Senator Kerry and Governor Patrick in Springdield yesterday

[Mass]

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/in_wake_of_tornadoes_local_cre.html

SPRINGFIELD - Western Massachusetts will be receiving help from state and federal agencies as local crews work tirelessly in the wake of the tornadoes that devastated much of the area Wednesday.
At a press conference held at the city's Emergency Preparedness Center on Carew Street Wednesday evening, local officials were joined by Gov. Deval Patrick and Sen. John Kerry, who both assured Western Massachusetts that help in on the streets and more is on the way.
...
Sen. Kerry expressed his condolences to the families affected and assured that the victims will be served by a "unified response."
"When I first talked to the governor, he was in the bunker in Framingham and he was with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Emergency teams have been activated and are on their way from Framingham and Vermont” Sen Kerry said. “With 19 communities affected, given what we're hearing about the damage, I can't imagine that we will not be receiving federal assistance. I'm confident that assessment will be made in record time so we can help the community bounce back."
...
Sen. Kerry said that Congressman Richard Neal will be arriving in the area Thursday morning as they along with Gov. Patrick and local officials work to assess the damage.
Sarno said he will not "spare a dime" from the city's budget to make sure the City of Firsts bounces back from this disaster.
"This has been a trying time but also a time of coordination and heroic efforts. We are all in this together," Sarno said. "I give you my word, the city of Springfield is resolute and we will move forward with rebuilding this city. Many a times in adversity, that's when character shines. Springfield is full of character."
Sen. Kerry said he has seen similar natural disasters across the country and that the response from agencies across Western Massachusetts has been among the best.
"The response has been coordinated and impressive. My sense is that everything that can be done is being done right now," Sen. Kerry said. "This is probably a once in a hundred years weather event and we've been hit with these across the county. I'm confident with the response I've seen tonight."

[karynnj]

1. Nice coverage of the MA response to this disaster

I hope that they soon get the aid that will be needed.

[Mass]

2. That is the SPringfield paper.

This said, the Globe paper of the MA response is terrible.

They have a long article that was well written about the damages, then a blog article by Glen Johnson about the response.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2011/06/governor_shifts.html

Governor shifts from business to disaster duty

As Governor Deval Patrick announced yesterday that a UK-based company was adding up to 25 jobs in Massachusetts, the sunshine streaming into the State House Great Hall from the skylights above faded to black.

The governor finished his remarks, answered a couple questions from reporters in the hallway outside, and then headed off to an evening engagement.

In the elevator, he ran into another reporter who had not been at the event. He asked Patrick what he thought of the reported tornado out west, catching Patrick flat-footed.

It was then that he learned of the storms he would later declare had spawned at least two tornadoes and killed at least four people in Massachusetts.

...

For all his firmness and empathy, Patrick was a bit defensive when asked whether the state had been caught off-guard by the storm.

He recalled the mayor of Springfield, Domenic Sarno, who heads the state's third-largest city, telling him he had only 10-minutes of warning.

"It's Mother Nature," the governor said, before quickly shifting to further details of his administration's response.

After the news conference, Murray downed a piece of pizza while Patrick conferred with aides.
...

OMG, the governor does not know a tornado is going to happen in a state where tornadoes are relatively rare. And the Lt Gov has a pizza slice.

[karynnj]

4. Johnson's article is ridiculous with its concentration on them originally not knowing

What seems clear is that within three hours, he had the National Guard out and had declared the state a disaster area and had spoken to the media on what was happening. There is little that he could have done earlier.

It will be interesting to see how Johnson covers Brown, who the Herald says will be in Springfield today to survey the damage.

[Mass]

5. Brown was there this morning.

http://www.necn.com/06/02/11/Sen-Scott-Brown-in-Springfield-Mass-to-a/landing_weather.html?blockID=531421&feedID=4211

(NECN: Jennifer Eagan: Springfield, Mass.) - Sen. Scott Brown said that emergency management officials are working feverishly to assess the damage and account for all the people who may have been affected by Wednesday's tornadoes.

"I used to work here... And to see it like this it's sad, but it's just stuff," the senator said, noting that trees and buildings and things can be replaced.

"That's when we're at our best when we have these types of problems," said Brown of the emergency responses in Massachusetts following such major storms as the Blizzard of '78.

