Liberal radio host Bill Press counts himself among bedwetting left wingers who are claiming Mitt Romney wants to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
All this claim demonstrates is that those making it sense disaster on the horizon -- specifically, Election Day -- and that they can't distinguish between moderate-since-birth Romney and unapologetic libertarian Ron Paul who actually would abolish FEMA. (audio clip after page break)
At the top of Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer warned: "Record flooding in the wake of Irene leading to new evacuations and dramatic rescues across the Northeast....As FEMA's disaster fund runs dangerously low." Moments later he announced the agency was "running into a serious money crunch because of Irene and in-fighting in Washington."
In a later report, correspondent Tom Costello singled out those responsible for the "infighting": "You can blame politics and the new budget realities. The Republican-controlled House already voted to give FEMA another $1 billion this fiscal year, but that increase is tied to budget cuts elsewhere. So Senate Democrats haven't acted."