Politico notes the governors "threatening to decline federal stimulus money last
month read like a list of Republicans considering running for president
in 2012:" Governors Mark Sanford, Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin.
"But what began with a bang is ending with something closer to a whimper.
All three of those governors have been forced to scale back their
expectations, to varying degree, as the push of conservative philosophy
gave way to the pull of political reality."
"All three found that praise from the conservative movement in Washington
meant nothing to furious state legislators of both parties. And in the
end, along with other conservative Republican governors, the three
submitted letters in recent days asking to be eligible for federal
funds."