MSNBC Ridicules Romney for Collecting Food and Supplies for Sandy Victims
After introducing his Obama-supporting guests Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Lehigh professor James Peterson, host Martin Bashir played a clip of the President speaking at the Red Cross headquarters in Washington Tuesday.
When the clip concluded, Bashir said, “Mayor Reed, so the Red Cross knows what it’s doing. Did he, did you detect perhaps a subtle dig there on Mr. Romney who spent today going against the guidelines established by the Red Cross and holding a campaign rally in Ohio that was dressed up like a charity drive collecting food and other supplies when the Red Cross expressly asked people not to do that?”
Imagine that. A presidential candidate who gives millions of dollars a year to charity does a storm relief event in Ohio, and an MSNBC anchor is disgusted by it because the Red Cross would prefer people donating cash.
I wonder what this official would have said if Romney sent out a fundraising email during the middle of the storm, or asked people to phone bank as the hurricane approached their area?
Via WaPo:
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern on Tuesday accused Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney of politicizing Hurricane Sandy with a Dayton event that was billed as storm relief but also had characteristics of a campaign rally.
Romney spoke only briefly at the event, to encourage donations to storm victims, and volunteers collected canned goods to send to those suffering in New Jersey. But Romney’s biographical video, routinely played at campaign rallies, was used to introduce the event, as was his routine rally music.
MSNBC Anchor Criticizes Romney’s Storm Volunteerism: Red Cross Doesn’t Want or Need Your Non-Monetary Donations:
MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday questioned the sincerity of a “storm relief” event organized by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Ohio, arguing that the Red Cross apparently has no need for donated clothes or canned goods.
“You’ve got the image of Mitt Romney doing what, they say, is not a campaign event in the same space they were going to hold a campaign event. They say they’re making collections for hurricane and storm relief,” the MSNBC anchor said during a Tuesday broadcast of “Mitchell Reports.”
“We checked with the Red Cross. The Red Cross said, while they’re always grateful for donations, that this is not what they need or want. They always tell people, ‘please donate money, because we have our own packagers, wholesalers’ — they have their own distribution system,” she continued.
Yes, with major weather events like Superstorm Sandy, the Red Cross does put an emphasis on monetary donations. That’s probably why, along with tables “piled high with flashlights, batteries, diapers, toothbrushes, mini-deodorants, fleece blankets, cereal, toilet paper and canned goods,” the Romney event also featured two large TV screens encouraging supporters to text “REDCROSS” to 90999 and “make a $10 donation.”
While most White House reporters traveling aboard Air Force One, this weekend, questioned the White House Press staff about the president’s hurricane preparations, one reporter wanted to know if they were prepared for Mitt Romney.
Charlie Spiering of Beltway Confidential:
“Are you worried about the possible politicization of the storm response?” the reporter asked. “We’re a week out from the election. Governor Romney might say something about how you guys are responding to it or going to rallies and that stuff.”
“Well, I don’t want to predict what Governor Romney may or may not say,” Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest answered. “He certainly does have an interesting track record on this.”
Ooooh – zing. Because Romney correctly criticized the Obama administration for its weak apologetic stance after the 9/11 demonstrations in Cairo and violence in Benghazi. And that was the worst week of Romney’s campaign because the ObamaMedia pounded him relentlessly for “politicizing a disaster” before all the facts were out and when Americans should have been “coming together” (at least according to the White House talking points.)
Meanwhile,
and the White House released a Propaganda Pic Showing Obama Dealing With Hurricane Sandy In the Situation Room…
Here’s a question no one in ObamaMedia will ask: Where are the photos from the situation room on 9/11?
Oh shush – that would be politicizing a disaster.