Not a penny
In a perfect world we would block funds to those states whose rank partisan Republicans voted against the stimulus package. The folks who direct the money should insure that not a penny of the stimulus money flows to districts represented by the Republicans who worked so hard to obstruct the bill. Then the districts voters - who are affected by votes against relief - will understand the real value of their representatives in congress.
Funny how the R's who screamed loudest and denounced the recovery bill will be there with their hands out.
They're trying to have their cake and eat it too. They vote against it, blabber on the Capitol steps how they were against the stimulus package....but will take recovery money.
Many of them spent their President’s Day recess at home bragging about the programs they will be delivering to their home districts:
Gov. Pawlenty (R-MN) told Rachel Maddow he would nevertheless accept funds for Minnesota: "Our view is, if you buy the pizza, it’s OK if you have a slice."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he would gladly accept funds for his state. "You don’t want to be crazy here."
Rep. John Mica (R-FL) voted against the bill...but gushed, "I applaud President Obama’s recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America’s future."
Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) insisted that the recovery bill "would have exploded our national debt without providing meaningful job growth." But then Lance toured construction sites in his district...hoping for funds that would come from the stimulus bill.
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) boasted that he "won a victory for…Alaska small business owners" in the recovery bill he refused to vote for.
And the list goes on...
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/18/bond-touts-stimulus/
Republicans to the nation: I refuse to vote for this stimulus as it will ruin the economy.
Republicans to their constituents: I have worked tirelessly to recieve money to put the great workers of our state back to work.
Come next election, Americans are going to remember the Republicans who voted against relief in the short run...who voted against recovery just so they could return to power in the long run. Power they want so they can continue to stifle relief and wreck the country further - because a nation full of desperate, hopeless people is a nation full of people who will work cheap.
They think.
Come next election voters are going to remember who sabotaged every reasonable attempt to provide relief and salvage the economy.
President Obama and the Democrats want to take action - please, I don't want to hear whether or not that action is enough or to your particular liking - while the Republicans want to do absolutely nothing but sneer and gloat and root for the President to fail.
