Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post.

First an earthquake, then a hurricane… what next? A Volcano?

Such is life for citizens in the eastern United States who have recently endured an unusual bout of natural disasters.

When tragedy strikes normally the government steps in to help citizens and communities recover from the worst.

But like everything in American election antics, even natural disasters become the focus of Washington politics.

Enter Ron Paul, Republican candidate for President in 2012.

According to Paul the federal government plays far too large a role in disaster recovery. Paul feels it is time for citizens to,

“transition out of the dependency on the federal government.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently playing an important role in the recovery effort following Hurricane Irene.

The Obama administration, anxious not to repeat the mistakes the Bush Presidency made in the response to Hurricane Katrina, has made a concerted effort to be engaged in the response efforts.

With big budget cuts facing Washington in the years ahead, it appears even disaster relief will become a political football.