If they can’t figure out how many CDs NH has, how can they run health care?

Earlier this week, Grant Bosse did a great job of exposing the Stimulus tracking site had erroneously attributed millions of dollars, and thousands of jobs “created or saved” by the stimulus, to Congressional Districts that don’t exist.  While the White House has dismissed these extra 440 Districts created nationwide as “typos” it is more telling of how the government has bungled this from the very beginning.

Here is what Grant origianally reported before it exploded into the consciousness of the mainstream media:

Good news for all those Congressional candidates facing tough primaries next fall. The Obama Administration’s stimulus package has created three or four more Congressional Districts in New Hampshire.

According to the summary of stimulus jobs “created or saved” in New Hampshire, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created 3.2 jobs in the 6th District, zero jobs in the 4th District, and two jobs in the 27th District. New Hampshire, of course, only has two Congressional Districts.

The site also lists a whopping 2,873.9 jobs in the 00 Congressional District, which is presumably where former Celtic Hall of Famer Robert Parish lives.

Hattip: Jim Scarantino at New Mexico Watchdog, who discovered the problems with Recovery.org in his state. This appears to be a nationwide problem with the confusing reporting requirements imposed on recepients of grants under the stimulus package.

After the Conservative blogosphere around the country exploded the mainstream media, both local and national, picked up on the error and the implications of what this could mean to the Administration.  Its interesting to see how this episode could begin to carry on the narrative that if the government can’t handle tracking this information how can they manage an expansion of government through a government run health care plan or other expansions of government.

Frank Guinta, outgoing Mayor of Manchester and Republican candidate for Congress, had the following comment concerning the stimulus news and the implication on future government projects.  He also made sure to attach Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter to the bill for helping to enable and supporting this agenda along the way.

“What this demonstrates, among other things, is the inefficiency of a government run program. Now, they ask us to give them another trillion for them to take over the health care industry. I think the federal government has proven that they are not equipped to effectively deal with this level of a program that was rushed through without thought or planning. Carol Shea-Porter voted for this boondoggle of a stimulus that has done nothing to stimulate the economy. She stood side-by-side at the podium to endorse the massive health care reform package that will increase costs on small business and individuals, will force millions to switch doctors and not actually lower health care costs for most. Now we see the results of a government run trillion dollar program—I think we realize it is just not the business the government should be in.”

Guinta makes the points that should add another layer to the ongoing debate on health care, and the pitiful job Democrats have done at trying to explain away the shoddy work in reporting the information.  At the end of the day, this should be a winning argument for whoever faces off against CSP in the general election.