Irene Victims Can Now Blame Continued Suffering On Troops In Iraq

by Blair Burke 9:39 pm August 31, 2011

freedom is not free America is still recovering from that disgusting Hurricane Irene that came to town last weekend, which means that hurricane victims around the East Coast are still without electricity and, as a result, access to basic necessities, like Internet porn! This is the case in Vermont, “where flooding has cut off a dozen towns from the rest of the state and left thousands without access to electricity.” So why can’t Vermont just send in some helicopters and get these people hooked back up to their Netflix and diabetes medications? OH, INTERESTING, it is because all of Vermont’s helicopters are in Iraq, where America is engaged in a war of some sort. We can now probably blame Hurricane Irene devastation on the terrorists, so Obama wins, The End!

A bunch of helicopters from Illinois had to come in and save Vermont from having all its Ben & Jerry’s ice cream float away in Irene’s sewage, because all six Vermont Guard Black Hawk helicopters are in Iraq.

Eight helicopters on loan from the Illinois National Guard were expected to arrive Tuesday night in Vermont to help the Vermont National Guard deliver food, medicine, water and other supplies to 13 Vermont towns cut off from the rest of the state in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.

The outside helicopter support is needed because all six of the Vermont Guard’s Black Hawk helicopters are still in Iraq, where they and 55 Vermont soldiers are wrapping up a yearlong hospital transport mission, said Lt. Lloyd Goodrow, spokesman for the Vermont Guard.

“We’d be in a very different scenario if they were here,” Goodrow said, referring to the Vermont Guard’s Black Hawk helicopters now in Iraq. Goodrow said the Guard has both a federal and a state mission and, thanks to the help from Illinois and New Hampshire, expects to be able to perform both functions.

So the helicopters couldn’t get to Vermont because of Iraq, which means that Iraq indirectly caused Hurricane Irene, prompting helicopters from Barack Obama’s home state (besides Kenya, of course) to come in and save the day. Where is Glenn Beck and his chalkboard of conspiracies when he is needed most? Good luck Vermont, and blame it on the troops. [ThinkProgress/Burlington Free Press]

120 comments 1788 Views

{ 120 comments }

arihaya August 31, 2011 at 9:43 pm

hurricane victims should just apologize to Cheney now

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:01 am

Tearfully. Dont' forget tearfully apologize.

genxr September 1, 2011 at 2:23 am: Time for Condi to admit she was wrong.

Pragmatist2 August 31, 2011 at 9:44 pm

It's the least Vermonters could do to help in the ongoing search for WMDs – oh and the real killer in the OJ case.

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:02 am: Oh, and where Joran Vander Sloot really hid the body?

Dudleydidwrong August 31, 2011 at 9:44 pm

These hippie socialist states are all alike, sending help to the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free in places like Iraq while their own people huddle in the cold rain unable to watch the Red Sox play the HATED YANKEES!

OneDollarJuana August 31, 2011 at 9:45 pm

So in support of Vermont, I'm putting a mud-colored ribbon on my trunk.

DoktorThompson August 31, 2011 at 10:38 pm

I'm going to drive my car into the river. For Vermont. And freedom.

MichelesPantalones August 31, 2011 at 11:53 pm

How wrong would it be for me to admit that I laughed out loud at this?

flamingpdog September 1, 2011 at 1:32 am

I'd tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree except for the fact that the old oak tree is about ten miles downstream now.

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:03 am

Tony Orlando Libel!

flamingpdog September 1, 2011 at 12:30 pm: It's the Dawn of a new era.

ifthethunderdontgetya August 31, 2011 at 9:45 pm

Glenn Beck, you ask?

Glenn Beck: "I Told You" That The Obama Administration "Would Do Everything They Could To Start Race Riots
~

the_problem_child August 31, 2011 at 9:45 pm

I have nothing but love for Vermont. But could they have planned a bit better? What kind of knob state sends all of their domestic helicopters abroad?

zhubajie August 31, 2011 at 11:52 pm: Probably they didn't have a choice, once Bush federalized their National Guard.

johnnyzhivago August 31, 2011 at 9:46 pm

Yeah, thanks a LOT for invading Iraq, Obama!

