The left on the AMTRAK wreck: GOP to blame

The wheelsets on AMTRAK’s Northeast Regional Train 188 hadn’t even stopped spinning when the left took to Twitter to do what it does best: lie.

Hope there are lots of Republicans on that Amtrak train then maybe they’ll have a come to Jesus moment and fund infrastructure. #LastWord

— RB Blair (@TuxcedoCat) May 13, 2015

What assclowns like this are attempting to claim is that the expenditure of over $1 BILLION per year in AMTRAK subsidies was insufficient to prevent this tragedy. Because, you know, no matter what happens there are always Republicans and conservatives to blame. Equally noxious it this:

Hours after deadly crash, House committee considers cutting Amtrack funding by $251 million http://t.co/vU0wiWQJkC pic.twitter.com/mT8PMWxuZ2

— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) May 13, 2015

Stringing two wildly unrelated events together and implying that cutting AMTRAK subsidies in the future is somehow to blame for a train wreck in the past.

The real cause of the wreck seems, at least initially, to be unrelated to funding:

Investigators of Tuesday’s deadly Amtrak derailment say they are focusing on reports that the train was traveling more than twice the 50-mile-an-hour speed limit when it entered a sharp curve in Frankford.

An automatic train control system designed to prevent speeding was not in place where Amtrak Train 188 crashed, killing seven people and injuring more than 200.

The train’s engineer, who has not been identified, declined to give a statement to police investigators and left the East Detectives Division with an attorney, police commissioner Charles H. Ramsey said Wednesday.

“more than twice the 50-mile-an-hour speed limit” is pretty much the same for “doing over 100mph in a 50mph zone.” This is a problem that should have had the solution baked in.

This tragedy should draw Congressional attention to AMTRAK. That attention should be focused on train safety and not on pumping more money into a rather elite mode of transportation.

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