The chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party criticized Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, for skipping out on President Barack Obama's economic address, accusing Rogers of hypocritical political posturing.
Mark Kennedy said Rogers was putting gamesmanship before statesmanship with his refusal to attend the Thursday night speech.
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| Rep. Mike Rogers, R Mark Kennedy |
"His 'boycott' is as much a campaign spectacle as anything else. I'm curious to know if the congressman ever traveled the same high and mighty road during the Bush administration," Kennedy said.
Rogers boycotted the speech and watched the national address at home on television, saying he refused to be a "prop for a campaign speech."
The president's $447 billion initiative includes tax breaks, highway and rail spending and unemployment benefits aimed at jump-starting the nation's sluggish economy.
A spokesman said Rogers' comments on the night of the address speak for themselves.
Rogers said Thursday that he was most disturbed with Obama's proposal to pay for his jobs plan by asking the deficit reduction super committee to come up with even more spending cuts over the next 10 years, increasing its goal of $1.5 trillion. Rogers said another $447 billion was unrealistic, and he questioned the president's commitment to infrastructure.
"He painted the stimulus package as being more infrastructure than it really was. I just don't believe him. I don't trust him," Rogers said.
Kennedy said the temporary infrastructure jobs would be a blessing to the state's unemployed. "Especially when Alabama has some of the most dangerous highways in the nation, and this bill could provide millions in funding to help us create jobs and make the kinds of investments that companies looking to expand in Alabama would love to see," Kennedy said.
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