TN's Dem Gov Bredesen Mulls Rejecting Part Of Stimulus Money

[babylonsister]

:grr: Sour grapes?


Tennessee’s Democratic Governor Weighs Rejecting Stimulus Funds

Brad Haynes reports on politics.


Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen says he’s still among the top candidates for a post in the Obama cabinet, but that hasn’t discouraged him from possibly rejecting some of the stimulus money that President Barack Obama is sending his way.

Bredesen, who says he is “on a fairly short list” of candidates for health and human services secretary, told a Chattanooga paper that he is considering turning down federal funds for unemployment insurance included in the economic recovery package signed by the president last week.

He would be the first Democrat to refuse part of the stimulus for states, joining Republican governors like South Carolina’s Mark Sanford and Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal, who is giving the GOP response to Obama’s economic address this evening.

more...

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/02/24/tennessees-democratic-governor-weighs-rejecting-stimulus-funds/

[rpannier]

1. The only 'short list' he should be on

is one that has a Primary Challenger picked to run against him

[FLAprogressive]

2. And they want to make this (DLC) bozo HHS?

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=85&subid=108&contentid=254785

("Democratic" Liars & Crooks)

[babylonsister]

3. I think he was turned down, thus the 'sour grapes'. nt

[cynatnite]

4. Unlikely that it will happen...

Bredesen has a history of placating the RW here in TN. He'll give them what they want to hear, but in the end will do the right thing.

[babylonsister]

5. Add John Lynch (NH), too. Sigh.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/24/schumer-multiple-choice/

Today, Govs. Phil Bredesen (D-TN) and Gov. John Lynch (D-NH) became the first Democratic governors to suggest that they would follow the GOP’s ill-advised lead in rejecting some of the stimulus funding. “We are evaluating this piece of money, whether it makes sense for us to take it. We may well be one of the states that say we can’t take on that portion of it,” Bredesen said in reference to the package’s funding for the expansion of unemployment insurance.