brian Williams on TDS last night? He said the weather service was trying desperately to notify people how serious the hurricane was. Said the wording was so intense, he and other reporters had to make sure it wasn't a joke before they put it on the air. Complete and utter devasation, huge loss of life...this was all predicted by the weather service.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

16. hahahaha...

My husband cracked up at this one. He also added that probably Jim Cantore is the head of this conspiracy because "Did you ever notice that he always seems to be right where the storm is going?" Very suspicious!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. Now the Republicans Piss Off another set of hard working Fed Employees.

They already got the FEMA Employees Union President speaking out against the Bush Floodgate Scandal.

[theHandpuppet]

19. People of Pennsylvania!!!

For god's sake will you all rise up en masse and toss that raving lunatic out of office!!!!

[Norquist Nemesis]

He missed the memo about Bush getting a briefing?

What a tool. :eyes:

[htuttle]

20. Well, gosh. What did the NWS actually say before the hurricane?

Here's an excerpt from Sunday, 8/28:

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...

HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER.

AT LEAST HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED...ALL WINDOWS WILL BE BLOWN OUT.

THE VAST MAJORITY...OF TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

Well, about all the weather forecaster forgot to add was 'RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! RUN FOR YOUR FUCKING LIVES!!!!!', but I'm not sure that would be appropriate for an official NWS report.

[kitkat65]

27. I want to see Santorum's stupid little face rubbed into this one. n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. Santorum produces another Frothy Mixture of Foul Nonsense.

[Jacobin]

24. The people of PA elected this asshat?

my gawd

[redqueen]

25. What an idiot... they did a great job...

Is it possible the republicans who believe this crap are actually getting stupider with each passing day?

I've talked to a few around here... lots of facts are just met with silence these days, instead of idiotic talking points...

Is it possible the GOP leaders have lowered the bar a little too far?

[OldCurmudgeon]

26. 9/11 and Iraq and....?

One of the big reasons that we mere citizens couldn't get any accoutability after the horrible failures of 9/11 and the Iraq WMD fiasco was that much of the information was shrouded in official secrecy.

Well, everyone knew what was going on with Katrina. You could follow the storm progess hour by hour. It doesn't take a degree in international relations to understand flooding.

So now little Ricky is going to do his best to keep that weather information "secure". Oh yes, can't have the common folk able to cry foul when Shrubbie gets up on his hind legs and says stuff like "nobody could have known that the levees would fail".

This, from a bunch of bozos that have been saying "those people in New Orleans should have known how bad a storm it would be". The dim bulb occupying the white house couldn't figure it out, but the people living in poverty, without a degree from Yale and a Harvard MBA, were supposed to have the hurricane and its consequences all figured out. Right.

The sad thing is, most of the people trapped in New Orleans probably did have it figured out. They just couldn't do anything about it.

Rick Santorum: Poster Child for the Brain-Dead

[hunter]

28. Rick Santorium licks his balls

As George Carlin says: "...and the dog is licking his balls! and nobody mentions it. spectacular thing going on. if i could reach i'd never leave the house, man, are you kidding?

[FreedomAngel82]

29. What the hell???

Brian Williams last night on the Daily Show saying they got an alert on his blackberry about the hurricane from someone with the weather service.

[pointblank]

31. We need to keep a CLOSE eye on

this Santorum fella.

Very dangerous man he is. Must NOT let him get anymore power. Fundies like him are as dangerous as an Islamic extremist IMO.

He strikes me as the type of guy that would chain his daughter to the radiator after her day of home schooling, give her random beatings for her inevitable 'impure thoughts' while reading bible verses to her.


edited for sp

[Lindacooks]

32. Oh my God, my head is going to explode. Who will they blame next?

The Tooth Fairy? Santa Claus? The Interstate road system? Soybean farmers?

[zbdent]

33. So, can the Government charge for

use of the US-funded satellites which were put into orbit?

I'd like to see Accu-Weather (plus a bunch of these other satellite using companies) try to work without the fed funding the launches . . .

I don't recall many rockets shot into space privately funded . . .

[htuttle]

34. It's their old, time-tested strategy

Socialize the costs and risks, but privatize the profits and benefits.

[ComerPerro]

35. So this is related to that crap he pushed earlier

that would make weather forecasting a for-profit venture?

These sleazebags are disgusting.

[sinkingfeeling]

36. Did you hear Brian Williams (?) last night on the Daily Show tell

Jon that they received the most dire warnings about the strength of the storm across their Blackberries Sunday & Monday morning? People we have to rid the Senate of these corporatists!

[tsuki]

37. He is the most self-righteous piece of corruption since, since,

since...ahhhh...Tom DeLay.

[politicaholic]

38. I love Santorum, he's such a barrel of monkeys...

How someone so incredibly stupid could retain a healthy political career and become a man of power is really an amazing story of triumph. Really really stupid triumph.

[NNadir]

41. Actually it's a pretty bad comment on Pennsylvannia, no triumph.

I contemplated moving to that state last year, and I have also contemplated locating a business there.

One thing that prevented both choices was looking at who the fuck one of their senators was.

[politicaholic]

43. That was a good decision...

but heck, if you donated to Rick's campaign he might come and do some light janitorial for you.

[paineinthearse]

39. Nominated

Please, Pennsylvania, vote this scum out of office!

[Vinca]

40. When will Santorum realize that the public would be best served

if he took a job in the paint department at Home Depot instead of what he's doing now?

[RiDuvessa]

45. I have no idea how he can say that with a straight face.

Even at 48 hours out they were pretty much dead-on accurate. The only thing that saved NO was a last minute jog East.