More Stunning Republican Hypocrisy on the Stimulus Package

Part Two of Republican hypocrisy on the stimulus package would be laughable if it didn't further harm so many hurting Americans.

But once again, Republican presidential wannabes are proving that their political ambitions are more important to them than securing jobs and stabilizing shaky local economies for their financially suffering constituents. (See Part One at Shrill Republican Hypocrisy on the Stimulus.)

But here's the richest Republican hypocrisy of the entire stimulus controversy: "... a provision in the stimulus law allows state legislatures to vote to accept the cash even if the governors don't formally request it," per Salon.com. , which continues on to point out "six of the more vocal Republicans who pretended to just say no, and the amount of stimulus money they pretended to decline."

South Carolina: Gov. Mark Sanford vs. Rep. James Clyburn
Top among rank Republican hypocrites is South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford who grandstanded mightily in a Wall Street Journal editorial entitled Don't Bail Out My State, " I hope taxpayers make their voices heard before Democrats load up the next bailout train for states with budget deficits. Several questions led me to oppose bailing out the states."

House Majority Whip James Clyburn, the third most powerful House Democrat and the most powerful South Carolina Democrat, discussed Sanford with CNN:

"... a chunk of the stimulus funds would be directed to the poorest counties along the I-95 corridor, a poverty-stricken region of the state most famous for its dilapidated schools. He said it would be an affront to black South Carolinians in those counties if Sanford turns down the money.

"'That’s why I called this an insult,' Clyburn said. 'That’s why I said it's slap in the face. Because a majority of the people in these counties are African-Americans.'"

Sanford then laughably backtracked last week, "Being against it doesn’t preclude taking the money."

Sanford apparently subscribes to the Marie Antoinette school of "keeping his cake and eating it too" political thought.

Louisiana: Gov. Bobby Jindal vs. Sen. Mary Landrieu & Mayor Ray Nagin
Then there's rising Republican star, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who recently took an extended, well-publicized post-election speaking tour of presidential primary battleground Iowa, all while feigning lack of interest in the 2012 White House race.

Reported ThinkProgress yesterday:

"Jindal turned away nearly $100 million in federal aid for his state’s unemployed residents... (which) would have benefited 24,981 Louisiana residents.

"Jindal justified his decision by claiming that expanding unemployment benefits would result in tax increases for businesses... But it is not clear why participating in the expanded unemployment insurance program would result in tax increases for business."

Mayor Ray Nagin of still-devastated New Orleans observed that presidential ambitions may be "clouding" Jindal's thinking on the stimulus.

ThinkProgress commenters were more direct in their assessment of Jindal's hypocrisy as Louisiana governor:

• From ElBruce: "He’d better run for President, because he sure as hell isn’t getting re-elected as Governor now."
• From Max-1: "Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal supports recovery by refusing aid? Why, you’re doin’ a heck of a job there, Bobby!"
• From Aquarius2: "IF he is going to take some of the stimulus then he is still a hypocrite and his partial refusal is just a ploy by him for headline grabbing."
• From WillowOrchard: "I expect the Louisiana assembly will overrule Jindal. But, Dear God! How obtuse can a man be? Does he really think the residents of his state don’t want help? Man’s got some demented advisors."

"Nagin went on to note that even without Jindal's approval, state officials will likely go around him to secure federal aid," reports the Huffington Post. Nagin added, " I told the governor personally, any dollars he does not want, we will take them." Explains HuffPo:

"That, it seems, would be Jindal's dream scenario: remaining in opposition to the stimulus package, but not suffering the consequences... If legislators get the stimulus money and Louisiana's economy begins to perk up, Jindal could very well get an indirect political benefit."

Indeed, Jindal might wangle having his political cake and eating too... except that Louisiana Democratic leaders, such as Sen. Mary Landrieu and her brother, state Lt. Governor Mitchell Landrieu, will remind Bayou State voters that Jindal threw them under the economic bus for the sake of conservative fundamentalist political posturing.

Besides, the employment extension benefits Gov. Jindal is fake-grandstanding about is a mere fraction of stimulus funds earmarked for Louisiana. Funny how the governor never mentions his acceptance of more than 90% of his state's stimulus benefits.

More Republican Sleight-of-Hand Hubris
As if all this conservative sleight-of-hand hubris isn't enough, Congressional Republicans are continuing the stimulus hypocrisy that I wrote about last week at Shrill Republican Hypocrisy on the Stimulus: "At least 22 lawmakers have touted the money from the recovery package they voted against" reports ThinkProgress.

"Republican lawmakers nearly unanimously resisted supporting the president’s $787 billion stimulus package, but what has proved irresistible is the temptation to take credit for at least a few of those billions," penned the New York Times today.

Hypocrisy, thy name in the age of Obama continues to be Republican, and everyone knows it. Everyone!

Mark my words: in the 2010 Congressional elections, U.S. voters WILL remember who courageously stood up for them, and who, instead, stooped to tend to their own political ends.

Be sure to read Salon.com's GOP governors take the (stimulus) money and run, which includes more double-faced gems of governors, including, of course, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin of "thanks, but no thanks" phoniness.

Also take a gander at Newly Poor Swell Lines at Food Banks in yesterday's New York Times.

Related Reading

• Profile of Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana
• Profile of Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina
• Part One - Shrill Republican Hypocrisy on the Stimulus Package

(Photo #1: A food drive donation bin is seen in the warehouse of the Alameda County Community Food Bank December 18, 2008 in Oakland, California. As the economy continues to slump, food banks across the country are seeing a surge in demand that is not being matched by donations and is leaving some people short of food during the holiday season. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.)

(Photo #2 of Sen. Mary Landrieu and Gov. Bobby Jindal, both of Louisiana: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)