GOP Senate Candidate Mike Castle Takes Credit For Over $5 Million In Stimulus Funds He Voted To Kill

[ccharles000]

Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) has staggered to the right, voting against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus), financial regulation reform, the recent jobs package, and health reform. Running for the U.S. Senate this year, Castle has cast aside his image of a GOP moderate and joined his conservative colleagues in their reflexive opposition. But despite his right-wing voting record, Castle is attempting to drum up positive media coverage by claiming ownership over one of the progressive measures he voted to kill.

In the past two weeks, Castle has blasted multiple press releases publicizing stimulus funds awarded to his state. In his most recent release, he not only calls the money “imperative,” but in “announcing” the funds, he tacitly claims credit for securing them:

Washington | January 7, 2010 – Delaware Congressman Mike Castle announced today that $5,230,610 has been awarded to the State to assist families and individuals in need. <...> “As we face the coldest season of the year, it is imperative we provide those programs serving Delaware’s most disadvantaged families and individuals with the resources necessary to house, feed, and protect those in desperate need,” said Rep. Castle. “These grants, totaling more than $5 million, will help the invaluable organizations and programs which are working to help the homeless, hungry, and those facing economic hardship throughout the State.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/07/castle-stimulus-hypocrisy/

[dkf]

1. I voted for it before I voted against it?

Or I never voted for my own amendment?

What a loser.

[levander]

2. And he did get those funds for his state...

Playing by the rules and making the rules are 2 different things. Now that hundreds of billions are being sent out in cherry-picked projects, you expect him just to sit back and say, "no, I didn't want the bill, I'm not taking any of the money!". Of course not. His side failed, the rules have been made. Now, just go play by the rules.

This is desperate political gotcha-ism if I've ever seen it. I've never looked at that ThinkProgress web site much, but now me-thinks I'm not missing much. Probably won't be on my short-list of sites to check out any time soon.