Obama to Jon Kyl : Nice state you got there, Kyl ... (… shame if something happened to it)

Hotair ^ | 7/15/2009 | Ed Morrisey

[SeekAndFind]

Barack Obama and his administration don’t mind playing hardball on the stimulus package, as Jake Tapper reports. Yesterday, Senator Jon Kyl suggested that not only should Congress refuse to consider a second stimulus package, they should bring the current Porkulus to a halt before it wastes even more money. Rather than make a reasoned argument for their stimulus package, however, the White House threatened to choke Arizona’s federal funds in retaliation:

"On This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said of the $787 billion stimulus package, “the reality is it hasn’t helped yet. Only about 6.8 percent of the money has actually been spent. What I proposed is, after you complete the contracts that are already committed, the things that are in the pipeline, stop it.”

A day later, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer received letters from Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar all pointing out the billions headed to Arizona.

Kyl “publicly questioned whether the stimulus is working and stated that he wants to cancel projects that aren’t presently underway,” LaHood wrote to Brewer, a Republican. “I believe the stimulus has been very effective in creating job opportunities throughout the country. However, if you prefer to forfeit the money we are making available to your state, as Senator Kyl suggests, please let me know.”

Talk about an empty threat! The Obama administration encouraged South Carolina’s legislature to take Governor Mark Sanford to court to force him to accept Porkulus funds. Now they want to posture with Arizonans that criticism of their fiscal policies will result in punitive action against Arizona alone. I guess the Democrats don’t plan to compete for Arizona’s electoral votes in 2012.

Their logic could use some assistance as well. LaHood notes that of the $48 billion in infrastructure spending in the bill, Arizona will eventually get $520 million. First, a quick calculation shows that as somewhat less than 1/50th (or 1/57th) of the funds, meaning Arizonans won’t get the same share as other states. Also, I’m not sure if anyone at the White House realizes this quite yet, but all of that money comes from Arizona in the first place — and taxpayers all over the nation. They’re not promising some vast new wealth; they’re promising to return our money back to ourselves, with a hefty chunk of it removed to pay for the bureaucrats that manage it.

This does demonstrate quite nicely the problem with an overreaching federal government, and especially an overreaching executive branch. It sucks money out of the states, and then it plays favorites on returning some percentage to them. That’s not new to the Obama administration, but they seem pretty cavalier about letting their extortion show.

[dforest]

I said it earlier this week, Don Obamaleone makes Don Corleone look like Joe Pesci!

I await the day we say “Lets Roll”

[SeekAndFind]

Jon Jyl and John McCain are now tag teaming in response to Obama’s veiled threat...

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/15/kyl-mccain-to-white-house-threats-patently-offensive/

The tag-team effort to intimidate Senator Jon Kyl and the state of Arizona by threatening to withhold federal funds got a quick, pointed, and direct response from Kyl and his fellow Senator, John McCain. The two sent letters to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that castigates them for their “patently offensive” threats — and a reminder where the money originates:

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“We were very disappointed to learn of the letters that you and other members of the Cabinet sent to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer about stimulus spending and that you would allow your good offices to be used so obviously for political purposes.

Secretary LaHood’s suggestion that the Administration will “make available” to Arizonans tax dollars that they pay is patently offensive.

We hope this does not characterize your dealings with the Congress in the future.”

---

Kyl had already offered this response yesterday:

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“It’s unfortunate that President Obama and his administration seem unwilling to debate the merits of the stimulus bill and acknowledge its shortcomings. Instead, they have resorted to coordinated political attacks with the Democratic National Committee and the politicization of departments of government by using cabinet secretaries to issue thinly veiled threats to the Governor and the people of Arizona. Since even the President acknowledges the stimulus isn’t working as well as he hoped, the administration should instead be willing to consider whether the unallocated stimulus money could be put to better use.”

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If they can’t win by argument, the Obama administration will resort to threats. It’s apparently their money now, and they’re loathe to give it back to the ungrateful wretches that gave it to them in the first place. What’s not to understand?

Good letter, gentlemen.

