ANNAPOLIS, Md.
(AP) &mdash Maryland Democrat Frank Kratovil carries both the weight and the promise of the stimulus package on his shoulders more than many other lawmakers do. He’s a freshman from a conservative district that voted against the package before he voted for it. If the economy keeps sinking now, there could well be heck to pay in the next election. Nearly 1,200 miles away, from another precarious perch, Kansas Republican Lynn Jenkins was out defending her vote against the new stimulus law and, like Kratovil, holding her finger to the wind. Republicans voted as a bloc against the $787 billion package of tax cuts. For better or worse, Democrats have ownership. It’s too early to see the effects, or for public opinion to settle from the quickly assembled legislation that scatters $787 billion in tax cuts and new spending across the economic landscape. Neither Kratovil nor Jenkins is waiting for all of that. Like lawmakers everywhere, they are trying to frame the argument before voters can really grasp the consequences. And both face difficult questions about their positions. On one hand, it’s a colossal sum for the nation to spend on a plan that may or may not work. On the other hand, it brings substantial money into their communities, schools, health programs and job sites.
Jenkins, also a freshman, took a gamble of her own in opposing a plan bound to bring relief to hard-pressed swaths of her swing district. And unlike Republicans who opposed the package but trumpet its local benefits, she hasn’t hedged her bets. She’s just plain against it.