Party politics a disaster

‘ ‘ ‘ I spent Monday morning anxiously pacing in front of Mellon Arena. Riot police, city cops… ‘ ‘ ‘ I spent Monday morning anxiously pacing in front of Mellon Arena. Riot police, city cops and some dapper-looking Secret Service agents were all doing the same, intent on keeping Pittsburgh’s annual Labor Day parade free of any incident. ‘ ‘ ‘ At the very back of the parade, just past the bagpipe-toting U.S. Postal Workers union and the camouflaged mine workers, the United Steelworkers were organizing. On top of the USW float, activists and retirees crowded next to a live two-man band belting out ‘Happy Birthday to Pittsburgh, 250 Years Old.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ But I didn’t wake up early and schlep myself Downtown to hear Mike Stout’s musical conspiracy theories. I was anxious because Joe Biden was rumored to be speaking in front of the manufacturing unions and steelworkers before the parade. With a pretty good shot at being the country’s next VP, I figured I could spare him a few minutes of my time on what would be an otherwise normal Monday morning. ‘ ‘ ‘ Four bear claws and a dozen laps around the arena later, a friend informed me of some bad news: Biden would be there, but he wouldn’t be speaking because it could be considered distasteful to be seen campaigning while Gustav was making landfall on the Louisiana coast. ‘ ‘ ‘ Translation: Biden didn’t want to catch any flack in the PR department from the GOP, which moved around its national convention schedule because as Republican campaign manager Rick Davis put it, ‘We are deeply concerned about the safety and welfare of the residents of the Gulf State Region … This is not a time for politics or celebration.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Indeed it is not. On the Democratic side, Obama pledged to use his extensive network of supporters and donors to bring relief to the area once the worst of the storm had passed, saying they can be of the most use once the situation has been analyzed properly. ‘ ‘ ‘ Not to be outdone, during the first day of a much abbreviated convention RNC chairman Mike Duncan asked those watching to text a five-digit number to donate money to the Red Cross for the flood victims, after which Cindy McCain and Laura Bush made televised calls for help in Louisiana. George Bush and Dick Cheney, who stayed on their separate vacations even after Katrina hit in 2005, have prioritized attending to the Gulf Coast’s current predicament over speaking at their own political convention. ‘ ‘ ‘ What a difference three years makes. Don’t get me wrong: It is absolutely necessary that we learn our lesson from one disaster to ensure we are better prepared for it the next time around. It’s promising to see two political parties and an entire nation focusing their energies toward helping the Gulf Coast this time around, even if it turns out Gustav’s destructive force is no match for Katrina’s. ‘ ‘ ‘ But is anyone optimistic enough to believe that everyone’s intentions here are entirely genuine? A quick fact check from TheHill.com: Of the four major players in the upcoming general election, Palin wasn’t in a major office at the time, and neither Obama, McCain, nor Biden had personally seen the devastation in the New Orleans area within half a year of the floods. ‘ ‘ ‘ That’s not to say they were entirely indifferent to it. Obama volunteered his help with evacuees in Houston, McCain proposed a bill to divert oil profits to hurricane victims, and Biden’s own son was sent to the Gulf Coast as a member of the National Guard while his wife personally delivered supplies to the area. ‘ ‘ ‘ This time, however, you can count on some timely trips down to Louisiana, with plenty of magazine-friendly photo-ops for all of them. McCain and Palin have already accepted Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s offer to travel south and provide some last-minute relief efforts. ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s astounding how generous these politicians are all of a sudden. It’s even more amazing how quick to respond they are this time around with the eyes of a nation watching in the middle of two national conventions. Although Joe Biden had to keep his usually loquacious tongue in check at the Labor Day parade, perhaps I should write to him and tell him how disappointed I am that I didn’t get to hear him speak. Maybe I could drop in the fact that I could use another one of those refund checks right about now. ‘Sincerely, Undecided Swing-State Voter.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The lesson here? If your city is potentially going to be devastated by a natural disaster, have the good sense to be in the middle of a tight general election when it happens. Brandon is obviously not a golfer, and reachable at bkp3@pitt.edu.