Newshoggers Comments
This is like the Manhattan steam pipe explosion, a case of deferred infrastructure spending, probably related to tax-cut at all costs mentality of the Republicans, so yes, they will be tempted to muddy the waters with initial speculation about terrorism.
I guess Powerline forgot about the huge bridge collapse in California back when. Was it the Berkeley-Oakland bridge maybe? And I would rush hour would be the most likely time for a structual failure. More traffic, more weight on the bridge -- no?
Brave of you to slog through the muck of the wingers Cernig.
Cernig, I think it is rather obvious that you are taking most of the bloggers cited here vastly out of context.
At Wizbang, Kim Priestap simply noted that Homeland Security would have to consider the possiblity that such a major failure was terrorism related. In my reading of her comments, I could, in no way, interpret her comments as wanting this to be a terror attack, just mentioning an obvious step that HS has to consider in any non-natural disaster. It is what they are paid to do.
At Hot Air, Allahpundit's "Hmmm" was attached to two paragraphs noting that the collapse occurred at rush hour. That's it.
As rush hour is typically when most roads are at their most crowded, I'd say that this was intended to point to stress and weight on the bridge, and not terrorism. In this instance, you are guilty of twisting his words to support your thesis.
The quote at Powerline is also taken vastly out of context. If you read the whole post, it is clear that Hinderaker, who I think is a resident of the area, was simply conveying his amazement that this kind of catastrophe could happen in this day and age (Captain Ed, who you did not cite, alos seemed amazed at the scale of the collapse. Aren't we all?). That is what he meant by, "This is the kind of disaster that just doesn't happen in the United States..." You are wildly twisting his words out of context to suit your narrative, as nothing in his post in any way points at terrorism as a possible cause.
At LGF, Charles notes that DHS being on the scene is "...undoubtedly routine. At the moment, there is no sign of sabotage or terrorism; no one has reported any explosions, and it seems to be a massive structural failure."
Likewise, "loloinok" only mentions that "Dept of Homeland Security is monitoring and says it does not appear to be an act of terrorism."
I think you owe all of these bloggers an apology for twisting their words so wildly out of context.
As for Malkin's comments re: terrorism as a cause... well, they struck me as off-key and perhaps a little creepy; I can't defend that.
As for the commenters on these and other sites... well, we've got a lot of nuts in this world, and many have a modem.
Quite a few are over at the Democratic Underground right now commenting on this disaster, blaming it on privitization, "aka killing Americans for profits," somehow deciding this is a perfect time to mention that "The only good Republican is a dead Republican," and issuing forth nutty claims about being dragged into a concentration camp crematorium. Huh?
Another nutter actually blamed Ronald Reagan... and of course, there are many posts blaming our current President as well.
As you well know, blogs both right and left can attract extremists that say amazingly stupid things, and it hardly seems fair to blame bloggers for something that they did not say.
Perhaps instead of going on meaningless witchhunts--especially when y
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Perhaps instead of going on meaningless witchhunts--especially when you've uncovered so few witches--you should marvel at the strength of the human spirit that inspired so many people--including those who went down on the collapsed span--to rush to the aid of the wounded even though they knew their own lives were in danger.
can we cut taxes some more now? you have a greater chance of being hit by lightening then by being struck by a collapsing bridge, or exploding steam pipe, or falling in a sink hole or, ...
Remember how the wingnuts and MSM jumped all over the Lite Bright Aqua Teen circuit boards. The "bubble head bleach blondes" on the news were even upset by the physical appearance of the "LED terrorists". When US terrorism is cheese, old cold packs and gas cutting torches, the pants pissers jump on anything.
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