[Vision2020] GOP Lawmakers Tout Projects in the Stimulus Bill They Opposed

[Tom Hansen]

How do you know a politician is lying? He's taking credit for stimulus, 
even though he voted against it.

Courtesy of "McClatchy - Truth to Power" at:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/62181.html
 
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GOP lawmakers tout projects in the stimulus bill they opposed

WASHINGTON — Rep. John Mica was gushing after the House of Representatives 
voted Friday to pass the big stimulus plan. 

"I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be 
part of America's future," the Florida Republican beamed in a press 
release.

Yet Mica had just joined every other GOP House member in voting against 
the $787.2 billion economic recovery plan. 

Republicans echoed their party line over and over during the debate: "This 
bill is loaded with wasteful deficit spending on the majority's favorite 
government programs," as Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., put it.

But Mica wasn't alone in touting what he saw as the bill's virtues. Rep. 
Don Young, R-Alaska, also had nice things to say in a press release.

Young boasted that he "won a victory for the Alaska Native contracting 
program and other Alaska small business owners last night in H.R. 1, the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

One provision would have made it harder for minority businesses to win 
contracts, and Young explained that he "worked with members on the other 
side of the aisle to make the case for these programs, and was able to get 
the provision pulled from the bill."

Yet later in the day Young — who recently told McClatchy that he would've 
included earmarks, or local projects, in the bill if it had been 
permitted — issued another statement blasting the overall measure.

"This bill was not a stimulus bill. It was a vehicle for pet projects, and 
that's wrong," he protested.

That was more in line with the Republican message.

Young wouldn't return a request for comment on the apparent contradiction 
of his press releases.

Mike Steel, a spokesman for House GOP Leader John Boehner of Ohio, at 
first ducked when asked about Mica and Young issuing press releases 
praising the bill they'd opposed.

"I don't work for Mica or Young," Steel said initially.

But then he explained that what Mica and Young did in touting aspects of 
the bill was in fact consistent with the Republican message.

"Being supportive of one portion of a trillion dollar bill, but voting 
against the entire trillion dollar bill, is perfectly reasonable," Steel 
said.

Mica is the top Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, and a longtime backer of high-speed rail. GOP committee 
spokesman Justin Harclerode explained that Mica saw the bill's $8 billion 
for rail as a "silver lining," and "he's encouraged others are supporting 
high speed rail too."

But nowhere in the Young or Mica statements was any mention that they 
opposed the bill.

Harclerode wasn't sure why Mica didn't mention his opposition. "It's not 
really secret," he said. "I guess it just wasn't the focus."

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Before summer sets in . . .

I'm guessin' that John McCain will claim co-authorship of the Stimulus Bill

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"For a lapsed Lutheran born-again Buddhist pan-Humanist Universalist 
Unitarian Wiccan Agnostic like myself there's really no reason ever to go 
to work."

- Roy Zimmerman


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