If I was Obama, I'd say no flood disaster money for Texas, unless

[bluestateguy]

1) You set up an Obamacare insurance exchange
2) You expand Medicaid under Obamacare

Nothing is free and everything has a price.

[sharp_stick]

1. No

He needs to quietly go on Texas TV and "suggest" that they allow Jade Helm to go ahead without question and quit bothering all the FEMA officials digging...ooops I mean working in those recently closed Walmart stores.

Then and only then will the rain stop.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. I mean this in the nicest way possible but

Thank God you are not Obama.

Okay - you may not like the leadership - but there are liberals and progressives living in hell down there when there are NOT floods and I'm not going to abandon them in their hour of need.

If a few jesus freak haters come along for the ride - I'm okay with that.

[frazzled]

9. There are people of all political stripes down there who need help

When it comes to the government helping people and helping to rebuild infrastructure after natural disasters, legislators--from the president on down--should not play politics at all.

Obama is the president of all the people of this nation, whether they support him or his policies or not. His job is to help them, regardless of political positions. And that goes for the political position of the state as well.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. Exactly!

And he doesn't ever ask for 'thanks' or 'credit' - he just does for people regardless of their political leanings and beliefs because we are ALL Americans.

[onenote]

3. right. set the stupidest precedent imaginable.

If you're competing in a contest for bad ideas, you can stop. You've won.

By the way, how do you think your idea would work out for the Democratic mayor of Houston, the hardest hit area. Or, for that matter, the mayors of Austin and Dallas...also Democrats. Or the 3 Democrats that represent portions of Houston in Congress. Or the eight other Democratic members of the Texas House delegation.

[bklyncowgirl]

4. Fortunately for the good people of Texas you are not Obama.

It will be amusing though to hear GOP politicians who screamed their heads off about Sandy aid begging and pleading for federal assistance.

[leftofcool]

5. No, we have to help our brothers ans sisters in Texas

New Jersey has a stupid Governor and we helped them.

[madokie]

6. Sorry but thats now how things work

you fail

[NCTraveler]

7. No thanks.

People with limited means know all too well that nothing is free and everything has a price. I'm sick of them being used as political fodder.

[trumad]

8. When people suffer you take care of them....

Not everyone suffering is a Right Winger.

[Snotcicles]

10. I'm curious how that secession thing is coming along?

I wish no harm to those in trouble.

[bigwillq]

12. No. We shouldn't play politics with people's lives

even if others are trying to do the same. That would make us no better than them.

[840high]

13. Unrec. - we always help people.

[stage left]

14. No.

Obama is better than that. Way better. He's President for all Americans, not just the ones who support him.

[mythology]

15. On the micro scale I want to agree with you

It's why I was okay with the news a few years ago where a fire department set up a buy in option for out of town neighbors in another state who had voted to not fund their own fire department and refusing to save the houses of people who elected to not pay.

But at this scale, it's not feasible to leave entire cities.

I would be fine with him pointing out that people like Ted Cruz voted against other states getting aid are now asking for it, and that climate change, while not being responsible for any given storm, will result in more extreme weather causing these situations.

That said at some point you kind of do have to cut off leeches. People like Ted Cruz, and those irresponsible enough to vote for his ilk, will otherwise continue to act like assholes. In the long term enabling that behavior isn't sustainable. There has to be some sort of price to saying government is bad, should be eliminated and then shamelessly turning around and demanding help. It's not like Cruz is going to realize his philosophy is utter crap.

[DrDan]

16. nope - these folks are in need and we need to step up to it

this is not the time to horse-trade

[Exilednight]

17. No, but there are alternatives.

It's easy to make Cruz and company look like the assholes they are. Give Texas the money and fire up the PR machine and hit Cruz and Co with every time he pops up on TV and says goverent needs to shrink.