You'd think we would've stopped being surprised by the sociopathic mindset of the teabag-waving element of the GOP, but every so often somebody like Ohio's John Kasich reminds us how much lower it's possible to sink.

I live near downtown Cincinnati, and as you've know doubt seen on the news, our region was devastated by a severe tornado outbreak yesterday afternoon. Cincinnati itself was spared the brunt of the storm, but neighboring counties in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio were particularly hard-hit. The storms were so strong that tornadoes a hundred miles away in Indiana were causing leaves and small debris to drift down from the clouds here in Cincinnati. As of this writing, the death toll from the disaster has surpassed 36 people.

One county to the east of Cincinnati, the town of Moscow in Clermont County was nearly wiped off the map. A normal governor with a minimal shred of competence or compassion would immediately declare the county a disaster area, and coordinate with FEMA and other federal agencies on the recovery. Governor Mitch Daniels in neighboring Indiana -- hardly a flaming liberal -- has declared 11 Indiana counties to be disaster areas, clearing the way for federal help. Across the river in Kentucky, Gov. Steve Beshear has similarly declared a statewide emergency.

But here in Ohio, Kasich has responded to the disaster with the type of "leadership" we've come to expect from him:

Kasich says no need for federal help

Gov. John Kasich said he’s not planning to request that Clermont County be declared a federal disaster area.

Speaking at New Richmond High School, Kasich said he believes Ohio has its own resources to deal with the disaster. “I believe that we can handle this,” he said.