Tornado Photo: Garden Hose in a Tree

Evolution of Man

That man evolved from certain lower primates is proved beyond doubt. Several fossils of prehuman, sub-human and cohuman fossils are discovered in several parts of the world. The antiquity of man is 1 lakh to 20 lakhs – depending upon whom one considers as exactly human as our imagination permits. Since evolution is evolution, a sort of change but no sudden or spontaneous creation, we cannot exactly pin point where an individual in the process of evolution is man and no longer subhuman. Africa, Asia, Europe abound in human fossils of various evolutionary levels. A fuller discussion on this would be quite rewarding and revealing but this is not the occasion.

Billy Long's bad week continues....

Billy Long recently told a group of constituents that he had received 1300 emails prior to his vote on the the debt ceiling and everyone one of them said don't raise the debt ceiling.

Billy Long was the subject of an article by Tom Appelbaum in the St. Louis Examiner: Joplin tragedy speaks to the role of government in safety and education:

Arguably, the primary functions of government should include educating the children and keeping people safe, as well as responding to emergencies. This concept would be challenged, however, with some of the recent actions by some members of congress. Congressman Billy Long from Missouri’s 7th district, Joplin’s congressional district, based his election campaign on the reduction of the role of government, saying that he was “FED-up” with the government.

He even went so far as to belittle the role of the tornado warning system and voted to cut funding for the National Weather Service, which could put the nation’s early warning weather alert system at risk. The irony that these statements and actions have, coming from that area’s Congressional Representative, is only matched by the callousness of House Speaker Eric Cantor’s insistence that federal disaster relief be tied to federal spending cuts.

Rick Ungar, writing for Forbes Magazine: Deadly Tornados Reveal The Failure Of Today’s Perverse GOP Ideology

Setting aside what most of us may feel about Congressman Cantor’s rather heartless engagement with this heartbreaking situation, it turns out that Joplin is represented in Congress by a Tea Party backed Republican named Billy Long – one of the angry freshmen elected to Congress on a platform of being ‘fed up’ with career politicians and who ran on the motto that he was “Tea Party before Tea Party was cool.”

So, what is a Tea Party Congressman – dedicated to smaller government and individual responsibility – to do when the very people who are hurt and in serious need of federal assistance are the same people who sent him to Congress in support of his uber-conservative beliefs?

In Long’s case, the answer -so far- has been to do nothing as he weighs his ideological commitment against the dramatic needs of his constituents and the political damage that might follow whatever decision he makes.

Oklahoma publication, Tulsa World, first reported that Long told them upon his arrival in his district following the disaster, that his first priority was ensuring that Joplin received speedy assistance from the federal government. However, upon learning of Cantor’s position on the subject, Long has clammed-up, refusing to say where he stands.

The Springfield News Leader, May 25, 2011: House majority leader: Don't let disaster funds add to growing deficit:

"Our deficit is not because we are taxed too little but because Washington spends too much," Long said. "I was sent to Washington to rein in wasteful government spending. While we need to look everywhere to make spending cuts, making sure our first responder, disaster relief, and national defense communities have the tools they need will always be a priority while I am in Congress."

In February 2011, Billy Long voted "Yea" on H.R. 1 (which passed) which CUT first responder funding, disaster relief funding, National Weather Service funding, advance natural disaster warning funding and on April 15, Billy Long voted "Yea" on the Paul Ryan budget bill which, along with killing medicare, also cut funding in the aforementioned areas.

Billy Long also is in support of extending the Bush tax cuts for the top % of our population.

Frequent bus riders know that Billy Long, the master of hyperbole and self promotion, know that Long's words ring hollow and don't match his votes.

Even as I write this piece, word is spreading across the internet that Long voted, again, to kill Medicare. Developing

Billy Long's terrible horrible week

This will be brief, I'm on the bus phone down in Rockaway Beach fixing toilets, flooded Rockaway Beach.

Billy Long had bad week. If you haven't read the Forbes piece, do a twitter search for Billy Long or @Auctnr1 -- there's a lot there. The rest of the country is rapidly finding out what frequent bus riders already know: Long is not a good fit for the job

When I get to a computer I'll fill you all in on the rest of the story.

Images of Billy Long in Joplin: Boots on the ground, hands in the pocket. No disrespect intended, Congressman Long,

but you should have answered your constituent's question.



No disrespect intended Congressman Long, but don't you think you should have answered this constituent's question? Billy Long refuses to answer questions about Eric Cantor's warning on federal help for Joplin.

While I was standing and watching Diane Sawyer live on ABC News’ evening broadcast from Joplin, I got a call from my brother, who informed me of Cantor’s comments. I confess I haven’t been following closely the national news, focusing rather on what has been happening in Joplin related to the tornado. So, I didn’t hear that Cantor had actually said what he said.

Across the street from St. John’s Medical Center, where ABC News was set up, was the site of a just-concluded press conference by the FEMA folks and local politicians—including our U.S. Congressman, Billy Long—updating progress on the post-tornado efforts. Naturally, I moved across the street and tried to find Mr. Long to ask him about Cantor’s ridiculous comments.

