Suddenly vigilant

Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009 | 2:08 a.m.

Nearly unanimous opposition by congressional Republicans to the stimulus bill did not stop it from passing and being signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama.

Riding on its success is nothing less than a turnaround in the plunging national economy, a turnaround that could, over time, help trigger a recovery.

Success of the bill, of course, could also jeopardize Republicans’ chances in the 2010 midterm elections. That could explain why they are suddenly energized about accountability.

House Republicans are setting up what they are calling a “stimulus watch program,” which calls upon citizens and activist groups to report any spending they think is wasteful. There is little doubt such reports, accurate or not, will find their way into the talking points of conservative TV and radio talk-show hosts and be used to taint all of the spending.

House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio said he and his Republican colleagues are “concerned about the potential for abuse of taxpayer funds” and that they will “remain vigilant in our oversight efforts.”

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wrote to federal agencies about the stimulus bill, asking whether they are “implementing any initiative to preemptively combat waste, fraud and abuse.”

Now, we are the last to be critical of oversight. The more the better. But we have to note the political overtones here. Why, during the Bush administration, didn’t the Republicans establish an “Iraq spending watch program”?

Why did they not invite American troops and civilian workers over there to report their observations of waste? Why didn’t they ensure that federal agencies were undertaking preemptive initiatives to ensure accountability? Had they done so, and with the same alarmist fanfare they are now creating over emergency domestic spending, perhaps their stance on the stimulus bill would not appear so politically motivated.

Untold billions were wasted in Iraq with no outcry from congressional Republicans. Now, with a bill that spends money at home amid multiple layers of transparency and accountability, the Republicans are on the hunt for any hint of abuse. Go figure.