A politician taking credit for someone else's work?! I'm SHOCKED!
Posted on 01/25/2010 6:50:06 AM PST by Tribune7
Gov. Rendell flew to Haiti to deliver medical supplies and rescue 54 orphans after a woman who is a former U.S. attorney for Western Pennsylvania did the work in organizing the effort.
Mary Beth Buchanan spent four days, according to PaWaterCooler, obtaining clearance for the children to enter the United States, medical supplies, physicians to escort the children and an airplane cleared to land in Haiti.
(Excerpt) Read more at billlawrenceonline.com ...
ping
A politician taking credit for someone else's work?! I'm SHOCKED!
Is Fast Eddie adopting one of those kids?
(crickets)
The actions all of us take usually has mixed motives. This was a good thing and there are a lot of grateful adoptive families in PA. Rendall’s presence was requested to help break through the red tape. We see how important speed was when we read about so many children being taken for ulterior motives under the “watchful” eye of the UN. Good on Rendell and his associates who did this!
I think the point is that maybe that wasn't the case.
That maybe if the system was allowed to work -- i.e. Rendell didn't involve himself more than a governor would otherwise be expected -- Mary Beth Buchanan would have gotten the supplies down and the kids out.
AGree. There are times politicians can get through the red tape quickly.....and this was one of those times.
Who can argue that getting children out of a hell hole quickly is a bad thing?
Here in NY, Chuckie Schumer has been busy issueing statements about the families he is helping by expediting delivery of their orphans
Lots of face time for chuckie!
The question is whether his meddling delayed the initial rescue efforts and delivery of staging equipment for the injured and dying. His appearance in Haiti took place at a time when it was reported that supplies and rescuers were still stuck in the airport. While evacuating the children was a good cause, it should not have taken precedence over the efforts of first responders.
What was left out of the excerpt is that the supplier, UPMC, is closely connected to the Dem congressman whom Ms. Buchanan is considering a run against, and that Ms. Buchanan’s failure to get a plane came after an unexpected call from a UPMC official.
C’mon, he wouldn’t be a politician if he didn’t take advantage of media time.
Maybe, but maybe not. I believe that a lot of credit was given to this woman. Why would she want to do it herself if she could have a serving governor accompany the group? It seems everyone involved played an enormous role and got those children out. I credit Rendell with little, but he deserves credit for accompanying this group.
I don't have a problem with him accompanying the group. My concern is the part of the story not mentioned in the excerpt, namely that UPMC might have got him to do it at the behest of a congressman threatened by the relief mission.
And that that the political need to involve Rendell might have delayed the mission.
I hadn’t heard about that until I read what you wrote. If a political rival kept Michelle Bachmann from getting a plane, then that should be made public and he should be pilloried for it. But I don’t see the need to blame Rendell for it, even if the situation was created by a despicable fellow Dem.
That's Mary Beth Buchanan :-)
That's Mary Beth Buchanan :-)
I guess I’m naive - never thought I was, but this proves it. I saw Rendell on Larry King Live (ok I was changing channels and just saw him, I don’t watch that old fart) - I was actually stunned and told my husband that old fast eddie actually did something good for once..... and while the end result is still children out of that hell hole, I should have remembered who I was watching - and known some politicians wouldn’t help their own mother cross the street unless there was a camera nearby.
Maybe I’m naive, but I think Rendell has a good side. I think he governed Philadelphia well, as least fiscally. He also has a son who was growing up when he was mayor and never, ever used him for political gain. He took his wife down there with him and they helped get those children out. Going into Haiti, even briefly, carries some risk and considerable negatives (it’s just not an easy place to be right now.) There were a lot of people who helped this come about and I’ll give Rendell and his wife their due.
That is true but if this turns out to be a republican vs democrat photo opp, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.