Ordinary Folks Pay the Price for Political Ambition

Comes news today that the never-ending source of blogging material, Sarah Palin, is going to turn down $160 million in stimulus money the would have gone to education and other aid directly to Alaskans in need. She’s refusing the money because, she says, the State of Alaska won’t be able to continue those programs after the federal dollars run out.

There is a firestorm of negative reaction coming from all across her state, but the Acting Mayor of Anchorage, Matt Claman, got things in perspective with a great comment. He says Palin’s action was like “turning down a gift card because it expires in two years.”

It should also be noted that Palin is the third Republican governor to decline stimulus money. The others are Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Mark Sanford of South Carolina. All three have been mentioned as potential Republican opponents for Barack Obama in 2012. My, my ... what a shocking coincidence!

Clearly, all three think the best way to the nomination is by pandering to the hard-core lolos* on the far right that now make up most of the shrinking Republican base. Trouble is, the people whose lives would be improved, or perhaps even saved, by these funds will be picking up the tab.

* lolo (Hawaiian): idiot, loony, crazy person

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