As Governor Rick Scott of Florida tries to reject over $2 billion in federal aid for high speed rail, Senators from other states have been publicly hoping that Scott succeeds.
Why? Because they want the feds to send Florida's high speed rail money to them.
That was on display in a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Thursday, as Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood was testifying in support of his plans for extra spending on roads, bridges and infrastructure, and especially high speed rail.
The hearing began with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) thanking LaHood for his help in pushing back against the Governor's decision not to take the rail money, as LaHood has given backers of a rail line between Tampa and Orlando two extra weeks to find a way to complete the deal.
"We may come back to him and ask him for another extension," Nelson said, "to try everything possible to make this happen, if we can."
A little bit later, Nelson left the hearing room, and it didn't take long for the Senatorial High Speed Rail Vultures to realize he wasn't around.
"If those Florida dollars - I say this with trepidation, as Senator Nelson isn't here," said Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, "if those Florida dollars get back in the pot...we look forward to Virginia's application perhaps being more competitive."
While LaHood didn't tip his hand one way or the other, it wasn't long before another Vulture was eyeing the possible Sunshine State Rail Carcass.
"If there are states that choose not to take the money, please put Vermont at the top of the list," said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
"Yes, sir," said LaHood, who volunteered that the Governor of Vermont had buttonholed him on the same issue earlier in the week.
"We will take that money if other states don't want it," Sanders added.
LaHood repeatedly made no bones about his strong support for high speed rail money, though he didn't explain why he's been so open to preserving the Florida project, when he gave up so quickly after Governors in Ohio and Wisconsin rejected their own high speed rail money.
"More than two-thirds of Florida residents support state/federal investment in high speed rail," LaHood argues.
President Obama goes to Florida today for an education event and two fundraisers in Miami, one for Sen. Nelson.
We'll see if any high speed rail announcement gets made.
