Oliver Willis has the list of the 11 GOP representatives who are a bit too keen on the drowning part. All 11 voted against sending an aid package to Katrina victims:
Rep. Joe Barton – TX
Jeff Flake – AZ
Virginia Foxx – NC
Scott Garrett – NJ
John Hostettler – IN
Steve King – IA
Butch Otter – ID
Ron Paul – TX
James Sensenbrenner – WI
Tom Tancredo – CO
Lynn Westmoreland – GA
I never thought Sensenbrenner and Tancredo could prove themselves to be more horrible congressmen than I thought they were–but I stand corrected.
Hostetller has always faced tough races for re-election. Of the rest of the dirty near-dozen, Foxx and Garrett are the only ones to get under 60% in their 2004 races. Someone should hang this albatross over their neck and make them pay.
Meanwhile, Tapped points out that President Bush has suspended minimum wage requirements for Katrina reconstruction efforts, arguing that it will “increase the cost to the federal government.” Given “past experience,” shall we say, hiring Haliburton will undoubtedly “increase the cost” as well, but that’s a-okay. Higher prices are only a big deal when the money might go to poor working class laborers. If it flows to major corporations–by golly, it’s the free market at work!