Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh Haiti comments draw fire

Leave it to certain commentators to display unique interpretations of compassion and reason when everyone else is merely adhering to the traditional definitions of the words.

When most people are using their time and efforts to brainstorm ways to help the citizens of Haiti, who have no doubt endured massive suffering after Tuesday’s huge earthquake, Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh opted to use theirs in a decidedly different fashion Wednesday.

Robertson, the go-to guy for agreeing with outlandish premises surrounding victim-blaming after horrific tragedies, said that the reason for Haiti’s earthquake was that the nation-state made a deal with the devil. Lest you think that College News is exaggerating Robertson’s Church Lady-like proclamations, there’s video of Robertson stating the following (via):



Robertson: “Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about. [Haitians] were under the heel of the French...and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, ‘we will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French.’ True story. And the Devil said, ‘OK it’s a deal.’ Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after another.”

Never letting one to get useless facts in the way of good rhetoric, Robertson’s statements conveniently ignore the fact that, like that 80 percent of Haitians identify themselves as Roman Catholics, with Protestants representing a distant second place with 16 percent. But, you know, voodoo is spooky, and even if one person practicing it means that the whole country has gotta go. God had some Old Testament wrathin’ to do, apparently.

But while you could certainly excuse Robertson’s remarks as Pat just being Pat, it takes a certain kind of mind to take a tragedy and politicize it.

(Rush Limbaugh enters the room).

Did anyone else feel a chill?

On his radio program Wednesday morning, Rusty said that President Barack Obama and company would use Haiti to get closer to the “light-skinned and dark-skinned black [communities] in this country” while adding that the U.S. has “already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax.”

Listen to excerpts here and here.

If you were wondering who would be so cynical as to suggest that a president would use a monumental tragedy to gain support amongst a group of voters who already overwhelmingly support him--to the tune of 89 percent who view him favorably, natch--well, now you have your answer.

There’s perhaps a point to be made about private organizations and individuals helping out on their own. But, of course, local churches and government have been helping each other out since Katrina hit. It’s not like they have to be mutually exclusive or anything.

But hey, why deal with subtleties when canned outrage will suffice?