Schwarzenegger, Rendell: Republicans Playing Politics On Stimulus
EmailGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger told Terry Moran that the federal stimulus money that has gone to his state has been "terrific".
In a "This Week" exclusive the California Republican took a swipe at his GOP colleagues who he says are "running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn't create any new jobs, and then they go out and they do the photo-ops and they are posing with the big check and they say, isn't this great?"
Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA) called it “hypocrisy at the highest level.”
Watch video HERE:
Read Full exchange HERE:
MORAN: Ten-year plans not something that the United States government does very well, but the stimulus, that was a big debate here this week. Both of you were supporters of it. The Republican Party, though, staked out a pretty stark position on the stimulus, summed up by Mitt Romney at the CPAC convention this week when he basically — this is his take, and really speaking for the Republican Party in general on what the stimulus did.
ROMNEY: He scared employers. The jobs were scarce. His nearly trillion-dollar stimulus created not one net new job in the private sector.
MORAN: Governor Schwarzenegger, that is where the Republicans are, that the stimulus was a failure and that it did not create one net new job in the private sector. True?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, you know, to me I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn't create any new jobs, and then they go out and they do the photo ops and they are posing with the big check and they say, isn't this great? Look what the kind of — the kind of money I provide here for the state, and this is great money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs and this has created 20,000 new jobs. And all of these kind of things. It doesn't match up. So it's exactly–
RENDELL: It's hypocrisy in the highest level.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I think, you know–
SCHWARZENEGGER: — of my Republican colleagues, but I think it's kind of politics, rather than thinking about only one thing, and this is how do we support the president, how do we support him and do everything that we can in order to go and stimulate the economy, get the economy back, and think about the people rather than politics.
I have been the first governor of the Republican governors to come out and to support the stimulus money because I say to myself, this is terrific, and anyone that says that it hasn't created the jobs, they should talk to the 150,000 people that have been getting jobs in California.
MORAN: Private sector?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Yes, for the private sector and also from the public sector. I mean, if it is teachers, if it is university professors, if it is people that are building infrastructure and stuff like that. I mean in every category, there is jobs that have been created in California, 150,000. This is 150,000 people that are going home today with a check that are providing for the family, that can buy the textbooks for their kids, that are feeling wanted and needed and feeling productive. I mean, a better job, it isn't just a job, it's all of those kind of other things. So I'm happy that we got this money. I'm happy that we have put 150,000 people to work and there will be more people that we will put to work.
MORAN: You'd do it again. Did Pennsylvanians think it worked?
RENDELL: Yes, I think basically they do and you know, Mitt Romney is a pretty smart guy. He was very clever there. He said net new jobs. We could fill up every baseball stadium in this country, Terry, with people who got jobs or whose job was saved by the stimulus. There's no ifs, ands or butts about it. Pennsylvania's budget is a little under $28 billion. We get almost $3 billion this year from stimulus. Take that $3 billion away, we've cut most of our program grants to the bone. You'd have to lay off — I'd have to lay off 37,000 state workers to balance the budget. We have 76,000 state workers.
If we did it with counties, it would be teachers, fireman, police men, emergency workers. So has it saved jobs? You bet it has. Has it created jobs? I'll take Governor Romney out to any construction site in Pennsylvania and then I'll take him — we'll drive to a construction site, back to the steel plant that provided the steel for the bridge. He knows better.
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Schwarzenegger is a RINO who has run California into the ground, so of course, he’d love any handout. And Rendell is a political hack who is doing the samething to Penn.
