A gaggle of politicians gathered Thursday in a vacant lot adjacent to Interstate 80 in Fairfield, 30 miles east of San Francisco, to celebrate California’s first project funded by federal stimulus money. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up late for the gathering. But the whole event was planned around the governor, so it couldn’t start without him and his black-clad entourage.

It would have been better if he never showed up. His arrogance was on display as he whisked in to celebrate the debt Barack Obama and Congress have piled onto us and our children. As usual, the cadre of guests – most who were local politicians – clapped madly as the governor talked about jobs and fixing the interstate. I thought Californians passed a big bond a few years back to fix the interstate. What happened to that money?

Watching politicians fall all over while slapping themselves o n their backs is enough to turn a sailor’s stomach. Congresswoman Tauscher’s aide reminded anybody who would listen that it was “federal” money being used for the project. I beg to differ. It is OUR money. The feds confiscated it with outrageous tax laws, and then dangle it in front of us until we bow with glee when they repave a road with it.

Fairfield’s mayor thanked the governor, who in turn thanked the mayor. Then they took turns thanking Obama. The entire time, several dozen union workers with hardhats posed as props for the dog and pony show. It’s a good thing they were hardy or they wouldn’t have withstood the extra hour it took the governor to finally appear.

Schwarzenegger is proud of saddling up with the rest of the porkulus supporters and said he’d take as much cash as Obama would dish out. Spoken as the good husband of a Kennedy.

So construction will begin on Monday on the stretch of I-80 between Vallejo and Fairfield. The price tag: $13.5 million. The governor promised that more than 200 jobs would be created, and that every cent will be accounted for. Really? When the contractor running the job was asked how many new jobs have been created, he pointed to one man. One. The rest of the guys and gals at the event are already working.

When Obama and Schwarzenegger try to take credit for creating jobs with the stimulus, I’ll remember this day. I’ll remember the slap-happy politicians, the governor’s fancy cowboy boots and hairsprayed hair, and the hardhats who are more comfortable around the stench of tar than the smell of politics.

And I’ll remember that one worker who now has work, thanks to Obama’s trillion-dollar hoax.