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:06 am: Somehow, we also have to work in blame for Clinton and Carter, too.

SexySmurf August 31, 2011 at 9:46 pm

Liberal media gets it wrong again. Vermont doesn't have any helicopters because it's being punished for legalizing gay marriage.

MichelesPantalones August 31, 2011 at 11:54 pm: You'd think those goddamn liberals would have the smarts to see that right away.

Get a brain, MORANS!

fuflans August 31, 2011 at 9:47 pm

People have to take responsibility for themselves. We need to get the housing industry going again. We don't need government intervening in every step.

Eric Cantor

An_Outhouse September 1, 2011 at 9:09 am

Don't people in Vermont have boot straps?

user-of-owls September 2, 2011 at 11:38 pm: Sure they do. And by happy coincidence, they are roughly the same size as Cantor's neck measurements!

johnnyzhivago August 31, 2011 at 9:50 pm

The Vermont National Guard sounds a lot like the Lichenstein Army.

OzoneTom August 31, 2011 at 10:23 pm: More like the Duchy of Grand Fenwick.
Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:07 am: Does the Socialist People's Republic of Vermont even have an army?

Arken August 31, 2011 at 9:50 pm

Thanks again, Dubya.

hollywooddood August 31, 2011 at 9:50 pm

Does Ron Paul know about this?

nounverb911 August 31, 2011 at 10:05 pm: Ron Paul? Isn't he the guy that let 10,000 Galvestonians die in the 1900 hurricane?
BTWBFDIMHO August 31, 2011 at 10:09 pm: I doubt Ron knows something about something.

fuflans August 31, 2011 at 9:51 pm

i don't know, if i were vermont, i'd be very very worried about whatever the hell IL was bringing in.

rahm doesn't do favors lightly.

littlebigdaddy August 31, 2011 at 10:44 pm

At least it's not Blago. I've got these helicopters and they're fucking valuable things.

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:08 am: You just don't give shit away like this for free. They're fuckin' golden.

Chet Kincaid September 1, 2011 at 9:37 am

Don't get ahead of yourselves, he's just the mayor.

And let's bury the myth of the Terrifying Rahm, shall we? He may have been a mafioso under Clinton, and may yet rule with an iron fist in Chicago, but his recent pirouette through Washington wasn't exactly Corleone-worthy.

fuflans September 1, 2011 at 11:08 am

well you're right of course, but 'pat quinn' doesn't make a very funny punchline.

(and i'm curious to see how iron fist-y he'll be…)

Chet Kincaid September 1, 2011 at 11:25 am: Sorry to step on your funny, fufie!

Radiotherapy® August 31, 2011 at 9:51 pm

This shit happens when your pussy socialist Senator is Bernie Sanders.

user-of-owls August 31, 2011 at 11:10 pm: If you are very, very lucky, Bernie was distracted by the devastation and didn't hear that crack.

If not, well Radio, it's been a real pleasure knowing you. Such a shame no one ever pulled you aside and showed you the pictures of the mass graves of people who called Bernie a pussy,

fuflans August 31, 2011 at 9:54 pm

freedom is not free and no one really has a buck o' five anymore.

johnnyzhivago August 31, 2011 at 9:54 pm

Illinois and New Hampshire should definitely tell Vermont to go away and learn a lesson about how states are supposed to take care of their own.

People may drown, infrastructure may be permanently destroyed, but Vermont will be a better, stronger state when all of this is sorted out.

BarackMyWorld August 31, 2011 at 9:54 pm

Worst episode of "Newhart" ever.

stopthemovie August 31, 2011 at 9:56 pm

where are them black UN choppers when you need them ?

arihaya August 31, 2011 at 9:58 pm

the Illinois' helicopter rental and fuel cost will be paid in Ben & Jerry shipment

littlebigdaddy August 31, 2011 at 10:45 pm

Cherry Garcia or GTFO.

genxr September 1, 2011 at 2:06 am: Phish Food or this bird doesn't fly.