I found him.

Immediately—I could see it in his eyes—he recognized me as, I suppose, his local tormentor. I shook his hand and ask “Mr. Long” about Cantor’s comments, about what he thought about them, about whether we could expect federal money.

And instead of answering me, instead of telling me what he thought, he ignored me. He turned and walked away. My congressman, the man elected to represent me, simply walked away without a peep. Without a single bleeping word. Without answering whether the victims of this disaster in Joplin could expect federal help or whether they—meaning, really, President Obama and the Democrats—would have to fight the goddamn Republican leadership for it.

I’m pissed.

Long’s “handler,’ or whoever the aide was trailing him, rudely told me they would “look into it.” Damn right they had better look into it.

I found Wally Kennedy, the Joplin Globe news reporter who I had seen interviewing Long as I was making my way across the street, and I asked him if he had asked Long about Cantor’s comments. Kennedy, obviously and understandably preoccupied with local events, hadn’t heard about them and therefore hadn’t ask Long about what Cantor said.

Thus, Long wasn’t challenged, as far as I know.

Fifteen or twenty minutes later I saw Billy Long on CNN being interviewed by John King. Nothing about Cantor’s comments that I saw. Nothing about whether Billy Long will fight for federal funds to help rebuild this devastated city. Nothing.

And that had better change.

Billy Long voted to slash National Weather Service Budget which provides advance warning for tornadoes; suggests 'thoughts and prayers' instead.

On February 19, 2011, The Missouri delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 1, "Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011"

Their votes were as follows:

Missouri
Nay MO-1 Clay, William [D]
Yea MO-2 Akin, W. [R]
Nay MO-3 Carnahan, Russ [D]
Yea MO-4 Hartzler, Vicky [R]
Nay MO-5 Cleaver, Emanuel [D]
Yea MO-6 Graves, Samuel [R]
Yea MO-7 Long, Billy [R]
Yea MO-8 Emerson, Jo Ann [R]
Yea MO-9 Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R]

Billy Long's "Yea" vote on H.R. 1 included a $410 million budget cut for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Commerce Department agency that runs the National Weather Service. The service operates a nationwide network of weather monitoring stations intended to provide advance warning for natural disasters.

“The No. 1 mission of the National Weather Service is to save lives,” said Dan Sobien, president of the National Weather Service Employees Organization. “If you start deconstructing the early warning system, something is going to fall through the cracks.”

BILLY LONG VOTED TO CUT $450 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

On April 15, 2011, Rep. Billy Long (R MO) again voted "Yea" on the GOP 2012 Budget Plan aka the "KILL MEDICARE BILL" which included the following cuts which directly affect the nation's preparedness for natural disasters (like a tornado in Joplin):

$1.2 billion cut in funding for NOAA, the government agency with “primary responsibility for providing tsunami warnings to the nation, and a leadership role in tsunami observations and research.”

$1.5 billion cut in grants for first-responders to disasters of “mass destruction.”

12 percent cut to Emergency Management Planning Grants, which provide critical funds to help communities conduct “effective catastrophic all-hazards planning.”

Closure of local National Weather Service offices and a furlough of NOAA employees for more than 27 days at a time. The closures would essentially silence the government’s warning system during disasters.

Cuts in NOAA’s satellite maintenance budget, putting satellites out of commission more quickly and crippling the government’s ability to track tsunami wave patterns, hurricanes and even routine weather patterns.

Additional cuts to FEMA and the Coast Guard.

According to a Ocean Conservancy fact sheet obtained by ThinkProgress, at least a third of US GDP is concentrated in weather sensitive industries and the GOP’s cuts could leave large sectors of the economy vulnerable to natural disasters. The cuts would also deny daily weather information to more than 30 million Americans, and reduce the military’s access to weather information before combat missions.

Rep. Billy Long (R-MO) released a statement on Monday about the tornado that devastated Joplin, Missouri. The death toll from this storm has reached 117, according to authorities. Here is the full text of that statement:

Shock and disbelief best describe the reports from those fortunate enough to have survived the tornado in Joplin. It is comforting to see the strong response from our local, state, and federal authorities and to see the surrounding communities come together and offer assistance during this difficult time. Please keep the families who have lost loved ones and the Joplin community in your thoughts and prayers.

Yes, by all means, pray for these folks, Billy. But once you say your prayers, some of us would like to ask you if you still support Paul Ryan's budget, you know, the one you voted for on April 15, Remember that vote? I do. You were one of the 235 Republican representatives who voted for Ryan's budget bill which not only kills Medicare, but also slashes funding for FEMA, first responders, federal disaster recovery programs, and the National Weather Service..

So you can understand why I am more than a bit cynical when I read tweets like this: Representative Billy Long, "I was Tea Party before Tea Party was cool", has apparently been too busy shouting "FED UP" to acknowledge his own hypocrisy: he desperately needs the very programs he has been trying just as desperately to kill.

