(CNSNews.com) – Republican Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Mark Sanford of South Carolina will not pledge to refuse federal bailout money, their spokesmen told CNSNews.com Friday – just three days after the two governors denounced federal bailouts in The Wall Street Journal.
“We’re crossing the Rubicon with regard to debt,” Sanford and Perry wrote in Tuesday’s Journal, a reference to Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon river in 49 B.C. – meaning that a point of no return has been reached.
By Friday, however, the governors had crossed back again. When CNSNews.com asked their offices – “Will you pledge not to take a federal bailout (for your state)?”—the responses were surprising.
“No,” Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle replied. “If Washington is going to go through with this bad public policy, you can bet the governor is going to be fighting for our fair share.
“Texas is a donor state; we send a tremendous amount of taxpayer dollars to Washington and get back far less than our fair share, and if they’re going to send taxpayer dollars across the country you can bet the governor’s going to fight for our fair share,” she added.
Sanford’s office had a similar response. Sanford has been the nation’s most outspoken governor in opposition to Congress and taxpayers bailing out states.
“In terms of whether or not he’d take the money if it were offered, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said. “He’s had a history of turning down earmarks in the past, but he has not made any pledge.”
Other GOP governors also refused to pledge not to take a bailout.
Republican Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas’ office said that Douglas viewed federal assistance as crucial to Vermont’s fiscal health.
“The short answer is no,” spokesman Stephen Wark said. “The pledge we’ve made is to help our people get through this crisis, and we’re going to need the help of the federal government to do it.”
The staff of Republican Idaho Gov. Butch Otter told CNSNews.com that while Otter was opposed to bailouts, the governor would have to asses any stimulus package the federal government offered states.
“We’re not asking for a federal bailout,” spokesman Jon Hanian said. “(But) a stimulus package, if they deliver one – we’ll look at the merits of one when it’s presented and make our decision accordingly.”
Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s spokesman, Aaron McLear, said that the governor plans to get his state’s fiscal house in order first, before asking for federal assistance.
However, he would not rule out California taking federal assistance, saying that Schwarzenegger’s only pledge was “to deliver” for California.
“We have a proposal that includes no federal money to fix our deficit,” he said. “The only pledge this governor makes is to deliver for the people of California.”
CNSNews.com is asking all 50 of the nation’s governors if they will pledge to refuse bailout money.