White House Challenges Republicans Claiming Credit for Projects they Tried to Stop
Email ABC News' Ann Compton reports: The White House has the names, dates, and even photographs to challenge Republican members of Congress who voted against the Recovery Act and its spending last year, but who also went home to claim credit for projects the stimulus brought to their districts. “A lot of you have gone to appear at ribbon cuttings for the same projects you voted against,” President Obama chided the House members to their face at a policy conference one week ago. The White House list includes nearly two dozen House members, including leaders John Boehner of Ohio and Eric Cantor of Virginia, and half a dozen senators. The document put out by the White House includes highlighted press releases and newspaper clippings showing Republicans who voted against the Recovery Act accepting praise for Act-sponsored projects in their home districts. The full White House document can be viewed HERE. Among the Republicans signaled out in the document:
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) is pictured above presenting a $625,000 check to the City of Cedartown in 2009. – Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), who is shown posing with a giant check in a Nov. 5, 2009, article in the Cedartown Standard. Gingrey presented Cedarville with $625,000 in stimulus money to "fund new sidewalks, landscaping and other improvements to the downtown area," according to the article. – Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), praising a $106,901 Recovery Act grant to the Alma Police Department as a "local initiative" that would help "toward solving local problems that policies set in Washington [sic]." According to the White House document, Kingston also took credit for four additional Recovery Act projects, including a $108,652 grant to the Blackshear Housing Authority and a $2.7 grant million for low-income families in Savannah. – House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), who issued a statement on his Web site that he was "pleased that federal officials have stepped in" to order Ohio to use its stimulus funds for "shovel-ready" construction projects. – Rep. John Mica (R-Fl.), who applauded the Recovery Act's $8 billion for high-speed rail investment in a press release. He later said that he “applaud[s] President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future,” according to the document. – Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), who hailed a $621 million stimulus grant for new hospitals at Fort Hood after initially charging that the stimulus would "pile debt on future generations.” – Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), who praised a $4.2 million stimulus grant to her district to prevent homelessness, asserting that the "funding will provide much-needed assistance." – Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), who, after voting against the stimulus, posted to his Twitter, "Stimulus Incentive Is Very Generous! Up to 8k! Check It Out!" – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas), who said that an $8.6 million grant for a Veterans Affairs extended care facility would help to "spur growth in Texas communities." – Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who applauded $2 million to build a new volunteer fire department in Bethlehem and told the Hickory Daily Record, "We're not accustomed to federal dollars in that magnitude finding their way to North Carolina.”
President Obama says even the Recovery Act spending will not be enough to bring jobs back after the deep recession. ABC News’ Julie Percha contributed to this report.
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The Obama White House has officially run out of ideas and energy, and is in full BLAME mode. Enjoy the next three years, America.
Posted by: Obamatopia | February 5, 2010, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
They voted against it..and made sure it had their pork in it.. like having cake that you’ve eaten already.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | February 5, 2010, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
I have to agree with the White House on this. It is really disgusting when a congressman, Republican or Democrat shows up back in the district and appears on TV with a bunch of local bigwigs, and he is holding a giant cartoon check with some number like $25 million on it, and his signature is at the bottom.
What arrogance.
None of that money comes out of his pocket. That is tax payer money. If they want to do the visual with the giant check, well ok, but the name on the check should be John Q. Public.
Did you hear the vote in Congress today raising the debt ceiling again? Talk about a moment that should be of silent reflection. What did the Dems do? They cheered like they were watching the home team score a goal in high school football. How can they be so out of touch?
Posted by: Quo Warranto | February 5, 2010, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
OBAMA’S embarrasment:
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world. Navy Corpseman Christian Bechard (ph). Corpseman Bechard (ph) responded.
Men and women like Corpsrman Bechard (ph).
Wow! He is off his head without a teleprompter! Navy CORPSMAN, not Navy CORPSE-MAN.
No Main Stream Media reported his follish words. CNN did it in the morning then took it down.
Looks like the MSM is still helping him hiding his foolish, clueless comments. SHAME ON O AND SHAME ON MSM.
I was a long time DEM but … enough.
Posted by: talk from sf | February 5, 2010, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
This is lame. Obviously the money should have been distributed only to democrats districts as they’re the only folks that pay taxes.
Posted by: wow | February 5, 2010, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
“even the Recovery Act spending will not be enough to bring jobs back after the deep recession”
That’s like saying even sacrificing 100 virgins isn’t enough to bring rain. The problem isn’t the proposed solution being enacted halfheartedly, the problem is the proposed solution is completely nuts.
Incidentally, Obama claimed last year that the stimulus was essential. Now he’s admitting it didn’t work. Was he lying last year, or was he just not as smart as the Republicans and a majority of the public who opposed the monstrosity? (Could be both. I vote both.)
Posted by: bgates | February 5, 2010, 4:41 pm 4:41 pm
It’s about time the WH starts holding repubs accountable for the two-faced crap they’ve pulled.
Posted by: boo | February 5, 2010, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
While I disapprove of the whole stimulus boondoggle and any Republican cheering for it, I have to note that Gingrey, Kingston, Mack, Hutchison, and Burr are shown cheering for an average of less than $3 million each. If every Senator and Representative had a $3 million project to cheer about, the stimulus bill would have cost $1.6 billion instead of $862 billion.
