The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, a/k/a the stimulus bill, was the most expensive domestic piece of legislation ever passed, and the ramifications of its success or failure are still not clearly known yet.
It's been a pinata for virtually every Republican save a couple of Senators from Maine to whack away at, as Florida Governor Charlie Crist knows all too well.
But now he's not the only Republican running for the Senate in 2010 in Florida who is of two minds when it comes to the $787 billion bill created to jump start a near depression.
Crist's stances on the stimulus - that he was for it before he was against it - have been well chronicled.
Now, it's Marco Rubio's turn to be the object of ridicule on the subject.
The former House Speaker and insurgent candidate has enjoyed the support of many rock ribbed conservatives in the state by mocking the Governor for campaigning with Barack Obama before the stimulus was approved by Congress this past February.
But in an interview with WFLA News Channel 8's Keith Cate that was recorded Monday and recently broadcast, now Rubio says he would have taken the federal funding, saying ""Ultimately I would have accepted those portions of the money that would not have put Florida in a worse position off in the future than it is right now."
Democrat Senate hopeful Kendrick Meek, desperately trying to gain traction and attention away from the closely viewed primary fight, is now weighing in. Actually, a press release was issued today by his campaign manager, Abe Dyk, said today
"While Rubio and Crist continue playing their petty political games, Kendrick Meek is proud that he supported the Recovery Plan and is consistently fighting to jumpstart the economy. Crist was for the stimulus, now he's against it. Rubio was against the stimulus, now he's for it. Kendrick has taken one position. He supports the stimulus and will lead the effort to create jobs and end Florida's foreclosure crisis."
Unlike the GOP candidates, Meek is essentially running unopposed. North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns and now former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre are his opponents, but no poll has shown either men seriously challenging the Miami Representative for the nomination.