[patriot08]

Chicago thuggery at its best

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[DallasDeb]

There may be a bunch of dummicrats in this administration, but they sure are reactionary. They react faster than any other administration that I can remember.

[Repeal The 17th]

?Arizona?

[ExTexasRedhead]

Hussein, Reid, and Pelosi would make Hitler proud.

[YHAOS]

Modern Chicago mobsters in action.

[DallasDeb]

First, a quick calculation shows that as somewhat less than 1/50th (or 1/57th) of the funds, meaning Arizonans won’t get the same share as other states.

Yes, but don't you know there are really 58 states! (i.e., Obama's faux pas)

[Tanniker Smith]

Hell, if I was president, there wouldn’t be any allocations to Mass. while the folks re-elected Teddy Kennedy. But then again, I’m not the president, so I can say that.

[Brilliant]

If the government is your enemy, then shouldn’t you be trying to secede?

[Syncro]

I see the dark menacing hand of Rahm Emanuel all over this.

I haven't seen him around much, so I'll bet he has curtain burns all over his face.

Let's sock it to Arizona


No Bami, I'm seris. You want I should crack my knuckles in your ear again???

Take this, Arizona!


OK, back to work.

[adorno]

They’re not promising some vast new wealth; they’re promising to return our money back to ourselves, with a hefty chunk of it removed to pay for the bureaucrats that manage it. Under normal circumstances and under a healthy economy, that would be true.

But, the federal government is not returning money to the states which the feds collected. With out of control deficit spending and with the humongous porkulus and other huge spending by Obama and the democrats, any money that the states and others get, comes from overspending and not from collected taxes.

What should happen is that the states need to come up with new regulations that state that, while the economy is in recession and while the states are also seeing budget deficits, that the states should get priority for tax collection over the federal government. Shouldn't local priorities take precedence over national priorities except for national defense? With states getting priority, the federal government would have to control its spending habits. And the states, which are where things get done, would have better control of where the money is spent.

[Republic]

Dirty men. We need to wake up our nation quickly. These freaks use their CABINET members to THREATEN Gov of States if a senator or congressman from that state TELLS THE TRUTH?

Uhbama and Rahm are so filthy it drips off them.

[Marty62]

Fascist Pigs. KYL is an ELECTED SENATOR. Who the H do these people think they are. And just think if they get their way, how much you want to bet eveyone hear will get a letter saying your not eliginle for Obamacare. SOL

[Danae]

I am with you. Those bastards make me so mad. The sheer irresponsibility of what the Democrats are doing is absolutely MIND BLOWING.

[dforest]

Irresponsibility is is a nice word, it actually is criminal intent. Do we even realize how these scum are going to get so rich, filthy rich, by ripping us off and condemning us to death sentences.

This is so wrong.

[Syncro]

Uhbama and Rahm are so filthy it drips off them.

Imagine if we knew all the dirty underhanded destructive thing they have done.

I was watching a story on the Crysler dealerships that have been closed.

As with the GM ones, democrat districts and democrat owners of dealerships seem to not be targeted.

[Republic]

It makes me shiver it is so corrupt. How did this happen? I feel as tho rahm and uhbama and the rest of the freaks are reaching their nirvana, the top of their goals and it truly is the shredding of America.

When the first people realize that their mother or father will be DENIED life saving surgery (can you BELIEVE UHBAMA SAID THEY CAN HAVE PAIN PILLS INSTEAD) all HELL is going to break loose.

And then to KNOW that our KIN G himself will NOT subject his own ROYAL family to the SAME LAWS regarding health care? And the congress omits itself, as well? WHAT KIND OF CRAP IS THAT?

You mean these dirty filthy greedy liberal jerks would lay on their NATION a plan that they know is NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES?

We need a revolution and I am serious! (Not series, not hugh, JUST THE REAL DEAL!)

[Don Corleone]

I said it earlier this week, Don Obamaleone makes Don Corleone look like Joe Pesci!

I await the day we say “Lets Roll”

"Let's Roll!"

P.S. I do not!

D.C.