Troubledog August 31, 2011 at 10:00 pm

Rick Perry already has all the maple syrup he needs.

iburl August 31, 2011 at 10:10 pm: In Texas we call it syzurp.

OC_Surf_Serf August 31, 2011 at 10:04 pm

Fighting the hurricanes over there so we won't have to fight them here…

bagofmice August 31, 2011 at 11:06 pm: Chop chop chop!

iburl August 31, 2011 at 10:07 pm

Helicopters? Why don't they use drones to deliver supplies? Oh yeah, they are only programmed to kill. We just don't have the money to spend on technology that helps people live, only to help them die.

genxr September 1, 2011 at 2:13 am

If only we were as rich as the Dominican Republic, which is starting a pilot program next year

iburl September 1, 2011 at 10:43 pm: I like!

Mahousu August 31, 2011 at 10:07 pm

So all of Vermont's helicopters have been gone for a year? We are incredibly lucky that Canada did not take advantage of the situation.

Think about it – if Canada took over Vermont, they would have a stranglehold on maple syrup supplies. Vital American interests like IHOP would be at their mercy.

DoktorThompson August 31, 2011 at 10:36 pm: Vermont's not part of Canada?
Schmannnity August 31, 2011 at 10:40 pm: Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity® in the hands of the godless Canucks.
MissusBarry August 31, 2011 at 10:50 pm: Eh, I doubt IHOP serves the real stuff.

Schmannnity August 31, 2011 at 10:09 pm

Does the Vermont National Guard have ostrich plume hats and weed in their MREs?

Mumbletypeg August 31, 2011 at 10:10 pm

Eight helicopters on loan from the Illinois National Guard were expected to arrive Tuesday night in Vermont to help

Funny, that. Last night I learned Virginia has been 'importing' its electric service repair crews from Illinois and other states because Dominion Power sent *all* its ducks down to North Carolina, presumably because they only had enough staff to manage repairs to its customers in one state (Dominion serves both VA and NC).

Maybe Illinois fix-it teams will prove more intelligent, I hope: the same friend sharing this had just been up on a ladder to examine the pole where the transformer blew behind his place cause they've been told not to expect repair work from Dominion til Friday. Where the blown wires had been secured then loosened from a turbulence-jostled panel of sorts? the panel space showed holes he'd expected to see screw marks like what you'd hope would rivet something in place… instead they were clean-edged holes as if *nailed* in instead.. His opinion: less than stellar workmanship. My conclsuion: Between that and being understaffed — keeping in mind vast destruction occurs only so often, but not even one crew of its own left to the Virginians without power? — is telling of a utility's very profitable enterprise in a non-competitive setting and its preference to minimize certain costs to maximize its gain.

emmelemm August 31, 2011 at 10:28 pm

Never question the free market!

MissusBarry August 31, 2011 at 10:53 pm

And, largely, folks with Dominion are still way better off than folks with Pepco. The free market is relative.

bagofmice August 31, 2011 at 11:07 pm: Like my brother says.
James Michael Curley September 1, 2011 at 5:42 am: I prefer Coca-Cola over Pepco.

SayItWithWookies August 31, 2011 at 11:04 pm

To be fair, wherever Dom's workers were stationed, there weren't gonna be enough of them to clean up after this. The shoddy workmanship's another matter entirely, but power companies are always dependent on each other for disaster relief, socialistic as that may seem.

Mumbletypeg August 31, 2011 at 11:51 pm: Understandably so. I'm aware folks like him get fed up when they're making do without, and learning for the first time how this all works. The upside is that jobs-creator Irene has kept him busy w/ extra influx of odd jobs he depends on, like hauling away residents' fallen tree debris and cutting half-broke off limbs, so the voiced frustration isn't for lack of opportunity to take advantage of bigger entities' slowed-up mobilization either.

