One county to the east of Cincinnati, the town of Moscow in Clermont County was nearly wiped off the map. A normal governor with a minimal shred of competence or compassion would immediately declare the county a disaster area, and coordinate with FEMA and other federal agencies on the recovery. Governor Mitch Daniels in neighboring Indiana -- hardly a flaming liberal -- has declared 11 Indiana counties to be disaster areas, clearing the way for federal help. Across the river in Kentucky, Gov. Steve Beshear has similarly declared a statewide emergency.

But here in Ohio, Kasich has responded to the disaster with the type of "leadership" we've come to expect from him:

Kasich says no need for federal help



Gov. John Kasich said he’s not planning to request that Clermont County be declared a federal disaster area. Speaking at New Richmond High School, Kasich said he believes Ohio has its own resources to deal with the disaster. “I believe that we can handle this,” he said.

Unbelievable. An entire Ohio town has been wiped off the map, but Gov. Kasich refuses to declare Clermont County area a disaster area, because that would make it eligible for federal help. And by "unbelievable," I mean totally believable for a teabag-waving sociopath like Kasich.

First time on the rec list. Thanks!

Thanks again for the recs. I don't post many diaries, but I'm active on Twitter at @LivingInGin. If you're interested in political rants, dark humor, and narcissistic navel-gazing, then you're in for a treat. [/shameless plug]

Fortunately, we don't need John Kasch's permission to help in the relief efforts. If you feel so inclined, the Cincinnati Red Cross would be a good place to start.

Another organization close to my heart is Architecture for Humanity, which provides free or low-cost professional design services to disaster-stricken areas around the world.