I’m writing from Manhattan, where the winds are roaring and we’re awaiting the full-on arrival of Hurricane Sandy, which has already flooded parts of the city, this photo of Red Hook Brooklyn shows, as well as New Jersey. As any responsible president would do, President Obama has declared a state of emergency in 7 states and DC, allowing them to receive federal funds for emergency disaster assistance. But WWRD? What Would Romney do? Probably not a whole lot.

During a June GOP debate, when asked about federal disaster relief for tornado and flood victims, Mitt Romney said that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should be privatized. It is, Romney argued, actually “immoral” for the federal government to spend money to provide disaster ...