Congratulations To Governor Sanford: GOOPER Of The Week

I refused as long as I could, but millions of viewers have requested that I once again go to the well and pull out a GOOPER award from the seemingly bottomless list of GOOPER prospects. Just to clarify this entire matter I am totally against it, but hey popularity has its pull. Hence, I present to you my avid and brave readers this week´s GOOPER.

Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina doesn´t want to spend the embattled and thorny stimulus money, which passed both Houses with minimal to no help from Sanford´s beloved GOOP (Grand Old Obstructionist Party)…in case you´ve forgotten the acronym. The stimulus package was designed to give money to each state for "shovel-ready" jobs, which would of course stimulate job growth. Instead, our winner wants to use the money to plug the hole in South Carolina´s fiscal budget. Even though South Carolina´s unemployment rate is higher than the national rate, the good governor would rather use the dough for the state´s fiscal irresponsibility. Let´s see, how many jobs will that create? Can you spell "zero?"

I realize I don´t have to give anyone a geography lesson. Of course you realize that South Carolina is a southern state (hence the name "South" Carolina), but do we see a pattern here for GOOP winners?

Governor Sanford was not alone on my list of possible winners. Senator John McCain came in a close second. His continued whining in the Senate about earmarks made him a strong contender. However, since most of his cohorts were whining with him it was difficult to choose the Grand Pooba of Whiners (hmm…do I smell another award). Also, I couldn´t point him out of the crowd, which included some good ol´ boys from my own party.

I wonder, I just wonder now that the 410 billion dollar budget omnibus bill has been passed and signed by the President with nine thousand earmarks included, will those crying the loudest decry the earmarks when they are finally given to their districts? By the way forty percent of Republicans and sixty percent of the Democrats created these earmarks, and some of those good ol´ boys were whining almost as loudly as Senator McCain.

It is unfortunate that the "Party of No" continues on its course to self-destruction. The GOP is beginning to look like a train wreck in the making. Maybe they´ll return to the old Republican Party. You know the one. Abraham Lincoln ran on the Republican ticket and became the key to real change in this country, a feat similar to the one President Obama is trying to repeat, but bipartisanship seems to be a dead elephant in the closet.