The Coons Campaign Hits Castle

Sometimes a campaign will send out a press release I wish I had written. Yesterday the Coons campaign sent out this press release:

Chris Coons’ U.S. Senate campaign today questioned Congressman Mike Castle’s appearance touting a $2.4 million federal investment only a week after withdrawing support for $366 million in investments for Delaware. Last Friday, the News Journal reported that the Congressman had requested 13 projects before withdrawing his support.

“If Delawareans had a quarter for each time Mike Castle took credit or said one thing here after doing another in Washington, Chris Coons might not have had to fill a $40 million revenue shortfall last year in New Castle County,” said Coons Communications Director Dave Hoffman.

In recent months, Congressman Castle has appeared at multiple events in Delaware to publicize investments after voting against them in Washington. In addition to hosting a “Grants and Resources Fair” on May 18, he has appeared at announcements of critical investments made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act after voting against the bill.

In April, Congressman Castle held his third Delaware Works! job creation fair following a steady string of votes against job creation and extending unemployment benefits.

The withdrawal of support by Castle for $366M in federal funding was featured in the News Journal last week. It’s part of a Republican party initiative to stop earmark requests. The Republicans are trying to run as the party of fiscal responsibility despite turning the Clinton surplus into debt through unfunded tax cuts for the rich, Medicare drug coverage and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Castle had requested the 13 projects — or earmarks — last year before voting in March for the moratorium, a step designed to position Republicans as the party of fiscal discipline. The authorization requests were for recreation trails, transportation improvements, water resource protection, oyster restoration and other projects.

In keeping with the moratorium, he requested no appropriations earmarks for fiscal 2011. The projects he withdrew May 10 were still listed Thursday on the Delaware appropriations page of his website under the headings “Delaware High Priority Projects Submitted for 2009 Surface Transportation Authorization Bill” and “Delaware Projects Submitted for 2010 Water Resources Development Act.”

Dialogue Delaware captures Castle’s reaction: They even have a handy poll asking whether Castle should stop attending federal funding events (Yes is leading 92% to 8%).

This nation is facing an economic crisis that has only been exacerbated by the relentless spending of taxpayer dollars in Washington. Delawareans know that we cannot spend our way back to economic prosperity and that’s why Congressman Castle is making the tough choices to protect them. Unfortunately, this Congress and Administration don’t get it. Big government spending continues to burden every American but has failed to create the jobs that have been promised.

You see, Castle’s actually helping Delaware by not funding any projects in Delaware. Because not providing money to Delaware actually provides jobs to Delaware, right? Mike Castle is really going all out on helping Delaware by not actually doing anything to help Delaware. Luckily for us, the stimulus is working and we have adults in charge of our state so we’re getting out of the economic downturn, without Mike Castle’s help.

If Mike Castle is going to turn into a boilerplate Republican who thinks balancing the federal budget is like balancing a household checkbook, that’s his decision. However he really needs to fight his addiction to appearing at federal funding announcements.