Posted by: Dukas | February 21, 2010, 11:14 am 11:14 am
GOP playing politics?? Wow, Terry Moran, didn’t even challenge either Governor on this. It’s the Dems back end loading the stimulus bill for the 2010 elections that’s political. Furthermore, Schartzenegger is so bad he continues to BEG for more money to pay for all those unionized public sector jobs and massive social welfare programs
Posted by: elvis | February 21, 2010, 11:14 am 11:14 am
These idiots are the exact reason this country is in such an upheaval. The ONLY thing that they care about is protecting the govt workers, to the detriment of the private sector. They think that if they use terms like “private sector” it is the same thing as helping the private sector. Look at what these guys are asking for, and where the money went. It went to prop up our “rulers.” Well you govt trough pigs, we are thru with you, and the pitchforks are out. I say this as a staunch conservative who voted for Arnold, and had high hopes for him. He is a total and utter failure, and should get out quickly.
Posted by: mac691 | February 21, 2010, 11:44 am 11:44 am
absolutely right. these Republican hypocrites cry about the stimulus money right before posing with the big, novelty checks and touting how they’ve created jobs. thank God these jerks aren’t in power.
Posted by: otis | February 21, 2010, 11:59 am 11:59 am
Of course these governors love the stimulus bill, but I would like an explanation of why they believe it’s not hypocritical for my tax money to be used to bail out their bankrupt states, budgets that have been ruined by union demands and too many entitlements. People in Texas shouldn’t have to bankroll California fiascos, the very example of what happens when liberals run amok.
Posted by: pam | February 21, 2010, 12:16 pm 12:16 pm
Does anyone believe either one of these guys?
They talk about all the good things that are happening…they are so bipartisan…..and both are very good democrats.
Two people to put on the list…..dishonest.
Posted by: PC | February 21, 2010, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
Otis,
From your post, I suppose you are okay with borrowing money that our children and grandchildren will have to repay to keep government jobs that Governors Schwarzenegger and Rendell don’t have the intestinal fortitude to eliminate.
When you and I don’t have enough money to pay for what we want, we reassess our priorities to be able to make them fit our resources. We should expect government at all levels to do the same.
Posted by: Bob in TX | February 21, 2010, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
Arnold, where are all the photos of politicians posing with the “big check”?
Posted by: JoeHanson | February 21, 2010, 2:07 pm 2:07 pm
The GOP playing politics? Oh, surely not!! ROFL
Posted by: JaylahPriest | February 21, 2010, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
Greg, did you mean BS? Have you looked at the unemployment numbers? Stimulus money did not create new jobs in the 30′s, did not create new jobs for the Japanese when they tried spending their way out of recession and is not creating new jobs for the U.S now. Look at the job numbers, look at tripling the debt in 6 months, look, look, look. See Obama’s Democrats run this country into the ground. No one wants to finance his hope and change any longer.
Posted by: pam | February 21, 2010, 3:12 pm 3:12 pm
if this is a fallen world according to the bible then what are we doing trusting people in show biz to lead us down the garden path to happiness and prosperity has Satan fooled most of the inhabitants of this world or are there still some sane people left.
Posted by: super nerd | February 21, 2010, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
There are people among us who get short of money, run to those pay day loan places and for a fortune in interest they can borrow some money and then they can run out and buy something. Of course the next pay day they will have less to spend becuase they have to repay that loan first and some even run out and borrow money to pay back the other loan setting up a scenario where all they do is work to pay off the borrowed money. Sort of like what our Government is doing “on our behalf”.
I doubt that Mr. Rendell or Arnold will ever have to worry about how they will fund their own lives the next day or the day after that and that is somehow ok that their poorly managed states took in billions in all of our monies to save their arses from being run out of their respective states.
But finally, if you represented citizens and those citizens, their kids and their grandkids were being put on the hook for money borrowed by the Government would you not go to bat for those citizens and get them at least a small share of these funds, funds that they will have to pay back?
Posted by: david | February 21, 2010, 4:57 pm 4:57 pm
Truth telling can be an amazing thing. There is no way of knowing 100% what job was “saved” and what job was “created” by stimulus funds. But the fact that jobs have been on the books or created is a good thing. To say “no jobs…” in a broad statement is amateurish.
I applaud Gov. Arnold for his honesty with regards to the stimulus.
