This is the tale of a raging storm, violent wind changes, and scorching air blasts. I'm not referring to Hurricane Ian, but rather the responses from Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when Hurricane Sandy devastated New York almost exactly ten years ago.
My Long Island congressional district and those nearby were decimated in 2012. Neighborhoods completely submerged in water, homes uprooted or destroyed, and power lines down. Our area appeared to be war-torn in several places. Actually, not much different from the tragic pictures we see in Florida right now.
Rep. Ron DeSantis, who was just elected, voted against a $9.7 billion relief package for my area because he believed he had been chosen to resist the "load it on the credit card attitude."
Evidently, circumstances have changed. The governor has discovered that, well, governing is what he must do as Floridians now inspect the ruins of their homes, beaches, and places of commerce. We're all in the same boat, says the same man who turned down funding for a lifeline for flooding New Yorkers. With the Biden administration, he transitioned from a chest-thumper to a handshaker. He incorrectly claimed in February that President Biden "stiffs" hurricane victims for political reasons. He stated this week that he was "thankful" for the efforts made by the Biden administration.
What an impact a deluge has.
Democrats are not the only ones who notice the irony. He held such beliefs strongly in the House, according to former Florida Republican Rep. David Jolly. He probably won't maintain them as firmly in the governor's house.
Adam Putnam, DeSantis' opponent in the 2018 GOP primary, emphasized the votes against disaster funding. Florida voters should take precautions to guard themselves against "more destruction at the hands of Hurricane Ron," a Putnam spokesman advised.
Do DeSantis justice. His ability to maneuver around hypocrisy was something he showed before he was governor. He voted for a relief package that benefited (wait for it) his district five years after opposing federal aid for my congressional district. In contrast, the Hurricane Sandy assistance "was largely a measure for long-term projects that should have been funded through the usual appropriations process," he wrote in a Facebook post. Fact-checkers extensively refuted the assertion.
Congressmen from New York complained about DeSantis and other Republicans in 2013 for casting anti-citizen votes. When the next hurricane, tornado, flood, wildfire, or drought devastated their districts, some of us thought about voting against disaster relief.
However, the threat was baseless and rapidly dispelled by the realization that you cannot rule while harboring resentments. Politics can get petty, but not when the lives of Americans are in danger. Therefore, we supported those who had cast votes against us by holding our noses as we inserted our computerized voting cards. E Pluribus Unum and all that, you know.
DeSantis has never been the only politician to use a double standard, of course. Both political parties are capable of becoming hypocritical. There aren't many political professionals I am aware of who haven't occasionally compromised their intellectual integrity or built their arguments on flimsy justifications. Or simply changed their thoughts, which is praised for emotional development but weirdly demonized by our political officials.
DeSantis will probably go back to his corner soon and then launch an attack. While it lasts, let's take advantage of the break. Ron DeSantis will continue to put aside partisanship this week, especially as President Biden travels to Florida. (However, I wonder if he'll be aware of a different irony: DeSantis's current opponent, Charlie Crist, was the last Republican Florida governor to get too close to a Democratic president in what Crist himself termed the hug that destroyed his Republican career.)
Nevertheless, this is a lesson for all the future governors wasting their time in Congress: Some problems should be exempt from partisan mudslinging. The list should start with natural disasters. Ron DeSantis has discovered that being a tea party jerk was simple. Hard winds make governing more difficult.
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