Chet Kincaid September 1, 2011 at 9:48 am

Dominionist Power is a faith-based enterprise. Clearly there are not enough Prayer Warriors on-staff for demand. Petition the Lord's Messenger, Rick Perry, for a miracle.

Schmannnity August 31, 2011 at 10:11 pm

Wait until Vermont finds out that Blagojevich sold the helicopters in 2008. They are fucking valuable things!

AlterNewt August 31, 2011 at 10:14 pm

So…'Blackhawk downeaster' then?

salt_bagel August 31, 2011 at 10:16 pm

Stupid IL and NH. Ice cream's all fucking melted by now.

Blendergoathead August 31, 2011 at 10:19 pm

Fuck the ice cream; will there still be maple syrup?

SayItWithWookies August 31, 2011 at 10:26 pm

It's tough now, especially for Vermonters, but it'll all be worth it once Iraq, out of gratitude, gives us all their oil.

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:14 am

Boy, haven't heard that one in years. That's one of the Bush administration's greatest hits.

SayItWithWookies September 1, 2011 at 2:37 am: Oh, Donald Trump revived it for a little while. Went as far as the rest of his campaign though.

fuflans August 31, 2011 at 10:42 pm

great they're all back and it's all started again and the media is like a pig in shit.

i'm going to watch something by tarantino now.

HolyCow!! August 31, 2011 at 10:44 pm

Wouldn't it be great if the Republicans' wet dreams come true and the states have to clean up their own damn hurricanes? No choppers? Too bad.

MichelesPantalones September 1, 2011 at 12:04 am

That could put an end to the war.

PubOption September 1, 2011 at 9:07 am

Imagine what would happen if a red state had to borrow helicopters, and some were painted black.

HolyCow!! September 1, 2011 at 12:57 pm: Right-wing heads explode nationwide.

DahBoner August 31, 2011 at 10:56 pm

We gotta spend billions for Bush's Wars but we don't want to waste the money by helping Americans?

zhubajie August 31, 2011 at 11:56 pm: The Real Americans are Bush and a few pals!

MissusBarry August 31, 2011 at 10:57 pm

There's a lot of geography between Vermont and Illinois…guess NY, PA, OH, and IN's helicopters were all busy. And, of course, the rest of New England's. Quebec saying fuck 'em is understandable, because it's Quebec.

mourningnmerica August 31, 2011 at 11:09 pm

I'm confused. I thought "They're all heroes."

user-of-owls August 31, 2011 at 11:23 pm

Given how much aviation fuel costs, I'm guessing just the flights of the 8 IL helicopters to VT along is going to give that shrill vole Cantor the opportunity to personally dynamite 11 Walk-In Medical Clinics, to strangle with his own hands the 48 kittens and puppies at the Madison Lake Animal Shelter and to stamp DENIED on the FEMA applications of Irene victims while cackling, "Sorry, tee hee, not enough offsets to cover YOU!"

unclejeems September 1, 2011 at 12:21 am: I love that word, "vole." Reminds me of this cartoon http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Cats/Voles.htm . Also reminds me of the Republican House leadership, so right on.
genxr September 1, 2011 at 2:17 am: Next time Cantor flies home from DC, just fill the plane with half as much fuel as normal. That should make up for a few things.

glamourdammerung August 31, 2011 at 11:27 pm

But Obama was supposed to wait several days to authorize the National Guard from another state to go in, then have his sycophants claim it was the governor's fault for "not asking for the help" even though they demonstrably did just that. After all, that is what Bush did.

FlownOver August 31, 2011 at 11:29 pm

Black Hawks fly in, Black Hawks fly out…

mumbly_joe September 1, 2011 at 8:50 am: Back Hawks go up, Black Hawks down, you can't explain it!

(too soon?)

BTWBFDIMHO August 31, 2011 at 11:37 pm

Make sure the Vermonters have the Support Our Troops ribbon on the back of their kayaks.

