Train Wreck of a WaPo Story

(AP photo)

The bodies from that terrible Amtrak crash were barely cold yesterday, when the Washington Post’s Philip Bump chose point fingers at the GOP:

The constant struggle of Amtrak to get funding derives largely from the fact that not very many Americans use the rail system. Ridership is heavily centered in the Northeast, in the corridor between Boston and Washington where Tuesday’s accident occurred. But more than that, ridership is unevenly distributed politically. Data from the National Association of Railroad Passengers shows the number of passengers that get on or off the train in any given congressional district, and reveals an obvious reason why Republicans might not be too concerned about funding the system.

“Republicans don’t care if blue staters DIE!” is a charming subtext, yes?

The actual cause of the crash is believed to have been excessive speed on the part of the engineer, not crumbling rails due to parsimonious GOP lawmakers.