title:  WATCH: Louisiana Governor Tells Republicans To Stop Whining About President Obama
text: Once again, Republicans are throwing a hissy fit because President Obama did not cut his vacation short to go immediately to Louisiana, but Governor John Bel Edwards put them in their place.As Louisiana deals with historic flooding that has broken records while killing 13 people and destroying tens of thousands of home, Republicans have been complaining about President Obama not dropping everything to visit the state.But during an appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show on Thursday night, Governor Bel Edwards set the record straight.As it turns out, Bel Edwards thinks President Obama s presence would be a distraction that would force the state to shift people and resources to prepare for the visit instead of remaining where they belong.First responders and emergency personnel are still involved in the rescue and recovery phase of the disaster, so pulling them away from that effort would be unwise. Therefore, Bel Edwards appreciates that President Obama did not jump on the first plane to Baton Rouge. The president is welcome anytime he wants to come,  Bel Edwards said. I do want you to know, and your viewers to know, that within hours of me making a request for a federal declaration I got it from the president. He called me. I want you to know that I ve been speaking to Valerie Jarrett just about every day. He dispatched the FEMA administrator to meet with me for an entire day. Today I had the Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. We ve also had the four-star general who runs all of the guard for the country here today. Bel Edwards said he would prefer if President Obama waited a week or two before coming to tour the flood damage and gave an example of what has to done to prepare for such a visit by pointing out how the state prepared for Vice-President Joe Biden s visit when he attended a memorial service three weeks ago for slain police officers. It is a major ordeal, they free up the interstate for him. We have to take hundreds of local first responders, police officers, sheriffs, deputies and state troopers to provide security for that type of visit. I would just as soon have those people engaged in the response rather than trying to secure the president. So I d ask him to wait, if he would, another couple weeks. Bel Edwards also noted that FEMA has been embedded in Baton Rouge since last Thursday, so President Obama and the federal government were well prepared to respond to the flooding unlike President Bush was for Hurricane Katrina, which killed 1,836 people.Rachel Maddow also pointed out that the state would have had emergency funding for this disaster had former Governor Bobby Jindal and Republican lawmakers not crippled state revenue by giving massive tax cuts to the wealthy.Here s the video via MSNBC:In short, President Obama has not ignored Louisiana s struggle. He has done everything short of visiting the state. And if he did visit, it would only do more harm then good.Donald Trump, on the other hand, visited the state and he couldn t even be bothered to cut a check to help those in need. The only  help  he provided was to assist in unloading play-doh from a truck instead of food or water or any other useful supply that people actually need.Meanwhile, President Obama has given Louisiana all the assistance they could possibly ask for in order to help people affected by the flooding. That s what real leadership is all about. Republicans would be well-advised to follow his example.Featured Image: Screenshot