First Mark Sandford, Governor of South Carolina.  He rejected stimulus money.

Now Sarah Palin.  She's rejecting 31% of the federal stimulus money.

What do these two have in common?  They both have their eye on a 2012 presidential run.  They want to be able to get up before the crowds and say, "I said 'thanks but no thanks' when they offered my state federal stimulus money."

What is most alarming is what she is taking money for, and what she is refusing money for?

She is accepting $642 million in federal stimulus money for highways, water and sewers, medicare, and…. uh…. a boat (that's one boat) costing $116 million.

What is she REFUSING money for?  She's rejecting $288 million, most of it for education-related stimulus ($177 million) including special education, technology, "fiscal stabilization" money, emergency food assistance and school lunch programs, immunizations, infant learning and additional funding for schools with a high proportion of poor students.

Nice, Sarah.  Way to keep 'em stupid.

A lot of her constituents, and many in the Alaska legislature are none too happy.