Posted By:
Catherine Moy
Permalink

Democratic leaders are lining up to blame President Bush for the damage by fires ripping through Southern California and displacing more than 500,000 people.

First, Sen. Barbara Boxer said firefighters and others were ill equipped to handle the fires because President Bush deployed National Guard units and equipment to fight terrorists in Iraq.
Yet the truth on the ground tells a different story.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dismissed the criticism when questioned by an ABC News reporter, and praised the rapid deployment of fire crews and equipment across a region from north of Los Angeles to the Mexican border.

“Anyone that is complaining about the planes just wants to complain because there’s a bunch of nonsense,” he said. “The fact is that we could have all the planes in the world here - we have 90 aircraft here and six that we got especially from the federal government - and they can’t fly because of the wind situation.”

Next to take a swing at President Bush was California Democratic Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, who called Bush’s planned visit on Thursday a “public relations” move, according to Reuters

“I’ve got some doubt about the value of President Bush coming out here,” he told MSNBC’s “Hardball.” “I just hope ... he brings more than he brought to New Orleans.”

Garamendi also voiced concern that Bush’s trip could distract from firefighting efforts in southern California, where more than half million people have been driven from their homes.

Not every reporter was prepared to give Garamendi and the left-wing lynchmob blame Bush and the War in Iraq for more than $1 billion in fire loses, As Newsbusters.org reported, MSNBC reporter Tamrom Hall nailed Garamendi with the facts:

TAMRON HALL: President Bush is coming tomorrow and you told Hardball’s Chris Matthews that he did not need to come. Instead you’d rather have the National Guard back from Iraq. Chief of the National Guard, Lt. Gen. Steven Blum says that there are still 17,000 National Guardsmen in California right now and just 3,000 in Iraq. Would that have made a difference, and why did you make those comments?

No matter what Bush does – or fails to do – the Democrats are ready to politicize the disaster that has devastated thousands of lives and ended the lives of others. They apparently want to capitalize on the mistakes made in New Orleans, jut as liberals have done with the war in Iraq.

This fire has forced my people to evacuate their homes than any other disaster in California’s history. No politician should try to score points as people suffer and struggle to live in unbelievable conditions.

I am proud of all of the volunteers, firefighters, and Armed Forces personnel who have helped those in need. As for Garamendi, Boxer and anybody else politicizing the disaster, shame on you.

Our prayers are with those who’ve lost their homes, or are affected by the fire in any way. We thank our troops and firefighters who are fighting the brutal flames and caring for others.