Questionable Priorities?

Yesterday I saw Obama on TV at his newsconference announcing his prayers and support for the people of Haiti. It was well spoken, and I thought wow, this guy is actually acting like the President. Then, in a casual small blurb at the end of the NBC news story reporting his comments, this came out ...

Obama spent almost all of yesterday in an 8 hour meeting with Congressional Democrat leaders, behind closed doors in the White House, strategizing on how best to ram through Obamacare. His newsconference, and his short updates from staff on the situation in Haiti, apparently occurred when the group took breaks from their plotting.

So here, we have the President spending almost the entire day buried in partisan politics rather than responding to a huge disaster affecting hundreds of thousands of people. This same President wants us to believe he is dedicated to the relief of Haiti - that his top priority is their relief from suffering.

Remember all the flack that Bush's administration got for not responding to Katrina quickly enough? Remember all the flack he got personally from the left for not being on scene immediately? Where are those same people today, when Obama decides his legacy of Obamacare is more worth his time than the people of Haiti?

One more note in reference to Haiti ...

We all know the incredible charity of the American people, and that our country will take the lead in relief and rebuilding efforts.

Where are all the socialist/communist worker's paradise countries in the effort? I don't recall seeing rescue teams or supplies being readied for shipment to Haiti from Cuba ... Venezuela ... Libya ... China ... Russia ... Vietnam ... North Korea ... not even from the peace loving people of Iran. Come to think of it, where have these Shangri-Las of the left been for any natural disaster? If you take the stance of the left in this country, that our evil capitalist society is greedy and will not help anyone else - the comrades of the Socialist world share everything equally and help their brothers whereever they are and whatever their need - then surely those aren't our military aircraft and ships that are speeding to Haiti with personnel and supplies - those aren't our billions of tax dollars that will be funneled to Haiti to rebuild it over the coming years. Must be Cuban ...

Update - OK, I have to apologize and amend my above statement. I heard on the news that Chinese relief assets were on their way by air to Haiti. My apologies to the PRC ....

Update II - Its now 72 hours since the earthquake. News reports from the capital city show widespread death and destruction, but no relief. News reports show aircraft landing constantly at the main airport, disgorging tons of relief supplies. A heart-wrenching report from an impromtu refugee camp 2 miles form the airport showed that absolutely no relief supplies were being delivered, in spite of its closeness of the mountain of them sitting at that airport. The problem is the logistics of distributing the supplies locally to where they are needed. Trucks, helicopters, people, heavy equipment ... all of this has to be in place before the aid can get to those who need it. Haiti is so poor that these needs cannot be provided locally - it all has to be brought it, and it takes time. Then you have the problem of security of those supplies and rescuers as they are distributed - there are already reports of gangs of armed young men roaming the streets - stealing, and looting whatever they feel they need to survive.

The Bush Administration was savaged after Katrina for the lack of relief to those who needed it for those first 72 hours after the levees broke. Granted, it was here in the US, but the basic logistical problems were there, and valid. There has been no comdemnation of the Obama Administration for its inability to get relief supplies into the hands of those who need it, 72 hours post-quake. Indeed, his response to the disaster is being praised as evidence of how much he cares.

I don't really have a problem with Obama's response to the disaster. The problems of responding quickly are huge. It's just a fact that in the first 2-3 days after a natural disaster, relief has to come from local sources. It takes time to mobilize, move people and equipment, and organize relief efforts.

My problem is how Democrats savaged Bush for exactly the same thing they are praising Obama for.

Update III - A semi-apology to Cuba. It seems they are allowing their airspace to be used for overflights by relief aircraft traveling to Haiti. Not much, but a lot more than I would have expected from them.

Update IV - The White House announced today that Obama will go to Mass. on Monday to campaign for Martha Oakley, who is in danger of losing 'Ted Kennedy's' Senate seat to her Republican challenger. Obamacare is more important to Obama than the people of Haiti.

OK, OK ... so by Monday there is not a lot he could do personally about Haiti that isn't already in motion by them. But imagine if you will, what would the press and the Democrats have done to Bush if he had taken a break in the middle of Katrina recovery efforts to do some partisan political campaigning?