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UPDATED: Attention right-wing bloggers: Bush declared "major disaster" in response to 2006 Hawaii earthquake

March 17, 2010 9:54 pm ET by Adam Shah

In a blog post titled, "Obama Says 'Louisiana Purchase' in Obamacare Will Cover Earthquake in Hawaii... Um... What Earthquake in Hawaii? (Video)," Gateway Pundit blogger Jim Hoft attempted to rebut President Obama's statement that a provision in the health care reform bill that conservatives have dubbed the "Louisiana purchase" may also help Hawaii. In his post, Hoft suggested that there has not been an earthquake in Hawaii since 1975. In fact, in 2006 -- one year after Hurricane Katrina -- then-President Bush declared that "a major disaster exists in the state of Hawaii" due to "an earthquake that occurred on October 15, 2006, and related aftershocks."

During the Fox News interview, Obama defended a provision in the Senate version of the health care bill that, in Obama's words, says that "if a state has been affected by a natural catastrophe, that has created a special health care emergency in that state, they should get help." Obama also stated the provision "also affects Hawaii, which went through an earthquake."

Responding to Obama, Hoft wrote:

Either Obama's completely making up stuff now or we all missed some horrible devastating earthquake in Hawaii...

President Obama said tonight that he agreed with "The Louisiana Purchase" in Obamacare because it also covered the earthquake in Hawaii:

[...]

In 1868 there was a major earthquake in Hawaii that killed 77 people. In 1975 an earthquake in Hawaii killed 2 people.

In fact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit Hawaii on October 15, 2006. On October 16, 2006, Bush stated:

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by an earthquake that occurred on October 15, 2006, and related aftershocks.

Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis in the counties of Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui and the City of Honolulu for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

R. David Paulison, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael L. Karl as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

The Agency said that more areas and additional forms of assistance may be designated after damage assessments are fully completed in the affected areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.

UPDATE: Other conservative bloggers have picked up on the same theme. Andrew Breitbart's Breitbart.tv website linked to Hoft's piece and embedded video of Obama's comments under the headline: "Puzzling Statement: Obama Says 'Louisiana Purchase' Will Help With the Earthquake in Hawaii." Matt Drudge has linked to the Breitbart.tv post. Additionally, Hot Air blogger Cassy Fiano wrote of Obama's reference to the Hawaii earthquake: "This moment, from Bret Baier's interview on Fox News with Obama, might just be one of the biggest 'WTF?!' moments from Obama's presidency yet. Obama is either completely making things up, living in an alternate reality, or really, really confused."

Tags: Gateway Pundit

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    • Author by IRONY 101 (March 17, 2010 10:20 pm ET)
      6  
      Basically, Hoft is saying, "What would Barack Obama know about Hawaii? He's not from there..."
      Report Abuse
    • Author by DellDolly (March 17, 2010 10:34 pm ET)
      5 1
      If something abnormally skews results, then there should be a way to adjust those results or compensate for the skewed results.

      That's all the deal for Louisiana does.

      But the right is trying to pretend that it was done to buy off Senator Mary Landrieu. And there's no evidence whatsoever that she would have voted NO without that deal.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by IRONY 101 (March 17, 2010 11:27 pm ET)
        5 1
        The irony is that right wing mascot Governor Bobby Jindal specifically ASKED Landrieu to get the deal. That's what really p*ssed off Landrieu when the right wing media attacked her afterwards, not knowing that Jindal had been behind it.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by txthinker (March 18, 2010 9:24 am ET)
          1  
          The irony is that right wing mascot Governor Bobby Jindal specifically ASKED Landrieu to get the deal. That's what really p*ssed off Landrieu when the right wing media attacked her afterwards, not knowing that Jindal had been behind it.

          And here's proof, in the form of an article from "The Hill" posted on Sen. Landrieu's web site:

          Sen. Landrieu defends ‘Louisiana Purchase,' says Jindal asked for it

          J. Taylor Rushing, The Hill

          2/04/10:
          Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) defended her role in the $300 million “Louisiana Purchase” Thursday, saying she attached it to the healthcare bill at Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R-La.) request and that it was not a condition of her support for the bill.

          Landrieu used a floor speech, press conference and private e-mails from Jindal to fire back against critics of the $300 million-plus in Medicaid funds that became known as the “Louisiana Purchase.”

          “Nothing about this effort was secret — it was public from the very first meeting that happened at the governor’s mansion in January,” Landrieu said. “It was a broadly supported delegation effort from the beginning. And it was never a condition of my support for the bill.

          “There should be some concerns about specific arrangements that were made, or for specific promises of support. This was not one of them. And the record will show that.”