I am not sure if the comment was cut, but he seems callous. 4 people died, more than 30 were injured and hundred lost all they had, but "it is just stuff"???

[karynnj]

6. I thought that comment odd too, but wondered if he did not know that 4 people died

and many were seriously injured and in the hospital. More picky is that he spoke of "trees can be moved and moved and trees can be replanted (!)"

He had already been at the shelter where I assume he likely met some of the people whose homes were destroyed. He also named the mayor of Westfield, when he seemed to be speaking of Springfield.

His comments on volunteering were good.

As a contrast, Governor Patrick does a great job here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QfKiJk87T0 He sets a great tone.

[Mass]

7. I just listened to the video. Amazingly callous.

I had hoped there was something else there that was cut in the transcript, but NO. And if he did not know 4 people were killed and many injured , it begs the question of why he did not know. The media in the Boston area have been covering non stop.

[karynnj]

8. He surveyed the area by helicopter with Patrick and Kerry yesterday

He was not at the Boston press conference, but there is no way to look at even the photos and not consider that people were harmed.

I would assume that even people in that area who personally were lucky and came through ok, are still shaken and likely know people who suffered loses. Even had this been weaker and no one died, it is pretty cavalier to say of other people's houses that they were just "stuff". It is entirely different than when people, who lost their homes but their family was safe, say pretty much the same thing.

Pictures of Kerry from today:
http://www.timesunion.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1027105&width=628&height=471
(I think that is Brown, unidentified and walking behind.)

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Photos-Massachusetts-wakes-to-death-and-ruin-1406282.php

The pictures of the devastation are incredibly sickening - the power of the tornadoes was really terrifying. Looking at the photos, it really is amazing that the toll in lives was as low as it was.

[karynnj]

9. More coverage of Patrick and Kerry

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/State-leaders-re-assure-public

[Mass]

10. More here

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/06/officials_offer.html

Latest numbers
Four people were killed and some 200 people were injured by the tornadoes that swept through the area yesterday afternoon.

[ObamaKerryDem]

19. I was wondering where Brown was on this..

..what an incredibly asinine comment from him. It's even more painfully obvious in this very serious instance how very out of his league he is here, next to JK (and Gov. Patrick, for that matter)..and as a whole. *shakes head*

Hope everyone here who is in MA is safe! What a terrible shock...tornadoes in MA?? I sure hadn't heard of it! How awful for Springfield and all affected areas! :(

I truly believe the severe (and often bizarrely placed) weather patterns we've been seeing lately here in the US and indeed around the world are due in large part at least to climate change...I really do.

So proud of JK and the leadership he is showing on this (though it's no surprise:))..and Gov. Patrick too. Hope the federal aid comes in soon! Sad, scary stuff!

[Mass]

22. The mayor of Westfield is Republican, I think.

That would explain it.

[ladym55]

24. Today's Globe has Brown looking like the group leader

It figures. I went to the website today to learn about what had happened and read about the lesser Senator.

I'm trying to get my head around what happened. Long time ago I lived just south of East Longmeadow, so remember the area. It's hard to imagine a tornado there. Tornadoes are something that belong in my part of the country, not Springfield.

[Mass]

25. Where. I did not see that. If anything, I thought the papers had done a pretty good job

showing Kerry and Patrick as leader and Brown as tagging along. I must have missed the article.

[Mass]

3. More here.

http://www.necn.com/06/02/11/Sen-John-Kerry-Cant-turn-your-back/landing_newengland.html?blockID=531426&feedID=4206
(NECN) - Sen. John Kerry says that government needs to take care of its citizens in the wake of such disasters as the tornadoes in western Massachusetts and the May 22 catastrophe in Joplin, Mo.

"Your can't really turn your back on people that are hurting and communities that are getting hit one way or the other," the senator said of the role government must play in getting people relief.

"The United States of America is not so broke that we can't do what's necessary to take care of our citizens," Kerry said.

[karynnj]

11. More from Springfield's paper on this mornings tour by their Mayor, the Gov, LT Gov and the Senators

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/springfield_mayor_domenic_sarn_27.html

[Blaukraut]

12. Well, as I suspected: We have gone from...

"Governor Patrick, Senator Kerry, and Senator Brown toured the area" in NECN reporting this morning, to "Governor Patrick, Senator Brown, and Senator Kerry..." at the noon coverage to "Senator Brown toured the area this morning and he is deeply concerned about the damage...blah blah" with extended clip reporting this afternoon.

