One bill, two takes

In voting against the $787 billion economic stimulus bill last February, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr called it a "hastily written bill" that would ensure "a massive debt for our grandchildren."

Last week in Bethlehem, N.C, he called a $2 million grant from the bill "a great thing for this county."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee jumped on the discrepancy Tuesday with an e-mail blast to reporters, Barb Barrett reports.

"Senator Richard Burr, an outspoken critic of the economic stimulus package, showed himself to be a hypocrite when he recently took credit for a project funded by the stimulus package, which he voted AGAINST this past February," the committee wrote.

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In February, Burr said, "In typical Washington fashion, we have thrown together a hastily-written bill with little public input, little debate, and very little thought about the long-term consequences of what we are passing. By spending nearly a trillion dollars on projects that expand the government but provide little to no stimulus, we are ensuring a massive debt for our grandchildren."

Last week, he visited the Bethlehem Community Volunteer Fire Department to announce the grant. It will pay for a new, 19,000-square-foot fire station, according to the Hickory Daily Record. The grant was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the paper.

Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, faces re-election next year.