Before voting against stimulus, Bennett requested millions in stimulus funds for his state.
Before voting against stimulus, Bennett requested millions in stimulus funds for his state.
This morning, USA Today reported that two days before he voted against the economic stimulus package Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) requested over $180 million in stimulus money from the EPA and the Department of Agriculture. Bennett, attempting to explain this apparent contradiction, told USA Today that “as long as it passed and they’re handing out money, they might as well hand it out where it will do some good.” But in a statement he released after voting against the bill, Bennett claimed the recovery legislation could do no good. “The only thing this bill will stimulate is the national debt,” said Bennett:
The economy is in serious trouble, and we need to do the very best we can to restore confidence in our economy and in our future. Our country desperately needs a stimulus package, but I don’t think the bill passed today is the right medicine. I regret that this opportunity to put our economy back on track has been squandered. We should have passed a bill that focused on fixing housing, helping taxpayers keep more of their hard earned money through permanent tax cuts, and spending only on projects that would genuinely stimulate the economy and create jobs. Unfortunately, the only thing this bill will stimulate is the national debt.
USA Today also found that 13 other Republicans who had voted against the stimulus had also requested stimulus funding for their states or districts.
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The hypocrisy of the G(roup)O(f)P(erverts) knows no bounds.
June 10th, 2009 at 10:52 amThe party of NO (except when it comes to themselves)
The party of Greed (Greedy Oligarch Party
Hypocrite does not begin to describe the basturds.
The will sell out the nation, its government and its people for their personal gain — all while claiming God and morality are on their side.
June 10th, 2009 at 10:58 am‘Do as I say, not as I do’ -Republic Party / 6/09
‘Do unto others as you would have others do onto you’ -President Obama / Cairo 6/09
What a stark difference honesty makes. Utah wallows in secret military activities with large funding from us, the taxpayer. They have a Holy fit whenever reduced military funding is proposed, but have nothing of merit to bring to the table as an alternative.
Orrin Hatch is a master at obfuscation. Bennett, not so much.
Bennett, Hatch, put on your magic underwear and do some good deeds. Something we can be proud of.
If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
June 10th, 2009 at 10:59 amRemember, its only pork if you don’t benefit from it.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:00 amBusiness as usual for this crew of rethugs. Take with one hand while slapping the source with the other hand. Then, righteously defend your actions to show how it was all the source’s fault for forcing you take what was being handed out. You were just saving it for a just cause, not some worthless librul uselessness.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:00 amIt’s strange how the Right never seems to have a problem with our country dumping billions/trillions into sands of Iraq.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:05 amPoor Sen. Bennett, who’s made millions selling his day planners, evidently didn’t note he and his Republican colleagues’ daily hypocricies. Note to Bennett: talking out of both sides of your mouth at the same time may require you write your plan down in your handy little book so you can continue to lie with a straight face. While your at it keep your plans and drilling rigs out of our last best places.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:08 amThe (G)rand (O)bsolete (P)harts are at it again with their flip-flopper’s on not surprising.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:08 amSenators have brought home the bacon for their states for decades. The only thing wrong with the money he is getting is its not under the table pork but broad daylight stimulus which spotlights the hypocrisy of these nut scratching cronies.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:10 amJune 10th, 2009 at 11:15 am
When I hear the term rudderless ship my mind immediately pictures a bunch of white guys with hair growing out of their ears voting republican dogma
June 10th, 2009 at 11:21 amOlberman has pointed out this hypocrisy for many of the conservatives that have done the same thing. This is not getting much media play with other news media outlets. This point should be hammered home with the public. The states are not obligated to take the stimulus money. If the conservatives were truly concerned about the federal debt, all their states would reject the money.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:23 amClarification: It’s called an entitlement when a Senator adds an amendment to a bill. It’s called pork when that same Senator votes against the bill that included his amendment. I want this jackass to explain to me why IOKIYAR and I dare him to tell me it’s not.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:26 amBennett, attempting to explain this apparent contradiction, told USA Today that “as long as it passed and they’re handing out money, they might as well hand it out where it will do some good.”
The Rethuglican Party’s hypocrisy knows no boundaries. They vote against the stimulus and get the teabaggers riled up calling the President a Socialist etc., while requesting earmarks on the sly!
June 10th, 2009 at 11:27 amThis guy lives in Krauthamner’s (sp?) “alternate reality”, otherwise known as Bizarro world, where up is down, War is Peace, and requesting stimulus funds while voting against the stimulus package is “reasonable”.
Bwa ha ha ha ha.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:30 amI can’t wait to see the re-election campaign material for some of these GOP yahoos. I predict on their brag sheet we’ll find:
1. “I voted against the wasteful Washington spending that drives up the debt and will burden our children and grandchildren.”
2. “I got lots of moolah for my district.”
And they anticipate nobody will see the dichotomy here. Unfortunately, they may be right.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:48 amNo biggie, Bennett’s simply vying for the “Model Republican of the Year” award.
June 10th, 2009 at 11:52 amGang ‘O Pirates
June 10th, 2009 at 12:04 pmThose Republics who voted against the stimulus are going to live to regret that vote.
One of our trolls, I believe it was a$$wipe, complained the other day about how the stimulus is not working. I heard yesterday that only 6% of the stimulus money has been allocated. This is because President Obama wisely wanted to put in place a system of checks and balances and transparency before he started handing out the money (unlike Bush/Paulson who handed out 350 billion with no oversight and no strings attached). The other reason why it is taking some time to get the money rolling out is because many of the departments that will be overseeing the use of the money are understaffed. And why is that? Because the Republics are holding up the confirmations of the people Obama needs in place to oversee the program. I think this is by design on the part of the Republics since they want the stimulus to fail.
June 10th, 2009 at 12:15 pmListening to these Republicans makes me think of a head that can spin completely around completely… a head with two faces. One face says “yes” to an issue or policy and the other face says “no” to the same issue or policy. The response to any issue or policy is dependent upon which face is looking forward.
June 10th, 2009 at 12:36 pmapologies… I should have previewed my previous comment before posting. There is one too many “completely” in the first sentence.
June 10th, 2009 at 12:38 pmRepublicans abuse government, and they fight anyone who wants to govern on behalf of the people tooth and nail. Look at the farce they just went through in NY State. All to retain the mafia like power of the bullies that they are.
June 10th, 2009 at 1:01 pmRepubs are willing to spend Americans’ tax money on their pet projects, but not willing to solve the cheney/bush problems.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:21 pmBen,
While what you are supposing maybe correct; they may be hypocritical party loyalists. But it may also indicate something quite different. Maybe there was something in the stimulus (an earmark, the amount of money, the direction the money was flowing) that made them switch their support. Just food for thought:)
Go Duke!
June 10th, 2009 at 3:39 pmIt’s not like the state wouldn’t have been taking federal money under ordinary circumstances. This posturing is pathetic.
June 10th, 2009 at 8:01 pm