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Childers: Nunnelee a 'hypocrite' on stimulus funds
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"What a hypocrite - he should be ashamed," Childers, a Booneville Democrat, said during a Daily Journal Editorial Board meeting.
Nunnelee, a Republican from Tupelo, recently filed campaign paperwork to seek his party's nomination for the post in 2010.
He is chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which works with its counterpart in the Mississippi House to devise the state budget.
In remarks to the editorial board, Childers noted that Nunnelee, despite his public criticism of the economic recovery program, had been willing to use stimulus money for the budget. More than $500 million from the stimulus was included in the fiscal 2010 state budget.
But Nunnelee, contacted later Monday, said the stimulus remains a costly mistake.
"It sounds to me like Mr. Childers is a little bit nervous," Nunnelee said. "I never would have voted for the stimulus package, but he did."
When asked if he had any qualms about using stimulus funds in the state budget, Nunnelee sidestepped a direct answer. Instead, he said, "I think he's trying to divert attention from a trillion-dollar mistake that's costing generations."
The Legislature usually meets from January until April, but this year it recessed for a month while details of the stimulus package were analyzed for impact on the budget.
After several recesses and special sessions, the Legislature finally reached a budget agreement just minutes before the new fiscal year began July 1.
Regardless as to which one occupies this district's rep seat, both will be obligated to lobbyist contributors. There's no getting around it and there's no chance of it not happening. That's the way the political system operates and it's not gonna change....never ever.
A legislator's opinion, vote and influence are dictated primarily by the $$$$$ it takes to fund a successful campaign and election. As our current political system exists today, legislators have no choice but to position themselves in this manner. Let's not dump on them too much as this is just the political climate of modern day.
Greed, corruption and lust are the names of the game in Washington D.C. these days!