Posts Tagged: American Reinvestment and Recovery Act

GOP CAUGHT WITH HAND IN STIMULUS COOKIE JAR

By Matthew Blake | Aug 28 2009 at 11:13 | Your take

Richard Lardner and Monika Mathur of the Associated Press report on Congressional Republicans who vehemently opposed the stimulus bill but then proceeded to lobby for stimulus Pentagon projects in their state and district, like new army hospitals and defense base repairs. I think such naked hypocrisy is preferable to rejecting stimulus money, like South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford tried. At least Georgia GOP Senator’s Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson might be helping local Air Force-based Georgia communities or something.

That said, it shows the insincere grandstanding by some Republicans who railed against the stimulus being filled with earmarks. It’s hard for Washington’s response to the recession to be effective when several members of Congress have no interest in a sincerely or consistently explaining their position on government aid.-MB

Topics: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Beltway Outsider, Dept. of Defense
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ALL POLITICS IS NATIONAL

By Matthew Blake | Jun 02 2009 at 11:47 | Your take

In 1860 South Carolina became the first confederate state to secede from the Union. In 2009, South Carolina’s governor, Mark Sanford, has seceded from the state. Corey Dade and Alex Roth of the Wall Street Journal report that a federal judge yesterday rejected Sanford’s rejection of $700 million in federal stimulus money. The stimulus cash — which would go toward education and public safety — was desperately wanted by the South Carolina state legislature, including the Republican president of the legislature. But Sanford feels the money could be better spent trimming the state’s debt.

Sanford has been ridiculed but there’s a legit federalism argument to be made that Washington can’t detail how state governments should spend money. Unfortunately, Sanford is making a political point here about deficit spending instead of looking out for South Carolina. Sanford allegedly wants  to drum up interest in a possible 2012 presidential bid. He probably won’t running on the record of South Carolina’s schools and public safety level.-MB

Topics: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Beltway Outsider, Dept. of Education, Government in My Backyard (GIMBY)
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