Obama Fiddles While Texas Burns

Texas Officials Blast Obama for Denying Texas Wildfire Aid Request

The rhetorical wrangling between Texas Republicans and the Obama administration over the federal response to raging Texas wildfires became more contentious today when Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison joined Gov. Rick Perry to blast the White House for denying Texas’ request for a federal disaster declaration.

“When nearly 7,000 individual wildfires burn through more than 2.2. million acres, result in loss of life, and destroy homes, businesses, farms and ranches across the state, it’s hard to understand how these conditions don’t spell ‘disaster’ for this administration,” Cornyn said this morning.

To read an intense and moving narrative illustrating what the wildfires have done to ranchers click here.

Just to put it in context, 2.2 millions acres is approximately the size of Maryland and Rhode Island combined. If those two states were ravaged by fires you can be damn sure the obunglers would arrange plenty of photo ops showing the loser-in-chief strolling among the ashes, pausing every so often to sadly shake his head, and then move on to pass out checks.

To cap off the obama administration's slap in our face, it announced the decision around 11:00 p.m. CDT Tuesday night, late in the news cycle and after the local nightly news broadcasts. The scoundrels don't even have the integrity or courage to look us in the eye while they're stabbing us in the back (a mangled metaphor, I know, but you get the point).

Hutchison this afternoon called the decision “extremely disappointing.”

“We’ve suffered major agriculture and livestock losses and many Texans have lost their homes,” she said.

Perry recently suggested that Obama is pursuing a political vendetta against Texas, citing the Alabama tornado disaster declaration and the failure to make a similar declaration for Texas.

I'm not a big fan of Gov. PrettyHair, but he's got a point. Another couple of factors that might be driving obama's enmity - jealousy and fear. First, jealousy.

CEO Magazine Ranks Texas Best State for Business for Seventh Consecutive Year

Texas has been ranked the top state for job growth and business development for the seventh year in a row in a survey of CEOs by Chief Executive Magazine. The survey asked 550 CEOs to consider a wide range of criteria, from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment, in the magazine's annual ranking of the best states for business.

Texas' economy continues to receive national recognition. The state's unemployment rate remains well below the national average, dropping to 8.1 percent in March compared to the nation's 8.8 percent rate. Additionally, Texas is the top exporting state in the nation for the ninth year in a row, and no other state is home to more Fortune 1000 companies.

The state also continues to receive national accolades, including the 2010 Governor's Cup from Site Selection Magazine for the most new and expanded corporate facilities announced over the year. Newsweek recently ranked four Texas cities in its list of 10 cities best situated for economic recovery, and described Texas as the top destination for job-seeking Americans. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal recently credited the state's low taxes and employer-friendly environment with helping make Texas the job creation capital of the nation.

I wouldn't give all the credit to Perry. IMO the fundamental reasons Texas continues to garner such accolades are because (1) the state legislature only meets every other year, thus reducing the opportunities for it to screw things up; and (2) the state constitution mandates a balanced budget. But in any event, the chief political executive, like an NFL quarterback, often gets too much of the blame when things go wrong, and too much of the credit when things go right. For the most part, things are going right in Texas and wrong in the U.S., making Perry look good and obama jealous

As for obama's fear of Perry, that stems from his jealousy. While it's been long rumored that Perry might make a presidential run in 2012, it's more likely that he's positioning himself as a VP candidate. Perry's young enough (a young-looking 60) that he could ride out 8 years as VP and still not be ruled out as a presidential candidate due to his age.

Like I said, I'm not a big Perry fan. However, I think he'd be a powerful draw outside of Texas. And I also think most Texans would hold their nose and vote for Perry over obama, either as #1 or #2 on the ticket. Hell, I think most Texans would vote for an ax murderer over obama.

At least the ax murderer wouldn't dither around when trying to decide whether or not to take out one of the 'greatest' mass murderers in history...