Gov. Christie (R-NJ) and Pres. Obama (D)

Many survivors of domestic violence are intimately familiar with the sting of callous indifference and with feeling like an expendable pawn in high-stakes games.

The Republicans have whined for months that Pres. Barack Obama’s fiscal cliff deal wasn’t acceptable because it didn’t include sufficient cuts to entitlement spending.  Yet, the final deal was loaded with “hundreds of billions of dollars” of deficit spending to provide welfare for the rich in the form of corporate tax loopholes.  NASCAR got $141 million to build more racetracks, but victims of Hurricane Sandy were denied much needed relief to rebuild their homes.

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) was beyond livid:

. . .folks are putting politics ahead of their responsibilities.  It’s absolutely disgraceful… It’s why the American people hate Congress. . .

Last night, politics was placed before our oaths to serve our citizens. For me it was disappointing and disgusting to watch.  If the people of New Jersey feel betrayed today by those who did this in the House last night, then they have good company.  I’m with them.

Reuters reported that Gov. Christie blamed “toxic internal politics.”

Rusty Wallace

This shows that the lobbyists are able to get what they want even when everyone else is starving.
– Phineas Baxandall, U.S. Public Interest Research Group

My cousin Rusty Wallace is a former NASCAR champion.  His brothers Mike and Kenny have also been NASCAR drivers.  My family were early NASCAR pioneers which is a nice way of saying they were rum runners during Prohibition.  Trust me.  Rusty and his buddies don’t need any tax loopholes.

Jersey Strong

Meanwhile, Hurricane Sandy left devastation that is hard to grasp.  Cousins on Call premiered last night on HGTV with “Jersey Strong.”  Cousins Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri of Brunelleschi Construction were recruited by Ellen Degeneres to rebuild the Brick, NJ home (video) of volunteer first-responders.

Ellen came through for the young couple whose home was destroyed in November.  But, Congress adjourned without funding disaster relief.  WTF?!?

When the hell did we become a country more vested in entitlements for NASCAR owners than in entitlements for victims of disaster relief?