From the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News — Originally published in print Thursday, Feb. 26

“All this spending adds up, and has to be paid back — by our children and their children.” — Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R], in her Feb. 14 national media address criticizing the federal stimulus package as too large

Nine days after airing that complaint about the federal stimulus … Murkowski issued a six-page press release bragging that Congress is working on a bill that shovels $180 million into more than 100 Alaska projects and programs.

Alaska’s haul includes some things that look like the “pork” that Republicans assailed in the stimulus legislation.

… During the stimulus debate, Republicans made a huge fuss over the possibility that the federal money might be used for recreation projects or museums or other alleged frills. Sen. Murkowski supported the successful move to bar any stimulus money from any “aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”

But lo and behold, it turns out those types of projects are worthy of good ol’ ordinary federal dollars.

… As the new spending measure moves through Congress, it will be interesting to see if Sen. Murkowski takes the same tack as she did with the stimulus. On that one, she was able to have it both ways. She voted no, looking tough on spending but safe in the knowledge the bill would pass and bring plenty of benefit back home. …