Gov. Sanford (R) Denies Constituents Stimulus Bucks, Promises Prayers Instead

At this point, I kind of hope South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) continues to strive for the national spotlight. The governor, who appears to be mad as a hatter, keeps saying crazy things that make for fun blog posts.

Here's his latest new gem:

"[Y]ou know, people who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it.

"The Golden Gate Bridge was a Hoover-era infrastructure project designed to get the economy going. The L.A. aqueduct system was a Hoover-era, you know, infrastructure program designed to get the economy going. The Hoover Dam was a Depression-era, you know, project designed to get the economy going."

First, Sanford claims to oppose government spending in the midst of a crisis, so I'm not sure why he'd point to public works projects like these. Second, as my friend Alex Koppelman explained, the Golden Gate Bridge wasn't a Hoover-era infrastructure project; it was originally proposed before Hoover was even born, and began being built six years before Hoover became president. For that matter, the Hoover Dam wasn't a "Depression-era project," either.

What was that the governor was saying about those who don't learn from history?

On a related note, during a C-SPAN appearance this morning, Sanford received a call from a man from Charleston who lost his job because he's been taking care of an ailing mother and sister. The man relies on unemployment insurance, and Sanford is "wrong" to decline the unemployment money in the stimulus bill. The governor's response? Sanford said his "prayers are going to be with him and his family because it sounds like he is in an awfully tough spot." As Ben Armbruster added, "Sanford offered no other alternative solution for his constituent."