Ellington

Every Friday morning, Daily Kos compiles stats showing how the folks in Washington are doing according to the people. Despite Republicans tripping over themselves to take credit for the economic stimulus act, it seems the American people aren't buying it:

We've had to extend the graph downward to accommodate the Congressional Republicans slapping themselves on the back for being unified as the Party of No. They don't get it yet, and neither does insular Washington. Remember these are fav/unfav numbers, and what the graph shows is is that people really dislike the Republican party and what they are up to these days, at least the DC version.

Just how much are Republicans twisting themselves into political pretzels with the back-slapping?

ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper, writing on Political Punch takes a look:

Back in their home districts for the President's Day weekend recess, congressional Republicans who voted against the stimulus bill are singing the praises of projects in it.

McClatchy Newspapers' David Lightman points out that Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, for instance, issued a press release last week heralding how he "won a victory for the Alaska Native contracting program and other Alaska small business owners" by working with Democrats to pull a provision from the Senate bill that he feared would hurt American Indian and Alaska Native owned businesses.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., issued a press release saying, "I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future."

As Lightman points out, "nowhere in the Mica statement, or in Young's initial statement, was any mention that they opposed the bill."

Among the other Republicans clambering on to the band wagon now that it's inevitable, Tapper includes Rep Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, Rep. Leonard Lance of New Jersey, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer and Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Anyone want to bet that they'll all revert back to their "No" positions at the first sign of problems?

Thanks to Jim Craig for pointing me to Political Punch.