Republican Rep. Proves He Doesn't Care About 9/11 Victims

Yesterday the American people (via C-SPAN) were allowed to see the true heartlessness that exists within the Republican party when concerning the victims of the attacks that happened on September 11th, 2001. The terrible tragedy that occurred here in Lower Manhattan was unlike any other, yet a few short years later those Republicans who wanted to bring hell on anyone connected to it could care less about those that gave their health to help rescue people trapped in the Pile.

From The NY Daily News:

Congressional efforts to take care of sick Ground Zero workers hit a snag Tuesday when a powerful Republican insisted it's New York's problem alone.

California Rep. Darrell Issa, in refusing to send more money New York's way, insisted the planes that struck the twin towers weren't weapons.

"It simply was an aircraft, residue of two aircraft, and residue from the materials used to build this building," Issa said during a hearing into whether a new 9/11 victims' compensation fund should be launched.

An astounded Michael Cardozo, Mayor Bloomberg's corporation counsel, who was testifying before the panel said: "This was an attack, I believe, on the United States of America."

"It was located at Ground Zero, but it was an attack on America," Cardozo repeated.

Yeah it was an attack on America and the fact that Issa doesn't want to help those that gave so much on that day and those that followed it is a testament to the man's character. The men and women who are permanently injured from breathing in that toxic soup some tried to call air was full of dangerous particles that have decimated the lungs of hundreds of workers. Moreover, they were lied to about the quality of the air by the EPA, which by the way is a Federal agency and the government should must take responsibility for that by making sure these heroes get the care and respect they deserve.

DN's Nichols Confuses The President For Congress Over 9/11 First Responder Funding

Adam Nichols of the NY Daily News wrote a story about 9/11 first responders' quest to protest for adequate funding for their illnesses. For the most part the account consisted of interviews with those that were injured due to their heroic actions after the WTC fell. He included statements from family members of those that were killed. That wasn't the problem, it was his confusion over what the White House looks like and Capitol Hill.

Here is the troubling part:

"We want to implore our new President to make 9/11 health care an issue," said John Feal, a Ground Zero volunteer whose foot was crushed by an 8-ton steel beam.

His FealGood Foundation, set up to draw attention to the health problems of Ground Zero workers, organized the trip after Congress cut health care funding by 77%.

Only $25 million has been budgeted for 2009, down from $108 million this year, he said.

Um no, it wasn't Congress that cut the budget by 77 percent, it was the White House. In fact, the New York delegation advocated for fully funding the program at over $200 million dollars. Then the President took the advice and spit in the face of our heroes.

I agree that the protesters need to talk to members of Congress to ensure that the program gets fully funded. Though if there is anyone that needs waving signs and chants in front of their office or home, its President Bush.

Heroes In The Audience Tonight, To Bush, They're Zeroes

For the third time, Marvin Bethea will be in the audience for George Bush's State of the Union address. Thankfully to him, it will be George's last. Bethea was a paramedic based in Queens when he rushed Ground Zero to help people in one of our nation's worst disasters. Now he is taking several medications a day and is sick and tired of how the President neglects him and all the 9/11 responders who have become ill after breathing the toxic air of Lower Manhattan following the collapse of the Twin Towers.

From The Daily News:

"I'm fed up with how we're treated," said Bethea, saying he now takes 12 medications daily and still has trouble getting adequate health care. "They went from calling us heroes to treating us like zeros."

Ground Zero volunteer John Feal was even more blunt in skewering the White House.

"You got $3 billion a month to kill people," Feal said. "You got $3 billion a year for health care."

On the eve of Bush's speech, 9/11 responders, union leaders and elected officials gathered at Ground Zero Sunday to blast the White House for recently yanking a contract for ailing 9/11-responder care.

"They just don't want to spend the money," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan), whose district includes Ground Zero. "They'd rather see these people die."

The apathy of the White House is sad, but unfortunately true. Bush loved to use the true heroes of 9/11 for his own quest for war but now that they need his help he refuses to give it. He rejected spending extensions for clinics that care for the rescue workers. Tonight, when he talks about what he wants Congress to pass, perhaps he could change his mind about people like Marvin Bethea and John Feal, but we already know he won't.

The People That Rudy Doesn't Care About

Even though he is just about finished in the Presidential race, we should not forget how he treated 9/11 workers and especially how he exploited the tragedy for his own gain. Tell Rudy to meet with these heroes now!

Sagging Giuliani Returns To His Greatest Weakness

As Giuliani sinks in the polls and his dream to be supreme dictator President gets more distant from reality by the day, the former Mayor is pulling out all the stops to remind voters to be afraid of terror so that somehow they will think of him as a national savior. Of course we know he is the farthest thing from it, but that won't stop his latest ads that include a "noun, a verb and 9/11."

From RawStory:

As Giuliani steadies himself for expected defeats in next month's early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, where he's hardly campaigned, he is launching the new ad to remind voters of his most prominent legacy. In the ad, he compares the police and firefighters at Ground Zero to the "Greatest Generation" of World War II veterans, plenty of whom are now retired and living in Florida -- another key early-state primary Giuliani is resting much of his hopes on winning.

"During the day of September 11, living through the things that I saw and observed. Immediately, when I saw people helping each other. I saw the picture of the firefighters putting the flag up at ground zero," the Giuliani says in the TV commercial. "I said these are the children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren of the greatest generation. They have the same resolve. The same understanding."

The ad starts Friday and is scheduled to run on nationally on cable's Fox News Channel. It also will air in New Hampshire, and, for the first time, Giuliani will expand his advertising to Florida. He has made that state a priority but his monthslong double-digit lead in that state's polls has narrowed as rival Mike Huckabee gained ground.

As RawStory notes, William "The Bloody" Kristol slammed the ad on Fox News as much of the Democratic establishment has done for quite some time now. Kristol is one to talk, but I have no problem with anyone beating Rudy over the head with his ridiculous campaign theme of "9/11, 9/11, 9/11."

Oh and of course some of those firefighters have a thing or two to tell Rudy about what really went down before, during and after the towers fell on that September day.

The Senate Throws Some Change At 9/11 Workers

Fifty-five million dollars is a lot to the average person but not much at all when we are talking about helping the brave men and women that worked on the pile after September 11th. The Senate voted to add that sum to the $50 million already appropriated. Sure, its great to have any money at all, but is that the way we should treat our heroes?

From The Daily News:

The measure encourages the development of long-term solutions to screen and treat everyone affected by the post-9/11 risks.

Health problems suffered by the thousands who were affected range from asthma to posttraumatic stress.

"The message of this vote is clear," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). "America is here for you in your time of need."

That message sounds very un-clear to me. When we are talking about settling lawsuits in the billion dollar range, $55 or $105 million just isn't that much. That billion dollar lawsuit wouldn't even cover all the costs that these heroes-turned-victims endure on a monthly basis. With a war that will cost at least $2.4 TRILLION dollars, why can we not spare the one or two billion that these people need to get by?

And another thing, will George Bush even sign that bill for $55 million?