Be safe, Republicans. And don't forget to thank your government.

Tropical Storm Isaac With Republicans having wisely and responsibly cancelled the first day of their National Convention as a precaution against the threat of Tropical Storm Isaac, we should hope they all remain safe from danger and harm. We should all hope everyone in the storm's path remains safe from danger and harm, including the Republicans' friends in the family values adult entertainment industry, and the Republicans' owners in the war on democracy industry. Be safe, Republicans. Be safe, everyone.

And while we're all wishing safe times for the Republicans and their friends, we also should be hoping that the Republicans will all take a few moments to think about and thank the government agencies that are working hard to keep the Republicans safe. The same government agencies the Republicans tried to undermine and underfund, during their budget showdown with President Obama, last year.

But if members of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives wielding the budget ax in Washington have their way, future accurate forecasting may not be guaranteed and even curtailed, critics including hurricane experts say.

Proposed cuts in the budget of the U.S. weather agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and in funding for new satellites to help improve severe storm warnings, could undermine the NHC's forecasting ability.

It's good to be able to predict when massive storms threaten major cities, and the Republicans are lucky we have federal agencies that do exactly that.

The National Weather Service, of course, is part of NOAA -- its funding drops by $126 million. The CR also reduces funding for FEMA management by $24.3 million off of the FY2010 budget, and reduces that appropriation by $783.3 million for FEMA state and local programs.

And should Isaac have done what so many storms have done, shifting direction and growing more severe, residents and visitors in Tampa also would have found themselves lucky to have the help of yet another federal agency:

House Republicans moved their first two 2012 appropriations bills through committee Tuesday amid fights with committee Democrats over deep cuts to disaster aid that come as Missouri grapples with a devastating tornado.

Appropriators reported the Homeland Security and military construction spending bills to the floor after beating back Democratic amendments to restore funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and grants to fund firefighter training and assistance programs. [...]

With the cuts, FEMA state and local programs would be reduced by 55 percent compared to levels for fiscal 2011, and by 70 percent compared to fiscal 2010.

The Republicans want to drown the government in a bathtub, and we know how well that works out. So let's all be thankful that with a huge storm bearing down on a lot of people, we still have federal agencies working hard to protect them and care for them.