When Small Government Conservatives Want Big Government

It takes a hurricane to make small government conservatives into big government devotees.



National hurricane center forecasters and airborne storm chasers were working overtime to plot Hurricane Isaac's course, and FEMA began to position relief assets in the region.

When Tea Party Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott told southern county residents to evacuate, they did so on Interstate highways built mostly with federal funding.

As Isaac turned west towards Louisiana, small government Tea Party Republican cheerleader Gov. Bobby Jindal complained to President Barack Obama that the feds shorted his state in emergency planning money.

And when the storm passes, it will be the federal government - - spending tax money - - that leads the cleanup and reconstruction.

As it should.

Pity that Republican governors along the Gulf Coast and GOP obstructionist tightwads in the House of Representatives do not understand that the plight of the long-term unemployed, or drought-ravaged farmers - - fellow Americans trying to return to productivity - - is no less desperate.