Governor Sanford is going up on the air to promote and explain his decision to reject part of the stimulus money. As far as I know, he’s the first governor to push back on TV against the stimulus bill.

Here is the press release:

Governor Mark Sanford will be featured in a new television ad released tomorrow, the purpose of which is to educate South Carolinians on the need for government to live within its means, not go further into debt, and to use these economic times as the impetus for South Carolina to finally restructure the way it operates.
South Carolina will spend more on government than ever before this year. Governor Sanford has advocated using $700 million in stimulus money – less than 10 percent of the total – to pay down state debt. Rather than committing it to new spending, the governor has said far greater state savings and benefits could come if energy were devoted toward restructuring and reforming government operations.
“South Carolinians need to know that using this stimulus money on new spending will rob future generations of a dividend that comes through debt repayment, and it will rob every South Carolinian of precious time that could be spent updating our government structure. This effort is about reminding our residents of the very real benefits of what we’re suggesting on the stimulus and restructuring, versus the consequences of simply using the money to further grow government,” Governor Sanford said.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think we will have another opportunity that could lead to restructuring as with today’s gloomy economic clouds. The challenge for citizen and policy maker alike lies in whether or not we will push for these changes. For the good of future South Carolinians, it is certainly my hope we do.”
The ad is being released by Carolinians for Reform, a 501(c)3. The group, chaired by Jim Kuyk, is spending roughly $230,000 on the statewide ad purchase.”

To watch the ad, go here.