Of course, Billy is no stranger to hypocrisy. Hot diggity dog, remember his comments on Social Security and Medicare?

So Billy---you need to tell us: Do you still support slashing funding for FEMA? The National Weather Service? First Responders? Disaster Relief?

Your April 15 vote says you did, do you still?

And about extending those Bush tax cuts you are so much in favor of,,,,, what's it going to be? FEMA or extend Bush tax cuts? NWS or extend Bush tax cuts? First Responders or extend Bush tax cuts?

The people in Joplin need a heck of a lot more than your thoughts and prayers, Congressman, they are going to need money, and lots of it, regardless of what your buddy Eric is saying.

BTW, Billy, no disrespect intended, thoughts and prayers are nice, but tell that to the guy who's lost his house how your thoughts and prayers are going to help himh. He's going to need more than the grace of God to get through this.

Meanwhile, you keep those tweets coming, Billy. After all, it's all about you.

Joplin Congressman Bill Long (R) Made Fun of Tornado Test Warnings, Wanted to Sell HAM Frequencies

Congressman Bill Long MO7 (R) sure wishes he had a reset button, and we're not talking about his vote to Kill Medicare (How's that vote workin' for you, Billy?)

Today Billy Long made the Daily Kos: Joplin Congressman Bill Long (R) Made Fun of Tornado Test Warnings, Wanted to Sell HAM Frequencies

I hate to politicize tragedies, but sometimes they shed light on the irresponsibility of those who are responsible for the well-being of our nation.

Take Billy Long for example. He is the classic wise-ass cowboy Republican Congressman who once said "Get out the crying towel" to people who don't have health insurance. Ironically, David Catanese, now a reporter for Politico, made a prescient prediction in that article:

...throughout his humorous and off-the-cuff repertoire, Long has a tendency to make some statements that could come back to haunt him.

Well, here comes the haunting...

Last year, Billy Long tweeted another one of his wise-ass comments, making fun of Joplin's preparedness drills for tornadoes:

In fact, he even irked "Bungalow Bill" a conservative blogger from the area who proudly touts that he has been featured by the likes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

Actually I have to agree with Bungalow Bill on both his major points here:

"War of the Worlds Part Duex, a F4 tornado, which some claim was a multi-vortex tornado, has taken out a large section of homes and businesses in Long’s own home district. How many lives were saved all because the state of Missouri has a day to remind people of procedures that may save their lives. This was no time for inspiration from Bozo (Billy Long).

"Last night’s storm also reminds of the importance of first responders on HAM radios, mobilizing injury prevention and first response before and after the storm. Long’s co-sponsorship of HR607, the federal emergency broadband bill, weakens this first responder network by removing valuable HAM frequencies that were used yesterday to spot tornadoes, get people to take shelter, and mobilize emergency efforts, but Long’s bill he co-sponsored would make it harder for these HAM radio operators to perform this valuable service."

Bungalow Bill's full article is here. It's pretty good...and damning to Billy Long.

Oh snap, did he just say Billy Long co-sponsored a bill to sell off the frequencies used by HAM radio operators to help protect the public? Yes he did. Later in the article, he apparently tried to pawn it off on Peter King, who "asked him to co-sponsor the bill". So...does that mean Mr. Long didn't even care enough to know what the bill was about, let alone the details of it? Not surprising.

So, Billy Long makes fun of Tornado Warnings, then sponsors a bill to cut the HAM radio networks which help provide the National Weather Service and local authorities spotter reports on what is going on. I have to wonder if he will ever be held accountable for this irresponsibility... seems like he's already pissed off some of his base.

This all just goes to show that yet again, these wise-ass Republicans can be counted on for either dishonesty, incompetence, or both.

p.s. Hey Billy, it's Deux...not Duex buddy. But I'm sure you pronounce either "duh".

-------

Update... Wow, I get back home after grabbing lunch and I find out I've made my first trip to the rec list! Thank you everyone, I'm honored and humbled...especially knowing the crowd of great writers here on dKos.

Update 2 (3:21pm PDT)...just saw a live interview between him and Wolf Blitzer. He seems to have lost a little of his swagger and is now eager to accept any "big government" help available to his district. It's great to see how Republicans are against "big government" until they need it.h

Update 3 (5:34pm PDT)...Looks like there are quite a few HAMs on dKos, who knew? I am not licensed myself (yet), but I have a few good HAM friends. If you're interested, check out www.arrl.org for info on amateur radio and how to get licensed as a HAM operator

135 comments!

I have referenced that David Catanese report on Billy Long before. It was at Fassnight Park, at a rally. Long was wise-cracking there:

In a similar vein, KY3's David Catanese reports that Billy "Long has a tendency to make some statements that could come back to haunt him. He mocked the plight of the uninsured ("Get out the crying towel") and claimed that 26 million people under 35 probably don't want health insurance anyway. Claiming that President Obama's healthcare plan might have taken his mother's life back in March of 2008 is also quite a strong charge. It's all done in the loving-aw-shucks Long way.." but these statements need to be fact checked also.