The Star-Ledger of Newark on what Hurricane Sandy taught about humanity:

In January of 2013, powerful Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise, one of those steadfast climate change deniers, voted against the $50.5 billion Sandy relief package because he said it would not be fiscally responsible.

He has since become the third most powerful man in the House, the Majority Whip. And as they began cleaning up from the devastating floods in his beloved Bayou State, Scalise and two other GOP lawmakers who voted against Sandy aid — Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. John Flemming — made the loudest demands for short-term help from President Obama.

FEMA has distributed $107 million so far. No thoughtful person, indeed, will deny the long-term needs of 60,000 people whose homes literally washed away, resulting in 13 deaths and $20 billion in damage.

And no one would deny Scalise the right to fight for his constituents, and state the case for assistance that will make the devastation just slightly more tolerable.

Therein lies a handy lesson, not in politics but in humanity: When a catastrophic event strikes, you don’t start leafing through the Tea Party Hypocrisy handbook for the chapter on austerity economics. You get people the help they need, because that’s what public service is supposed to be about. Even if you’re a hypocrite.