Angry_Marmot August 31, 2011 at 11:38 pm

Damn, that war in Iraq is like one of those network shows that no one watches and you're surprised to hear it's still in production.

BarackMyWorld August 31, 2011 at 11:46 pm: 2 1/2 Wars.

SudsMcKenzie August 31, 2011 at 11:39 pm

They will come in just like in Apocalypse Now, except instead of blasting Wagner it will be Phish.

FlownOver August 31, 2011 at 11:42 pm: "I love the smell of waffles in the morning…"
zhubajie August 31, 2011 at 11:57 pm: Most Republicans are counting on the Apocalypse to solve all their problems. What about Cantor, though?
genxr September 1, 2011 at 2:18 am: Charlie don't hacky sack!

BarackMyWorld August 31, 2011 at 11:45 pm

You know who else that no one thought had a military ended up sending it into other countries?

zhubajie August 31, 2011 at 11:57 pm: Mongolia.
flamingpdog September 1, 2011 at 1:41 am: Blackwater USA?
Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:19 am: Saddam "So Damn Insane" Hussein?
genxr September 1, 2011 at 2:19 am: Petoria?
Chet Kincaid September 1, 2011 at 9:58 am: Rhythm Nation 1814?

chascates August 31, 2011 at 11:46 pm

Just as long as you call it Hurricane Irene, rather than Haboob Irene.

pinkocommi August 31, 2011 at 11:46 pm

Funny… I would have thought the people up in Vermont would be used to being isolated from the rest of civilization by now.

pinkocommi August 31, 2011 at 11:49 pm

"all six Vermont Guard Black Hawk helicopters are in Iraq…."

This phrase made me imagine how many Vermont Guard Black Hawk helicopters there would be if good ol' lone-Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders were President. The people of Vermont affected by the flooding would still be screwed though.

zhubajie August 31, 2011 at 11:51 pm

I'm sure that there are end times preachers in Iraq (Syria, Turkey, Iran) saying the hurricane is divine punishment on the US for their injustices in Iraq

flamingpdog August 31, 2011 at 11:59 pm

Metzger said he was on one of the Lakota flights Tuesday and managed to deliver two boxes of MREs, or ready-to-eat meals, to Rochester one of the towns with no road access to the outside. Each box contained 24 of the meals. Rochester has about 1,100 residents.

48 meals for 1,100 residents? Is Jesus going to fly in on the next helicopter and turn them into enough fish and loaves of bread for everyone, or is this Michelle Obama's stealth plan to slim down all the kidz in town?

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:21 am: You forget that this is Vermont. They need fewer calories than the REAL Americans, what with being so healthy and all.

Warpde September 1, 2011 at 12:06 am

Oh God!!!!
Don't say there's no Internet porn available!
Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!
No, no, no,….la, la, la,la, I can't hear you, la, la, la.
Wait, I gotta check……………
Come on xnxx, load, load, come on damn you LOA……………Oh thank you Jesus, thank you God, thank you 18 year old taking her top off………
Sorry, um, I've gotta go.
Forgot I need to do some laundry…….mmmmmm…laundry.

not that Dewey September 1, 2011 at 12:22 am

Won't someone please think of the Teddy Bears!?!?

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 1:59 am

The patriotic REAL American in me says that this means that we should bomb Iraq, but the pinko-commie American in me remembers that we've already bombed it. So, what is the exceptionally American solution to this? Bomb it again for good measure? Bring the Helicopter-Americans back home?

BTW, has anyone checked on Bernie Sanders?! The man's a national treasure.

James Michael Curley September 1, 2011 at 5:46 am: Bernie Sanders must have been in DC. Or else Irene would have turned right at Battleboro and headed out to sea by way of Nashua.
mumbly_joe September 1, 2011 at 8:52 am: Well, Jon Bolton is pretty sure we can solve this by bombing Iran.

Negropolis September 1, 2011 at 2:10 am