(I suspect Rehberg's release was penned before the sod expenditure was pulled -- but does this mean he'll support the bill now? - promoted by Jay Stevens)
Jay's post on Rehberg's ridiculous excuses on the stimulus package is spot on...but I wanted to point out something that he missed.
Rehberg's been defending his vote (in a very defensive fashion) in an oped that's appeared in the Gaz and the Trib (and maybe other newspapers.) He sent out the editorial last Wednesday, after the vote on the legislation.
In it he says something very interesting.
Dennis Rehberg explaining his no vote on economic recovery, last Wednesday:
We need to jolt our economy back to life like a defibrillator stimulates a heart beat. That means getting the money where we need it in the short-term, not over multiple years. Targeted means we need to do it in a way that maximizes the tax dollar's return on investment, by targeting the engine of our economy - jobs created by small business - while avoiding cosmetic projects like resodding the National Mall.
That makes sense...why would we pay for that?
ABC News, last Tuesday, the day before the vote:
On Tuesday evening the House Rules Committee stripped two provisions from the stimulus package: the family planning money that President Obama personally lobbied Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to remove yesterday, and the $200 million to refurbish the National Mall.
I think most can agree that this legislation is the most important that will ever face Congressman Rehberg...so I believe that we deserve an answer. Is Rehberg purposely misleading Montanans about what was in this legislation? Or is he such a backbencher that he didn't even know that this wasn't in there?
Either way, I want an answer. |
