Chosen in large part because of his refusal to accept stimulus money earmarked for his state, Gov. Bobby Jindal (Republican-LA) will give the official Republican response to President Obama's congressional address this evening.
Never mind that he was more than happy to take federal money from the Bush administration for Hurricane Katrina clean up. Jindal doesn't want this money because it comes from a Democratic president, and accepting it would not sit well with the bat-shit wing-nuts who make up the Republican Party base - a group he needs to pander to like crazy if he is to have any shot at the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.
In addition to Jindal, Gov. Mark Sanford (Republican-SC) is threatening not to take stimulus money for his state either - never mind that his state has a 9.5% unemployment rate. When asked yesterday by one of his constituents on C-SPAN why he was putting partisan politics above the dire needs of his state, Sanford stated that he would pray for the man. Typical wing-nut answer...religion will save you. (For the record, Sanford is also mulling over a presidential run in 2012.)
Jindal and Sanford, as well as Republican Governors Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Sarah Palin of Alaska (also refusing the money and also contenders for 2012), prove beyond a doubt that the Republican Party is rudderless and irrelevant. Even after two consecutive election losses, the party seems to be stuck in obstructionist mode, making really tired moves out of their 1995 playbook, and unable to bring anything of substance to the table. They would much rather pander to the fascist wing-nuts that make up their party's base than accept help from the federal government during this extremely precarious economic time.
Forget praying for your constituent Gov. Sanford. He's probably praying for you this morning. Because if you refuse the stimulus money, you won't be elected dog catcher, let alone president.
