Gibbs calls Cantor a ‘hypocrite’ on stimulus

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called the number two House Republican a ‘hypocrite’ for criticizing the use of stimulus funds while at the same time requesting them for his district.

Democrats have been defending the $787 billion program Wednesday, its one-year anniversary.

Gibbs specifically targeted House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) for his criticism of the package, noting that Cantor has requested funds for a high-speed rail project in his district.

"In Alabama, we call that hypocrisy," Gibbs, an Auburn-native said. "In Washington, we call that par for the course."

Cantor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But his office did release a statement early Wednesday, criticizing the stimulus.

“In the year since the Democrats’ ‘stimulus’ program was enacted, over 3 million jobs have been lost, billions of dollars have been wasted, and an unprecedented debt has been passed on to our children – these are not the results that America hoped for,” Cantor said in the statement, which came out before Gibbs’ comments. 

Later in the day, Cantor's office put out a memo directed to the White House press office, saying: "We enjoyed watching your press briefing today as you celebrated the 'success' of your failed $862 billion stimulus program.  While we commend you on the diversionary tactics that you attempted to deploy, the fact remains that your stimulus program has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on pork, passed on tremendous debt to young Americans who will be forced to pay your tab, and has utterly failed to get Americans back to work in any meaningful way.  ... Perhaps you can spend some time in your next briefing discussing the pros (none) and cons (many) of wasting time over the past year on a national energy tax and a $1.6 trillion government takeover of health care (that were then promptly rejected by the American people) instead of an effective jobs strategy to help put millions of Americans back to work."

White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer also called out Cantor in a blog on the White House's website, noting that Cantor voted against the stimulus package twice, "but then touted the job-creation and economic development potential of a stimulus-funded high speed rail project in Virginia."

"Today, on the one year anniversary of the signing of the Recovery Act, like clockwork we're seeing opponents of the bill on the attack on cable TV and in the newspaper," Pfeiffer wrote. "That's no surprise.  What is surprising, though, is that many of these very same members who voted against the bill and take every opportunity to go on national television and attack it have actually celebrated and taken credit for recovery act money making an impact in their own districts."

The Democratic Party has been sending out press releases all day Wednesday, criticizing specific Republican lawmakers for taking stimulus funds while criticizing the program.

On Tuesday, the Democratic National Committee launched its “Recovery Act Hypocrisy Hall of Fame.” DNC Chairman Tim Kaine said there are 93 Republicans on the list who have criticized the stimulus while accepting its funds.

Republicans have been just as critical of the stimulus on its one-year anniversary. “Today’s anniversary of the Democrats’ trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ marks one year of broken promises, bloated government, and wasteful spending,” House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement.

-- This post was updated at 8:05 p.m.

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