Posted by: bgates | February 5, 2010, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
their all morons face it
Posted by: natale from mass. | February 5, 2010, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
“While I disapprove of the whole stimulus boondoggle and any Republican cheering for it, I have to note that Gingrey, Kingston, Mack, Hutchison, and Burr are shown cheering for an average of less than $3 million each”
So they are just a little hypocritical as opposed to those who accepted more than $3M?
Posted by: Ryan C | February 5, 2010, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
Throwing stones of pettiness in the glass house of hypocrisy. No wonder we can’t take our eyes off politics.
Posted by: everysandwich | February 5, 2010, 5:41 pm 5:41 pm
Great story, but blatantly one-sided. Where is the request for comments or any response from those Republicans? Or is ABC just carrying the water for the Dems message?
Posted by: Mike in Costa Mesa | February 5, 2010, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
I’m trying to follow the logic of this complaint. We all have to pay for this giant stimulus boondoggle with our tax dollars, even if we thought it was a terrible waste of money.
Is this administration suggesting that the stimulus money should only go to congressional districts that voted for the stimulus? Even when all taxpayers have to pay for it? Really?
If that is the case then I think we should be able to opt out of the tax. My congressman voted against it and according to your list, we received no monetary benefit either. I think this is one of the silliest things I’ve heard in a long time. Sad…I’m glad they’ve stopped pointing fingers though…wow!!
Posted by: wow | February 5, 2010, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
One of the perks of having all three major news networks at Obama’s disposal.
They will gladly report whatever makes him look good and the Republicans look bad.
Posted by: phillip | February 5, 2010, 6:53 pm 6:53 pm
So they are just a little hypocritical as opposed to those who accepted more than $3M? Posted by: Ryan C
________________________________________
Huh? The stimulus passed. Their constituents are footing the bill. They wouldn’t be doing their job in representing their constituents if they didn’t try to retrieve some of that money for them.
Posted by: stophatinontheman | February 5, 2010, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
The hypocrisy of the ‘not so right’ is the signature of the Republican party. Hypocrites. Their montra on the STIMULUS, ‘let’s don’t and say we did’. Only when it benefits their poll numbers and their job security. When will the ‘not so right’ wing stop worrying about their jobs and start working to bring jobs to America? Only when it’s beneficial fir their
Posted by: need4trth | February 5, 2010, 7:06 pm 7:06 pm
I’m sure that all these pictures taken was Bushs fault. No Blame for the dems.Obama can’t stand any criticism. He even turned the Nat. prayer speech into politics against him.
Posted by: Glenda T. | February 5, 2010, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
Glenda what a confused sad person you must be. Cheering against America at your folly. Silly rabbit tricks are for GOP. There is nothing right about the ‘not so right’ fools follow fools.
Posted by: need4trth | February 5, 2010, 7:20 pm 7:20 pm
There aren’t many things more entertaining than seeing two-faced Republicans getting nailed talking out of both sides of their mouths as usual.
Posted by: Skip | February 5, 2010, 7:49 pm 7:49 pm
===Cedartown Standard. Gingrey presented Cedarville ===
How odd. The newspaper is Cedartown but the town is Cedarville? Or is this a typo?
Posted by: Axey | February 5, 2010, 8:02 pm 8:02 pm
I can see the motto for the little ABC censors is “we’ll criticize you, but dont’ you dare criticize us”.
Posted by: gk | February 5, 2010, 8:52 pm 8:52 pm
24 out of 240 Republican reps and senators is hardly resounding.
Moreover, why doesn’t the WH do something really bold like hold back the remaining $500 billion stimulus money, or apply that to the jobs bill that is supposed to be bi-partisan and targeted toward tax cuts for job growth.
Instead they play these STUPID, SLIMY gotcha games, and then use the “prayer” breakfast to say that politicians should change the “tone” in DC.
Posted by: Looking for Sanity | February 5, 2010, 9:36 pm 9:36 pm
you’re joking, right?
Posted by: what? | February 5, 2010, 10:25 pm 10:25 pm
It figures the Republicans would try to play both sides of the fence. What a bunch of hypocrites – “no we don’t support these projects being funded, but here we are showing up for our pictures with the check.” “The Democrats are doing awful things, but here we are presenting you with the giant check.”
Posted by: tierra | February 6, 2010, 5:26 am 5:26 am
Appropriations bills Obama has signed, along with his stimulus spending, have increased discretionary domestic spending 84 percent.
Posted by: what? | February 6, 2010, 11:21 am 11:21 am
wow, that Julie Percha must be something!
Posted by: Holly | February 7, 2010, 12:24 am 12:24 am
Posted by: what? | Feb 6, 2010 11:21:07 AM
“Appropriations bills Obama has signed, along with his stimulus spending, have increased discretionary domestic spending 84 percent.”
============================
Umn, no:
Domestic discretionary spending was a bit more than $400 billion in fiscal year 2008—and it’s a bit less than $450 billion in fiscal year 2010. The freeze will occur at that level.
To Charles Krauthammer, thats a 20% increase, to Karl Rove, its 30%, and to Paul Ryan its 84%.
Math has always been a problem for the right wing. But it seems to be an even bigger problem for the media, who have yet to actually check this outrageous claim.
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Posted by: a funding consultant | February 9, 2010, 4:01 am 4:01 am