Today is officially the first day of the GOP’s mighty national convention, except that it’s not because a massive tropical storm ruined the party. Instead of gathering in Tampa to weather insipid speechifying and a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert, angry Isaac sent the horde of Florida-bound Republicans delaying their flights or scurrying indoors. That way, they can safely wait out the chaos in lavish hotel rooms with their families, campaign advisers, and prostitutes. And how, pray tell, did these Republicans get word that trouble was brewing? How were they able to avoid the wrath of the storm, and keep their loved ones out of harm's way?

Why, good weather satellites and hurricane forecasting of course. Guess the GOP is thanking the heavens that it wasn’t able to gut the budget for the program that just saved its ass, like it tried to do in its 2011 budget. That, you might recall, was when Republicans wanted to remove $1.2 billion in funding from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) budget; $700 million of which was to be spent keeping our environmental and weather satellites in working order. Those things are pretty important, as the GOP is learning this rain-soaked week in Florida: they provide accurate information about incoming storms and allow meteorologists to determine whether it’s worth evacuating areas or warning folks to stay indoors. As a result, not a single well-coiffed Romney kid has been swept into the Gulf of Mexico.

Read the rest over at Motherboard.