NUCLEAR Rick versus Kay stuff here: RICK REJECTS PORTION OF STIMULUS, KAY REJECTS RICK.

Today, Rick made a bold and controversial move and rejected a portion of the federal stimulus package. More on this later. It requires its own blog or two or three.




Cutie (okay, total hottie) Elise Hu from KVUE in Austin is reporting that Kay one-upped Rick. Rick just rejected some of the stimulus, but Kay is rejecting all of Rick (link). Statement follows:

"I hope that the Governor has carefully thought through the potential outcomes of today's decision. With the state unemployment fund dangerously close to falling below the legal threshold, it is imperative that the Governor does nothing that potentially burdens small businesses with higher taxes in tough economic times or pushes those who have recently become unemployed and their families into further economic peril," said Hutchison, in a statement.

This is in line with what Kay has said before. When she appeared with John Kerry on the David Gregory show (a.k.a. Meet the Press) six weeks ago, Kay tripped all over herself to agree with Kerry and Gregory on the issue of unemployment insurance (link). Excerpt:

SEN. KERRY: But this is a matter--I think Mark Zandi's coming on later, he'll talk perhaps some to the stimulative impact of food stamps and of extended unemployment insurance. These are important issues. They're also a matter of a moral structure in your government, your relationship with citizens. People need to pay their rent.

MR. GREGORY: Right.

SEN. KERRY: If you don't extend unemployment insurance and people are going to be a long-term unemployed...

SEN. HUTCHISON: I would extend unemployment insurance. That is...

SEN. KERRY: Well, that's a social safety net component of this.

MR. GREGORY: All right.

SEN. HUTCHISON: That's given, and it's bipartisan, and we have never failed to extend unemployment insurance. But that's not the huge funding levels that we have in other areas in this bill.

Kay "Bailout" doesn't seem like such a stretch after today. Whether you are for or against bailouts is one thing, but Kay sure isn't doing herself any favors vis-a-vis her nickname on this issue. What is also strange about Kay's statement is that she voted against the bill. But she really seems to be for it. Even in her statement, she tries to have it both ways. The debates ought to be interesting.