By Reid Wilson, www.thehill.com

Even though their party almost completely opposed the massive economic stimulus package, some Republicans are racing to embrace funding in the measure even as the national party sticks to their strategy of slamming Democrats who voted for the bill.

Now that the massive $787 billion package has passed the House without a single Republican vote and cleared the Senate with just three centrist Republicans in favor, a number of GOP members of Congress have seemingly changed their tunes and are now touting money that will flow into their districts.

 Reps. John Mica (R-Fla.) and Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) may have voted opposite ways on the stimulus package, but they both agree it will be a boon for the Central Florida Commuter Rail project.

"The timing couldn't be better," Mica said in a joint statement with Brown, regarding $750 million in transportation funding in the bill, some of which is likely headed for the rail project.

"I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future," Mica said in a separate statement.

Three weeks ago, Mica was singing a different tune. "I will help lead the recommitment amendment on the stimulus bill to double the job creation and real infrastructure investment," Mica said in a Jan. 28 statement.

Though the majority of his constituents were opposed to the bill, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) told The Hill, they were nonetheless interested in its side benefits.

"The vast, vast majority of people [at a recent town hall] were against the stimulus. Their questions had to do with, 'Why are we doing spending for things that are so inappropriate?' We should be creating jobs," Fleming said.

But, he added, his constituents "wanted reassurance that I would certainly work for putting what money comes our way into vital projects, mainly road projects which we desperately need."

The White House estimated the bill would create 7,300 jobs in Fleming's Shreveport-based district.

Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) claimed "victory" in a Feb. 13 press release, touting the elimination of a provision in the Senate's version of the bill that would have limited some Small Business Administration programs targeted at minority- and women-owned businesses.

"Regardless of my feelings for the bill, I would make sure Alaskans were not hurt by it, and that's why I fought to get this changed," Young said.

The stimulus bill will create or save an estimated 8,000 jobs in Alaska, according to the White House.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a press release Wednesday morning slamming Republicans for what it said was a double standard.

But Republicans have stayed on offense , convinced their view that the stimulus is a pork-laden boondoggle will win the day. A new advertisement targeting a freshman Democrats is in line with national Republicans' efforts to make Democrats own the bill.

The National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday launched its first television advertisement of the cycle, slamming Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) for backing the bill and accusing him of "stretching the truth" on what the measure contained.

An NRCC spokesman refused to comment on how much the ad will cost to run, but it is set to hit the Roanoke-Lynchburg media market next week.