As for my tax dollars or your tax dollars going to another state to pay for x, y, and z…we are all suposed to be American’s. When my neighbors house is on fire, I dont argue over the price of the water used to put out the flames.
The last administration left 50 states buring. This administration is trying to put out the fire. Tax cuts were part of that. Tax incentives to small business were part of that. But part of that is also government spending in order to stimulate growth. The tax cut only approach by the previous administration, and 12 years of gop control in congress has been a miserable failure.
For all of their deire to “return to Regan” people have very, very short term memories that Reganomics left our children and grandchildren with quite an invoice. Republicans make me laugh. They like to chide this administration and democrats for being loose with money—perhaps they should look at Regan’s spending bill. Maybe they should peruse the books of Dubya—who spent among the most money then any President in history.
Republicans have very thin ice to stand on when it comes to fiscal responsibility.
Posted by: HyeDray | February 21, 2010, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm
I’m pretty surprised at the amount of shocked people talking about job losses and debt.
A very high percentage of people have amounted more debt than our average jobs can handle, as a society we’re taught that we can buy things that we don’t really need. We were offered homes when we weren’t obliged to pay off the mortgage and the interest that ensues. I think it’s ridiculous! It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve heard that it’s up to us to get ourselves out of this mess, it just doesn’t sink in. Instead we’re drones who sway to the “one-liners” and quips that fuel our anger and allow us to forget about our responsibilities.
Quit waiting for a handout and yelling about what rights you have and do something about it.
Posted by: Frustrated | February 22, 2010, 12:31 am 12:31 am
I live in Pa. and Rendell holds state workers hostage to pass his inflated budgets, The man had never had a public sector job, he’s a career politician who could care less about the people of Pa.
Posted by: hkdakota | February 22, 2010, 7:57 am 7:57 am
Hypocrisy at it’s highest level, now there is a subject Rendell knows all about. Forced gaming into Pa. to bring down property taxes, I’m a Pa. home owner
and mine sure didn’t go down nor my neighbors. Ya the man knows all about hypocrisy !!!
Posted by: hkdakota | February 22, 2010, 8:25 am 8:25 am
Arnie, You A Republicrat & You Really have no say seemed to Finish of and Broke California!
Posted by: rckinscooter/33 | February 22, 2010, 9:37 am 9:37 am
Hypocrisy, Hypocrisy, Hypocrisy!!! These low life Republicans are the cause of the Second Great Depression and have the nerve to think that people who are not brain dead or racist cannot see it! They called FDR socialist, communist, and fasist. First of all how can you be all of these at the same time? They just throw crap at the wall to see what sticks!!! What was bush? Where was all the fiscal concern when he ran up the budget?
Posted by: Vernon | February 22, 2010, 11:08 am 11:08 am
Folks calm down and remember… the neocons want America to fail so they could say “Told ya so”.
Please refrain from expectations of logic from them, stop being astounded at their hypocrisy.
But most of all, quit reaching out our legislative hand to them, they only bite you. Pass responsible legislation without them and let history judge you.
Posted by: DewyB | February 22, 2010, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
As usual there are plenty Hebert Hoover wannabes commenting here. The average American’s knowledge of economics and economic theories is far below the level needed to make an accurate assessment of the stimulus. We are not in a depression. TARP and the stimulus are primary reasons we are not in a depression. The slow recovery is due to the stimulus being too small.
Posted by: Rick | February 22, 2010, 1:21 pm 1:21 pm
I guess spending 9 trillion dollars for useless wars so war industry cronies make massive profits is not SPENDING. Why do Republicans have to be two faced, two timing shylocks is beyond me.
Posted by: Mmmoke | February 22, 2010, 2:04 pm 2:04 pm
“”"Republican hypocrites cry about the stimulus money right before posing with the big, novelty checks and touting how they’ve created jobs. thank God these jerks aren’t in power.”"”"
Posted by: otis
Why, would it be OK to do it then? Or would the Dems be the hypocrites? I guess all stimulus should go to the Democrats only? Let the rest of the country suffer? Good plan Einstein.
