Kill the Stimulus! Just Stimulate ME!

Republicans love to hate that big government, socialist, stimulus program that has saved millions of jobs and created millions more.  More stimulus spending is desperately needed, because the damage done to our economy by the Republican recession was worst than most imagined.  Not only are Republicans blocking attempts to provide more, but also, they are calling for redirecting unspent stimulus funds to more tax cuts for the uber-rich.  But when they think nobody is watching, those same Republicans are craving to be stimulated.

Rep. Pete Sessions, the firebrand conservative from Dallas, Texas, has relentlessly assailed the Democratic-passed stimulus law as a wasteful "trillion dollar spending spree" that was "more about stimulating the government and rewarding political allies than growing the economy and creating jobs."

But that didn’t stop the Republican lawmaker from reaching his hand out behind the scenes to seek stimulus money for the suburb of Carrollton after the camera lights went dark and the GOP campaign against the 2009 stimulus law quieted down.

The affluent city’s rail project is "shovel-ready," Sessions wrote Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in February, urging his cabinet agency to give "full and fair consideration" to the city’s request for $81 million in stimulus money, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Center for Public Integrity. Ironically, his letter suggested the project would create jobs, undercutting the very public argument he has made against the stimulus.

"Carrollton’s project will create jobs, stimulate the economy, improve regional mobility and reduce pollution," the lawmaker wrote.

When asked about the letter, Sessions suggested to the Center that he did not want his "strong, principled objection to the bill to prevent me" from getting his congressional district its share of the massive spending pot.

Sen. Jeff Sessions speaking at the American For Prosperity’s No Stimulus rally.

Sessions was hardly alone.

Scores of Republicans and conservative Democrats who voted against the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act subsequently wrote letters requesting funds for projects in a massive, behind-the-scenes letter-writing and phone call campaign, documents obtained by the Center show.

Those asking for money include Tea Party favorites like freshman Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., former presidential candidates Ron Paul and John McCain and Republican congressional leaders like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Common Dreams>

Keith Olbermann discusses this hypocritical behavior with Ezra Klein.

Since these Republican letters all give creating jobs as one of the reasons for requesting the money, we have solid proof that Republican claims that the stimulus creates no jobs is a lie.  It also demonstrates that they have no desire to be free of government spending.  If elected, Republicans will increase the deficit while slashing the safety net, because Republicans govern exclusively for the benefit of criminal corporations and the richest 1%.