Jindal rejects La.'s stimulus share

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By Stephen Dinan and S.A. Miller THE WASHINGTON TIMES

He conceded it would politically perilous for Mr. Sanford to decline the aid. "It probably will not go over too well if the governor decides to reject some of the money," Mr. Sawyer said.

On Thursday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry became the first to acquiesce completely, as he accepted Texas' $17 billion share of the funds.

"I believe there are better ways to reinvigorate our economy and believe [the stimulus] will burden future generations with unprecedented levels of debt," Mr. Perry wrote in a letter Thursday formally accepting Texas' share of the funds.

He previously threatened to "look a gift horse in the mouth" with respect to Mr. Obama's economic rescue.

Mr. Jindal's resistance to the stimulus prompted blistering attacks from Louisiana Democrats.

"He seems to be trying to play both sides of the fence. He might refuse some of the money, he might take some of the money," said Louisiana Democratic Party spokesman Scott Jordan.

"We've got almost $2 billion, education, health care, coastal restoration," he said. "The notion that Governor Jindal would turn down money that would help in those areas ... is just crazy."

Congressional Democrats, anticipating that some Republican governors might reject the money, wrote a clause into the bill allowing the money to be disbursed over the objection of governors if the state legislatures pass resolutions accepting the money.

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat, wrote the clause into the bill to circumvent early threats by Mr. Sanford, a provision that won him praise for his foresight from the mayors who met with Mr. Obama at the White House.

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin said after the meeting that Mr. Jindal's tough talk, though he hadn't at the time officially said "no," was probably about his political ambitions.