Posted by: lfrichar | February 22, 2010, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
Rick:
When it comes time to pay the Stimulus back do you want to hand the next generation a bigger or smaller bill? starvethemachine.net
Posted by: Fever | February 22, 2010, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
Dukas…California was “running into the ground” long before Arnold got there. And your “RINO” trash talk, keep it up and see how far you “purist conservatives” get alone.
Posted by: CND FOX | February 22, 2010, 3:45 pm 3:45 pm
Teachers,and additional policemen are government employees,when the stimulis money runs out,who is going to take up the cost of these additional people? Why do the Dimocrats not understand this when the money goes so goes the jobs,all they are doing is delaying the pain of reality.While putting us deeper in debt.
Posted by: stormerF2 | February 22, 2010, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
I cant stand Rendell. Cant wait to vote his but out of office. PA’s state capital is going bankrupt because they bought a 255 million dollar incinerator due to EPA regulations and he has the balls to sit there and say that spending isn’t the wrong thing to do. What a jerk.
Posted by: Pam | February 22, 2010, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
Calling Schwarzenegger a Republican is like call Malcolm X a moderate pacifist. He is Democrat appologist who’s idea of good government is to throw money at the problem without regards for where that money comes or the crippling deficit it compiles. What a Joke!!
Posted by: bmur | February 22, 2010, 6:36 pm 6:36 pm
BMUR:
Schwarzenegger is essentially powerless with a democratic supermajority in the legislature.
Posted by: Fever | February 22, 2010, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm
The stimulus in WNC has done nothing to incite growth. Instead it is pork to repair roads and build sidewalks neither of which stimulates anything and at best for all its cost represents only a few temporary jobs which do nothing for the GDP and rack up more public debt.
I can only ask, are our supposed leaders really dumber than dirt or is it but a thinly disguised Cloward-Piven strategy to take us down?
Posted by: Ed Taylor | February 23, 2010, 12:44 am 12:44 am
Two big spending, big taxing, big borrowing, big government executives who have wrecked their states, and now praise the welfare from the fed that have allowed them to postpone facing the consequences of their actions. Soon they will be out of office and the next gov’s will have to deal with the messes they’ve made. Real profiles in courage, these two.
Posted by: Ken | February 23, 2010, 9:07 am 9:07 am
Californians know Schwarzenegger by his “other” name : The Manchurian Candidate. The girlie-man who claimed to be a Conservative Republican and turned out to be a Liberal Democrat, terrified of going against the lunatic Legislature. No one will be happier to see him gone than Conservative Republicans, he’s been a disaster.
Posted by: Ron | February 23, 2010, 9:43 pm 9:43 pm
I agree with that guy who says “Romney KNOWS BETTER” and yes, he is a clever guy, far more clever than the mimbo from Massachusetts, to say ‘net” but even that is a stretch. Absolutely the stimulus was the right thing to do. The GDP grew last quarter, the grants are in R&D around here, engineers, technicians, admin hired to do the work, constructions in the next town, on something we’ve needed a LONG time. I respect Arnie for being honest, and Cal is broke because their derivatives they invested in were junk. Just like every bank, just like your 401K, you can hardly call them having financial problems Arnie’s fault. He’s a very intelligent man.
Posted by: seriously | February 25, 2010, 12:25 am 12:25 am
Terminator-get your state’s budget under control first-then, maybe, we will listen to you! You truly sound like a dufus, with your state in near bankrupsy, giving other people advice.
Posted by: stevemb12 | February 25, 2010, 1:24 am 1:24 am
California has spent itself into the ground. Arnold is a republican, but if he can suck up to the democrats, he may be able to get some stimulus money to help CA with its bills. The democrats recognize that CA is important during the elections, especially those coming up. Lets see if Pelosi can give CA enough money to suck up to Arnold, so she meets less resistance in the upcoming election.
Posted by: James L. | February 27, 2010, 10:32 am 10:32 am