Republican Governors Quietly Accept Federal Dollars -- While Attacking Federal Spending

[ProSense]

Republican Governors Quietly Accept Federal Dollars -- While Attacking Federal Spending

Brian Beutler

Republican governors stormed into state houses this January after campaigning against federal spending, and various so-called state bailouts. They won in part by painting a slanted picture of fiscal mismanagement by their Democratic predecessors.

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More recently, Kasich included a line in his two-year budget proposal that assumes the federal government will cut Ohio some slack on interest payments it owes to Washington.

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This is a pattern that's repeating itself across the country in comparable incarnations.

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services approved a demonstration project to offer health care coverage to 70,000 uninsured poor people in New Jersey. It's part of an administration effort to smoothly phase-in the health care law's expansion of Medicaid to Americans whose income is up to 133 of the federal poverty line starting in 2014. In essence, the Obama administration is handing Republican Gov. Chris Christie federal money to provide Medicaid-equivalent benefits to non-pregnant women and children who are not yet eligible for Medicaid -- to people who will become eligible once the health care law is fully implemented, but who currently have nowhere to turn.

Out of the other side of his mouth, Christie is one of the loudest gubernatorial critics of the health care law and federal spending in general. As this project was being approved, Christie, along with Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour -- all Republicans -- wrote a letter to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), praising him for his efforts to halt Washington's "out of control spending spree."

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[elleng]

1. No 'news' here, Pro, WE know they're hypocrits;

Dems have a big job to let EVERYONE know.

[ProSense]

2. Yes.

People need to spread the word. Good for TPM for pushing this story.

[sharp_stick]

3. It would be nice

if the Federal Government could blast out where the money is going on their website. In much larger font of course.

Something like: 1.12 billion goes to Scott Walker (WI) for whatever. Please Call Scott Walker at this number XXX-XXX-XXXX and thank him for accepting the federal dollars for this project even though he once said he'd rather die than touch this tainted cash.

Once again 1.12 billion goes to Scott Walker (WI) for whatever.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. They did the same with the stimulus funds. What else is new? n/t

[Peacetrain]

5. Nothing new there..

They are always trash talking one way, with their hands out the other..