This is what Obama's Stimulus was for

To get Democrats reelected... Why put together a package of borrowed money to save the economy in 2009, then not spend it? $787 billion became $862 billion*. Why sit on much of it? So Senator Patty Murray could dole it out right before the election. She had to take time off her campaigning... To make a show of how generous and powerful she is. Seattle Times

With the unfurling of a large banner reading "Thank You South Park," residents of the South Seattle community cheered the news Friday that there is enough money to replace the troubled South Park Bridge. Sen. Patty Murray announced King County is receiving $34 million in TIGER II (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) stimulus money to replace the bridge, which closed last summer. After missing out on two earlier stimulus rounds, King County applied for $36.2 million to complete a funding plan to build a new $131 million bridge. It received almost the entire amount. "You can hear the cheers all the way to Washington, D.C.," ...

The cheering in D.C. is the Democrat establishment hoping to keep their power with tricks like this. Senator Murray said the schedule for announcing these grants was set months ago. To be right when ballots were mailed to voters. She denies the connection, but verifies the; very convenient timing. Sure looks like D.C. politics as usual. As Charles Krauthamer said last week, this is a failure of competence. The economy was faltering, but Harry Reid and Patty Murray didn't help get it moving. They had huge resources available, but they used them to reward their supporters and help their reelections rather than to help the US economy. Incompetent. I used to cross the South Park Bridge going to and from work. I am glad to that it will be rebuilt. But I am glad for Seattle jobs and the life of that neighborhood, not Patty's "generosity." * Afterward they tell us that $787 billion was an estimate, not the limit. Obama added $75B later which made it $862 billion.