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Digital News Report – At least 116 Republican governors, senators, and representatives have spent the past year railing against the Recovery Act, while simultaneously requesting funds to create jobs in their districts and taking credit for projects at ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
As the independent PolitiFact put it, they’re trying “have their cake… and vote against it too.” They know the Recovery Act is creating jobs, but they think attacking it will bring them victory in the 2010 elections.
Not so fast. We’re preparing to meet every hypocritical attack with press conferences in states across the nation and a rapid-response program to fact check every lie.
Today is the anniversary of the President signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that has saved or created at least 2 million jobs, cut taxes for 95 percent of working families, and made loans to over 42,000 small businesses. And as a former governor, I can tell you it also provided critical relief for state governments facing record budget shortfalls.
But don’t take it from me. Listen to Rep. Joe Wilson, who told the Department of Agriculture that the money he was seeking “would provide jobs and investment” for his South Carolina district. Or take it from Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty, who balanced his state budget with the same funds he’s so often attacked on TV.
Even the GOP leadership that went all out to kill the bill has gotten into the game — Sen. Mitch McConnell has bragged about funding for a military project in Kentucky, while Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor sought funds for a high-speed rail project in Virginia to create jobs.
President Obama has made it clear he knows that we’re not out of the woods yet, and he’s focused on creating jobs. Honesty with the American people is one of the obligations of leadership.
In stark contrast, Republicans are engaged in a hypocritical campaign of attacks — and they’re proving what we’ve said all along: Their opposition is about politics, pure and simple.
By: Tim Kaine
70th Governor of Virginia and current Chairman of the Democratic National Committee