Lance doesn't like his Hypocrisy Hall of Fame Status

by: Jason Springer

Mon Feb 23, 2009 at 10:45:00 AM EST

Generally people like honors, but Leonard Lance is not thrilled with his inclusion by the DCCC in their "Hypocrisy Hall of Fame." Lance was inducted after he started claiming credit for projects he opposed. Here's what vmars said at the time:

You never heard Lance say this before the stimulus vote. It would have gone against the GOP bosses position that stimulus spending was bad if Lance had suggested we should put the Green Brook Flood Control Project in the stimulus package. And going against the bosses can be bad juju for a freshman Rep.
Further proof that this was a partisan effort to take credit for a bill he voted against, Lance toured the area solely with Republican Pilato -- former staffer for Mike Ferguson -- and none of the Democratic council members from Bound Brook.
He didn't invite the Democratic Mayors of Green Brook, Manville or North Plainfield either, three towns that flooded massively in the 1973 storm that spawned the Green Brook Flood Control Project, flooded again in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd hit and gave new impetus to the effort. Manville again flooded in 1997 when the Nor'Easter hit.
No, after voting in lockstep with his party against the Democrats in the House Lance blocks out Democrats from working with him in protecting their homes and businesses from flooding.
In the State Senate Lance had a reputation for bi-partisanship and working to solve problems without being a blind party follower. In just a month as a member of Congress he's giving up that hard earned image to become another drone in the national Republican party.

It was then pointed out that Lance was taking credit for these projects he voted against on his facebook page too. But rather than admitting he was caught claiming credit for something he opposed, Lance fought back over the weekend:

Making an appearance at the special convention at the Clinton Township Middle School after attending the Union County Republican Convention today, Lance said he preferred a GOP alternative stimulus package proposed by Republican Whip U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Richmond) to what he saw ultimately as a bloated Democratic offering.
"I favored the Cantor package totaling $500 billion, which included money for shovel-ready projects," Lance told PolitickerNJ.com.

But which shovel ready projects? Lance's claim is he supported the bill put forth by the minority whip, whose job it is to keep members of the party in line? Did that bill even include specific funding for the Green Brook project he's claiming, or just other projects? That would indicate he played follow the leader with his party rather than standing out as a maverick for his district. By the Lance standard, everyone could claim credit for supporting everything if the standard is legislation that doesn't go anywhere. Lance opposed the stimulus package that was signed and will fund the projects he's standing with for photo ops. And it's more insulting to see him stand there after opposing, while the NRCC hammers John Adler for having the courage to vote for the package before touting its results. Where was the Lance amendment in this package dealing with Green Brook if he was so passionately committed to the project? He could have introduced that to be included in the final package. Instead he's hoping you either don't realize or aren't paying attention.

Jason Springer :: Lance doesn't like his Hypocrisy Hall of Fame Status