"PEOPLE LIKE ME"

There are signs that the Republican governors who have adopted a stance of ideological purity toward unemployment benefits may face a backlash from voters. Gov. Sanford of South Carolina has been the leading skinflint and he's been joined by 8 others, mostly in the South. I suspect that a great many ordinary, "Joe the Plumber" folks won't like this one bit and this could turn into a serious liability for the GOP.

Jobless Angry at Possibility of No Benefits
By MICHAEL LUO
Published: February 26, 2009
NY Times

The Republican governors of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas, along with Alaska and Idaho, have raised protests, saying that expansion could eventually require them to raise taxes.

On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee became the first Democratic governor to express reservations on the issue.

“It just seems unreasonable,” Mr. Kight said, “that when people probably need the help the most, that because of partisan activity, or partisan feelings, against the current new administration, that Perry is willing to sacrifice the lives of so many Texans that have been out of work in the last year.”

“I don’t understand the whole thing,” said Kelley Joyce, 43, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., about indications from Gov. Mark Sanford that he may reject some of the stimulus financing in that state. “Apparently because he has money and he doesn’t have to worry about everybody else who doesn’t have money.”

On Tuesday, Erica Greer, 32, and her mother, Candace Foss, 59, who lost her job as a data management specialist at Home Depot in late January, went to the State Capitol in downtown Atlanta from Kennesaw, Ga., a suburb where they live, to deliver a message to Gov. Sonny Perdue not to reject any of the stimulus money.

“I don’t think he truly understands the plight of his citizens,” Ms. Foss said. “He’s surrounded by people with good jobs, who make good salaries. He’s not surrounded by people like me.”