As much as they will deny it, the devastating flood in central Texas is going to become a major political issue for Democrats as the mid-term congressional elections draw nearer.
Of course, the Republicans are clearly on the defensive in light of Trump’s cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS).
Of course, Trump’s kewpie doll press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, and other Republicans are loudly proclaiming that the flood should not become a political football. In a perfect world, of course, they’re correct.
But this is light years from being a perfect world and the Democrats, if they have and sense at all, will be frantically searching for a WILLIE STARK to become the face of the party.
Willie Stark, most readers know, is the central character in Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ALL THE KING’S MEN, based not-so-loosely on the career of legendary Huey Long.
In the book, Willie Stark is a minor politician with no real chance of breaking into the good ol’ boys’ political circle. But he complains loudly about a low bid to construct a school building. When a staircase in the school later collapses as a result of corruption, killing several children, he is suddenly catapulted into political relevance and goes on to build a powerful political machine of his own.
Macabre as that may sound (and it admittedly is tasteless and disgusting), the Democrats now have a viable political issue in the wake of the Texas flooding and the cuts to NOAA and NWS.
Tied to all that is the ominous and portentous fact that we are now well into another hurricane season.
How important are NOAA and NWS to residents along the Gulf Coast – as well as states along the Atlantic seaboard – for giving ample warning of the strength and projection of hurricanes so that people in the path of a storm might prepare adequately or even evacuate?
The answer in a single word is: VERY.
Without proper forecasts and warnings, cities and inhabitants could find themselves in the path of a killer hurricane with little advance notice. To underscore that potential threat, we have to look no further than June 27, 1957 when HURRICANE AUDREY slammed into the Louisiana coast, literally destroying Cameron Parish and claiming 400 lives.
That was because there was no system in existence at the time to give warnings of where and when Audrey might strike. Thus, no one was adequately prepared.
Going back half-a-century from Audrey, we have the UNNAMED HURRICANETE that pounded Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900. Obviously, at that time, there was zero warning and the 140 mph winds produced a 15.7-foot storm surge which resulted in the unfathomable deaths of 6,000 to 12,000 people and destroyed 3600 buildings.
So, realistically, the tragic flooding in Texas could be a prelude to more devastating weather events, including hurricanes of which residents of South Louisiana could all become targets.
Unless Democrats are as clueless as the servile, slavish Republicans, they must now be casting about for the next Willie Stark.
Louisiana Voice 
It is macabre to exploit tragedy for one’s own gain. It is not macabre to question those who might have prevented or mitigated the tragedy had they not been so utterly sold out to their ignorant prejudices. Also noted that at no time has any MAGA fascist stepped up to accept any responsibility whatsoever for the consequences of their actions. None of them have enough integrity or courage to do so.