Hypocrisy – The Fundamentals of The GOP

Original Link: http://letustalk.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/hypocrisy-the-fundamentals-of-the-gop/

By Paulette

The Grand Obstruction Party (GOP) is full of a bunch of swingers! Back in their home districts congressional Republicans who voted against the stimulus bill and some Republican Governors who opposed the stimulus are singing the praises of projects in the stimulus. I’ve listed seven hypocrites since 7 is the perfect number, but I could have gone on, and on, and on…

Last week Hypocrite # 1 (Don Young of Alaska) issued a press release stating that he “won a victory for the Alaska Native contracting program and other Alaska small business owners” by working with Democrats to pull a provision from the Senate bill that he feared would hurt American Indian and Alaska Native owned businesses.

Hypocrite # 2 (John Mica from Florida) issued a press release saying, “I applaud President Obama’s recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America’s future.”

Hypocrite # 3 (Peter Hoekstra from Michigan) ‘tweeted’ “If you know of someone thinking of buying first home, now may be the time. Stimulus incentive is very generous! Up to 8k! Check it out.”

Hypocrite # 4 (Leonard Lance from New Jersey) toured a Army Corps of Engineers construction site that will likely get stimulus dollars and said, “This is a classic example of a “shovel-ready’ project!,”

Hypocrite # 5 (Blaine Luetkemeyer from Missouri) visited Truman State University and said, “Within the stimulus package there is some Pell Grant money, which is a good thing. It helps students be able to pay for their education and that’s kind of a long term stimulus effect there. I mean obviously that’s not gonna provide a job in the next 120, 180 days, but the ability of someone to get an education is an economic development tool.”

Hypocrite # 6 (Kit Bond from Missouri) announced that there are $2 billion in funds in the stimulus bill to jump start low income housing projects, would save jobs as well as employ more than 3,000 people in Missouri.

On Tuesday, Rachel Maddow of MSNBC interviewed Hypocrite # 7 (Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty from Minnesota):

MADDOW: I know that you think the stimulus bill is a bad idea. So, that means you are turning down the money, right, Governor?

PAWLENTY: Well, I have concerns about the bill. I think it could have been done better. I was in favor of a stimulus bill; I was disappointed in this one for a variety of reasons. But in Minnesota’s case, we are going to accept the money for this reason, Rachel — we pay in for every dollar to the federal government. We get about 72 cents back. We’re the 46th least receiving state of any state of the nation in terms of federal money. So, our view is, if you buy the pizza, it’s OK if you have a slice. It doesn’t mean you can’t express concerns about the bill or offer suggestions on how it could have been better.

MADDOW: My analogy is this. I pay my taxes to support my local police. But it doesn’t mean that I would buy stuff from a crooked cop that was heisting stuff out of an evidence locker or something. If you are getting offered something that you think you shouldn’t be offered, you shouldn’t take it, should you?

PAWLENTY: Well, I think the bill has some positive features in it. My view of it is this. The federal government is spending money they don’t have, they’re borrowing it in part from the Chinese — that’s number one. Number two: it could have been a better targeted bill, a more impactful bill, probably for less money — that’s number two. And number three — it was a missed opportunity because, I think, with some modest modifications, it could have been truly bipartisan and lived up to that promise of President Obama. And so, for those reasons, I expressed concern about the bill. I think it could have been done better so the answer isn’t no, it’s better. And, again, when you are paying the tab like Minnesota is, one of the major contributors, subsidizers of the federal government, I don’t think it’s untoward for us to accept our share of the money.

What a bunch of hypocritical freaks!