Other veiws: Stimulus hypocrisy is stunning

Talk about it

Americans tend to forgive politicians for most transgressions, but hypocrisy is a deal-breaker. When Republican governors rail against the Recovery Act (stimulus) and then jump on the podium to take credit for stimulus-funded projects, the stench of hypocrisy cannot be masked by flowery speeches. The same reek taints Republicans in Congress for playing politics with one hand and taking the stimulus money with the other.

Facts shine a light on hypocrites. More than 100 Republican governors, representatives and senators have been having a grand ol’ time ripping the stimulus bill, while simultaneously working the system to secure stimulus dollars to create jobs in their states and districts. Those must be the jobs party dogma says the stimulus didn’t create.

Moreover, Republican elected officials have been like flies to sugar at ribbon-cutting ceremonies for stimulus projects. They’ve cranked out news releases and smiled for the cameras. The hypocrisy? They concede the stimulus is working in their states and congressional districts, but they believe an attack-and-criticize strategy is a winning recipe in the November elections.

They also must believe Americans are stupid. They must believe even Republicans are unable to see their leaders taking credit for stimulus-funded work. Like these projects:

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of the most vocal critics of stimulus, brags about funding for a military project in Kentucky.

* South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (of the infamous “You lie!” outburst), told the USDA that the stimulus money he wanted “would provide jobs and investment” for his district.

* Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., sought funds for a high-speed rail project he said would create jobs. Cantor has been one of the most outspoken critics of the stimulus bill.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty put on his conservative face at a recent conservative conference, but couldn’t spin his way through the fact he used stimulus money to balance the state’s budget.

North Dakota’s Republican-dominated Legislature was happy as a clam to take millions of dollars in stimulus money for post-flood road repair and to spend the new federal dollars while banking record state revenues.

The examples of Republicans saying “do as I say, not as I do” can be found in nearly every state in the union. All that dirty federal money gets laundered in a washtub of sanctimonious Republican froth complete with photo ops, news releases and glowing claims of job creation. Then they bray that not one job has been created by the stimulus.

Cut it out, fellas. It’s a stunning display of the kind of political hypocrisy that has made “politician” a dirty word.

Tags: other views, opinion, editorials, stimulus