Thin Skin
By Mary Ann Akers
Roll Call Staff
September 21, 2005

To be a successful Member of Congress, two things you must have are a tough hide and a tight lip. But Rep. Scott Garrett’s (R-N.J.) skin appears to be somewhere between a newborn baby’s bottom and a puppy’s belly, and his lip is about as loose as the streets of Las Vegas, judging from his reaction to a recent letter to the editor published in New Jersey’s Express-Times newspaper.

http://www.rollcall.com/pub/51_26/hoh/10580-1.html

You have to be a paying member to read the whole article. Somebody is faxing it to me, I’ll try to transcribe some more of it when it comes. It will be on my new Kos diary:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/21/14620/0742

Garrett practices miserly politics

Kudos to Erik Anderson, who in a Sept. 11 letter questioned the priorities of U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett. There is absolutely no excuse for Garrett to vote against the Katrina relief bill. He can rationalize it anyway he wants, but the fact is the congressman is pathologically opposed to spending a penny on anything that might upset his “government-as-miser” politics.

Those of us in Warren County remember that Garrett lamely took undeserved credit for getting the federal government to help after last year’s Delaware River flood — and it did take him a while even to visit the stricken areas. The congressman was of no help to Belvidere and other areas which received no relief from Washington, D.C.

Based on Garrett’s inaction after our own disasters, is it any surprise how he has reacted to Katrina?

BRIAN D. SMITH

Belvidere

http://www.nj.com/letters/expresstimes/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1127207301102230.xml&coll=2&thispage=3

The 30 Homeland Security Department investigators and auditors are part of what officials call an unprecedented effort to ensure federal funds are properly distributed in a rescue, relief and rebuilding process expected to exceed $100 billion.

When I worked for the IRS, about 15 Revenue Agents were responsible for auditing about 1/3 of Manhattan Island…

You don’t seriously think that 30 auditors are going to oversee the distribution of $50 billion dollars ($1.4 b each) over an area that runs from eastern Alabama to western Louisiana?

Right behind them will the usual bloated caravanserai (”We didn’t expect this kind of a caseload!”) supplies, equipment. Then the temporary buildings, followed by the permanent buildings. You think they’ll name one or two after Huey Long, or maybe Robert “Sheets” Byrd.

The article you quoted says the amount to be spent is anticipated to go to $100 billion, already. How high do you think figure will go by, say, next June?

I really wish there was a lot of help going to those, poor devastated people , but I just know it won’t. It never does.

You’re right, I’m not going to answer, but you haven’t got a clue as to why.

Guess that makes you… clueless.

I still can’t believe it even happened. Thanks for picking it up, Oliver. A friend forwarded me your blog post about the 11. That’s how I found out.

Erik Anderson

WASHINGTON — A team of investigators is being sent to the Hurricane Katrina-ravished Gulf Coast to follow the money _ namely, billions of dollars in relief aid the federal government is pouring into the region without normal contracting safeguards.

The 30 Homeland Security Department investigators and auditors are part of what officials call an unprecedented effort to ensure federal funds are properly distributed in a rescue, relief and rebuilding process expected to exceed $100 billion.

Did you have some other type of oversight in mind? Or was your reaction reflexive?

Why should I? This is not about Hannity or Limbaugh. I asked YOU a very simple question(s). Do you agree with Oliver’s assessment that these ‘no’ votes are akin to hating America? Others have said that when Kerry voted against the $87 billion for Iraq, it was akin to him “not supporting the troops” or “hating the military.” Do you agree with that assessment? If not, please explain the difference.

I don’t think that’s asking too much.

I have a feeling you’re not going to answer and I’ll give you three guesses why not. The first two don’t count.

Which “details” do I need to know to assure myself that you will listen to me?

We don’t live in a “post Katrina world”, young man… This is not, contrary to Oliver’s hysterical ravings, one of history’s pivotal moments.

See here:
http://www.sluggerotoole.com/archives/2005/09/ill_wind_may_no.php

He says it better than I can.

Jay, send an e-mail to powerline, to Dick Cheney, to Zell Miller, to Rush Limbaugh, to Shawn Hannity and to all pertinent others you can think of. Tell them that they were dead wrong to denigrate Kerry’s patriotism and support for the military on the basis of his appropriations votes. CC these letters to this discussion forum. * Then* I might tell you whether or not I disagree with Oliver on this point.

New rules for Republicans: we don’t apologize for whacking you with rebar unless you apologize for whacking us with rebar FIRST.

In other words: if you want everybody to get along, then you’ve got to play nice. Just asking us to play nice is not playing nice.

Scratch: my apologies for offending your delicate sensibilities.

And this is why you’re not worth paying attention to. Seriously, in this “post Katrina world,” do you really think that “I’m not into details” is going to remind people of anything other than an inept uninformed man who has no idea of what’s going on outside his bubble?

What kind of person says, “I’m not into details”? Truly, the mind boggles.

Thanks for the link. An interesting irony is that pretty much the only political blog I read is…this one.

Since you backed up your statement at my request, I’ll overlook your gratuitous and baseless personal attack on me.

Of course, like these Congressmen (save for Flake), his explanation didn’t hold much water when considering what he voted for prior to that without asking for tax cut rollbacks.

Wilbur, I am guessing you feel that it was wrong for people to accuse John Kerry of “hating the military” because of his ‘no’ vote on that $87 billion. Do you agree with Oliver that these ‘no’ votes are akin to “hating America?” If so, why would you support that view, but not the view of Kerry hating the military?

But here’s just one example, found in two seconds on google:

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/006652.php

And of course thousands of others were pretty much saying the same thing even if they didn’t use those specific words. If you really don’t remember that then it is time you saw your friendly neighborhood neurologist.

To be fair, I don’t recall *anyone* on the right claiming that Kerry hated the military. If you had some verifiable quotes, it might jog my memory.

did he hate the military,

My guess is he knows Dick Cheney.