Via the Standard, turns out the GOP is pro-rape, I guess. Well, the GOP plus Ben Nelson and Jon Tester.

Since we’re now framing the debate in these terms, shouldn’t O redraft his bill to apportion a lot more money for first responders? Hiring many, many more cops might not be as economically stimulative as hiring more construction workers, but hey — less rape.

Low levels of public safety personnel, rising crime and the nationwide recession is like a “mixture for cancer” in the city of Flint, Vice President Joe Biden said in his speech today from the downtown Flint fire station.

The vice president spoke about the hundreds of layoffs of police officers and firefighters in the city as he called for Congress to pass the American Jobs Act.

A $5 billion provision in the bill provides grant money to rehire and retain first responders he said…

Biden spoke about the correlation between police and firefighter layoffs in Flint and the rise in violent crime and arson. He also spoke about how local governments’ tax bases are disappearing.

A crazy question inspired by Rob Port’s post on this today: If more cops are desperately needed in Flint, why is the city seemingly hell bent on spending millions of stimulus dollars on “green” buses instead? If the money’s been earmarked by the feds for that purpose, no problem. Simply appeal to Obama and Michigan’s congressional delegation to have it reappropriated for police. And when you do, be sure to ask him/them why they care more about electric vehicles than, say, rape.

Exit question via Alana Goodman: Since preventing horrible crimes is everyone’s top priority, how come the Flint police union preferred to see 20 cops laid off last year rather than take a pay cut to keep them on the beat?