Better late than never, but I'm glad to see Bob McDonnell publicly acknowledge the importance of Congress' economic stimulus package.Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) met with the state's congressional delegation today at the U.S. Capitol and urged the group to help him secure stimulus funds to help build a Rolls Royce manufacturing plant in Prince George County, near Petersburg, several present in the meeting said.Yes, actually, McDonnell does "sound like just another Republican who criticizes stimulus spending with one side of his mouth and happily seeks it out with the other." Maybe the difference is that McDonnell actually has to govern. And maybe, just maybe, McDonnell's realizing that to close Virginia's huge budget gap without raising revenues - which he has ruled out for ideological reasons (and no, mythical, probably-never-to-be-seen offshore oil drilling "revenues" don't count) - he's going to need help from the federal government? We'll see if, in the future, McDonnell continues to bite the hand that feeds him, and also if his fellow Republicans in Virginia's Congressional delegation will fall in line with McDonnell's new pro-stimulus stance. I'm not holding my breath on either count, how about you?
If that makes McDonnell sound like just another Republican who criticizes stimulus spending with one side of his mouth and happily seeks it out with the other, it's slightly more nuanced than that.
UPDATE: One big happy Virginia family! :)