Our media really truly suck.

[karynnj]

13. Pathetic as the clips really show who the MA leaders are - Kerry and Patrick

Patrick and especially Kerry seem like the type of leaders you want at a time like this.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kerry-federal-aid-likely-after-massachusetts-tornado/2011/06/02/AGkbcKHH_video.html

It is amazing that they are pushing Brown.

[Mass]

14. They are desperate to keep him alive until 2012 and he did not get his quota of coverage yesteday

as he was otherwise busy.

This said, the vast majority of the reporting I saw show Kerry and Patrick as the leading forces and Brown as an after thought.

[karynnj]

15. I loved the photo of the Gov, Mayor and the Senators surveying damage in Springfield.

http://www.timesunion.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1027105&width=628&height=471

Brown looks like he is tagging along, but the adults are all in front of him. As to yesterday, I can't imagine there was anything more important than the tornado - though in fairness, Patrick was leading the state effort and Kerry was already working on getting federal help.

By the way, here is a photo that alone could spur another BH botox article - http://photos.masslive.com/republican/2011/06/massachusetts_tornadoes_aftermath_and_recovery_7.html

If you hit "next", there is a photo of the Senator who looks like he needs sunscreen and has his glasses attached to his shirt. Given that he ran on looks, is it fair to note that his hair is thinning noticeably and the election is a year and a half out?

[MBS]

16. coverage on Boston ch 25 (local Fox channel, right?).

around 11 am today, saw it from the distance (couldn't hear the sound, unfortunately ) in Logan airport.
It was an extensive, one-on-one, on-site interview with John Kerry.
NPR radio last night mentioned Gov. Patrick (only).
No mention of the The Other One the whole time I was in town. : )
Surely, surely people will notice who the real leaders are?

Even in Boston last night, with no tornados, that was some storm! Pretty scary driving around 9:30 pm. .

[ProSense]

17. The images are

devastating: Tornadoes Tear Through Massachusetts

Watching the coverage on TWC, you could hear the shock in the voices of the residents as they fought back the tears. Senator Kerry made a brief statement that TWC showed a few times this morning.

After seeing what happened in Missouri, it still doesn't ease the heartbreak and shock of an incident like this. Very scary.

My prayers go out to everyone across the country who is dealing with the aftermath of these storms.

[karynnj]

18. Kerry's comments last night at the press conference - audio

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/sen_john_kerry_we_will_rebuild.html

[TayTay]

20. Glad to hear everyone is ok

The storm had zero effect on my area. It generated an incredible light show of lightning in the sky, but it was lightning without rain or thunder. Just this amazing lightning from 10-15 miles away blazing away across a dusky sky. It was one of the most incredible light shows I've ever seen. (My area in the Merrimack Valley didn't even get rain last night.)

Sen. Kerry was on TV last night right around 8:30 or 9 pm. He was at the MEMA (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency) "bunker" in Worcester for a first press conference. He was back to Springfield this morning where he and Governor Patrick and Brown took a helicopter tour of the area. (Good thing. Roads are still impassible in many areas.)

The Senator was thoughtful and warm in his remarks on the disaster. I thought he was again today as well. The State will need federal help to rebuild Springfield, which is a low-income area of the state. Nice to see Scott Brown there today as well. I suspect he learned a lot about emergency preparedness and why voting to cut FEMA and Emergency funding is not always a good idea.

[Mass]

21. These storms are incredible. My MIL. who lives about 3 miles from where the tornado passed said

it did not even rain where she was. They barely had wind.

The images are so incredible. I had seen the images of larger and more devastating tornadoes, but it is even more impressive when you know the place.

[karynnj]

23. Kerry and Congressional delegation send letter asking for disaster declaration

I think it is interesting that Kerry's PR says,

"Senator John Kerry, alongside Congressman Richard Neal and the Massachusetts Congressional delegation today sent a letter to President Obama urging him to issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration to assist homes and businesses that have been damaged by the devastating tornadoes across Central and Western Massachusetts. "

The actual letter follows and is signed by both Senators and all the Congressmen. http://kerry.senate.gov/press/release/?id=1e0eca62-ba6d-466e-be2b-ae686809ece9