Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger defends Obama's stimulus planBY Michael Mcauliff
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - California Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger played Conan the Contrarian Sunday, pummeling his party for hypocrisy on jobs and health care.
With the one-year anniversary of the $787 billion stimulus bill last week, Republicans chorused that it had failed, and created no jobs.
But Schwarzenegger, who finishes his term this year, sang the Democrats' tune, claiming the recovery act was vital, and mocked members of his party who crow about the money they get in their own districts.
"I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around, and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying, 'This doesn't create any new jobs,'" the Govinator told ABC News' "This Week."
"Then they go out and do the photo ops, and they are posing with the big check and they say, 'Isn't this great,'" he said.
"It doesn't match up," he added, pointing to 150,000 private and public sector jobs funded in California.
"I think it's kind of politics," he added.
He also agreed that the GOP was the "Party of No," as Democrats have branded it.
"They have to do everything they can in order to win in November. So they're going to say no to everything," he said.
Schwarzenegger suggested that when the GOP leaders sit down with President Obama for a bipartisan health care summit Thursday, it's in their interest and the country's to compromise.
"If there is a will, there's a way," he said. "If you really want to serve the people and not just your party, I think you will find that sweet spot and you can get it done."
mccauliff@nydailynews.com