          <more>

          More info here....
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    • Author by ertdfg9762 (March 18, 2010 12:34 am ET)
         
      Well my heart goes out to all the people killed in this tragic earthquake, and all the people who still are suffering health problems from 2006.


      http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-15-hawaii-earthquake_x.htm
      "No deaths or serious injuries were reported"?

      No, Obama was just talking about all the people who would need special health care; so there had to be serious injuries. Why would they qualify for the Louisiana Purchase funding for their health care if they didn't have any serious injuries 4 years ago that were still requiring assistance?
      Report Abuse
    • Author by goesto11 (March 18, 2010 8:30 am ET)
      3 1
      This is horribly depressing for me.

      All this time, I thought the Right Wing pundits were filthy liars.

      It turns out they might just be garden-variety morons.

      I can't describe my disappointment.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by razorsharpwit9925 (March 18, 2010 5:43 pm ET)
           
        Cheer up! The two aren't mutually exclusive! They can be both!
        Report Abuse
    • Author by o'bummer (March 18, 2010 9:15 am ET)
         
      So... It's okay with media doesn't matter if o'bama's a Dunce, so long as Dubya wasn't bright as well? Maybe o'bama didn't mean Hawaii, maybe he thought it was the other "57th" State.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by RfK (March 18, 2010 9:48 am ET)
         
      Funny how both sides are jumping on this Hawaii quote when the real story is that few have read the bill including Mr. Obama? The reality is that if you read the actual provision, it only applies to states meeting the basic predetermined criteria of a major disaster declaration in the past seven fiscal years w/ one big asterik - ALL COUNTIES within that state have to be declared a major disaster area. Hawaii, Texas, and Mississippi fail to meet that criteria. Oh but wait, Louisiana does. Hmmm? How about that? That information can be found on Pgs. 429-430 off the Democrats Senate website with the full bill listed. However, feel free to GOOGLE that...
      Report Abuse
    • Author by political_left-religious_right (March 18, 2010 9:59 am ET)
         
      Anyone who wants to kill some time--and their appetite--should read the comments by the Gateway Pundit regulars. Out of 142 comments so far, approximately four are by people who were bright enough to go searching for the information themselves, and the rest were by stimulus/response neocons who use it as "just another example" of the president's foolishness.

      Then, when they're confronted with the facts, they find ways to weasel out of any responsibility for their earlier statements, and manage to continue spraying invective like skunks.

      Yeah, it reminds me of some of our house trolls, too.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Kikabi (March 18, 2010 12:02 pm ET)
      2  
      I have serious memory problems yet even I remember that earthquake striking Hawaii.

      Also, the President was just giving examples of how the "Louisiana Purchase" will help states deal with past disasters, but he also made clear that it'll be there to help states with any future natural disasters. Unfortunately, those on the right are ignoring that rather important last bit.

      Report Abuse
      • Author by knowledgereigns (March 18, 2010 1:04 pm ET)
           
        Indeed! Being from Florida, I know this is something needed regardless of a death toll.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by RfK (March 18, 2010 1:12 pm ET)
         
      Funny how both sides are jumping on this Hawaii quote when the real story is that few have read the bill including Mr. Obama? The reality is that if you read the actual provision, it only applies to states meeting the basic predetermined criteria of a major disaster declaration in the past seven fiscal years w/ one big asterik - ALL COUNTIES within that state have to be declared a major disaster area. Hawaii, Texas, and Mississippi fail to meet that criteria. Oh but wait, Louisiana does. Hmmm? How about that? That information can be found on Pgs. 429-430 off the Democrats Senate website with the full bill listed. However, feel free to GOOGLE that...
      Report Abuse
    • Author by CPinHI (March 18, 2010 4:25 pm ET)
         
      Ha! I have clear memories of being woken up at 7am by this earthquake, and the power being out all over Oahu (even though the quake was hundreds of miles away!), heading out to find a grocery store open...obviously I must have been hallucinating.

      Besides--why is it implausible that a destructive earthquake or other natural disaster would hit Hawaii? We have 3 active volcanoes on the Big Island, one of which has been erupting since 1982! Shoot, sometime in that time period, a new development and a road got taken out by a lava flow. The tsunami in the 60s killed something like 40 people in Hilo alone, and we just had a near miss. Then there is the ongoing problem of poison gas spewing from Kilauea traveling up the islands when the wind changes. These idiots obviously think Hawaii is nothing but sunshine, beaches, and hula girls. It is actually a dangerous place!

      The only reason deaths/injuries/damage from the earthquakes we have is minimal is because we are prepared for earthquakes!
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