Run for president, screw your state, and don't be surprised when you don't carry

U.S. NEWS: "Stimulus Stance Isolates Sanford: Conservative Governor's Base Questions His Willingness to Forgo Some Federal Aid," by Alex Roth and Valerie Bauerlein, Wall Street Journal, 2 April 2009.

Notice how the GOP governors making this "principled" stand tend to be those one associates with national-level political ambitions: Sanford (SC), Palin (AK), Barbour (MS), Jindal (LA).

It's grandstanding like this that means you end up not carrying your home state down the road in some national election. People remember how you used them.

Comments

[David Brooks]

I'll chalk it up to the jet lag or the closeness of k to l on the keyboard tom, but Alaska is AK. ;)

[John]

Sure, Sanford, like the other governors, is taking a great risk. But his concern, as has been reported since day one of this issue, is: what happens next year if the state doesn't turn it around. Where's the extra money going to come from?By taking the money, Sanford will be seen as not sticking to his guns (Not to mention the double whammy of Washington dictating how the money is not to be spent: ie on state debt reduction). Not taking the money...He's screwed either way.I applaud Sanford for at least having the guts to say no to something he believes will do more harm than good. I hardly call that grandstanding.

[TEJ]

Sean

A typo to fix: Alaska is abbreviated AK (AL is 'Bama).

[Chris]

Screw your state or screw your children and country? You decide.

[jeff]

Palin is governor of Alaska (AK) and not Alabama (AL).

[Sean Meade]

ok, ok, guys. i got it. stand down! ;-)

[stuart abrams]

While we're picking nits - it's Barbour.

[Sean Meade]

got it. any more?! ;-)

[Seth]

The strings attached some of this money is incredible. Here's $300 million to implement an unemployment plan that will cost your state $500 million. Some stimulus.How about any state that doesn't take the money citizens pay 10% less in federal taxes? Then we'd see how many other governors have the guts to turn down the money.