Are House Dems on the Same Page With Democrat Leaders Who Dismiss Private Sector Jobs?

October 20, 2011

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04), John Barrow (GA-12), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Lois Capps (CA-23), Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Kathy Castor (FL-11), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-20), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), John Garamendi (CA-10), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Kathy Hochul (NY-26), Tim Holden (PA-17), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-10), Ron Kind (WI-03), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Jim Matheson (UT-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Brad Miller (NC-13), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), David Price (NC-04), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)

Is Matheson on the Same Page With Democrat Leaders Who Dismiss Private-Sector Jobs?
Two of the Most Powerful Democrats in Washington are Clearly Out of Touch After Years of Failed Leadership

Washington — Within 24 hours of each other, Utah Democrat Jim Matheson’s two highest-ranking party leaders showed that they are completely out of touch and unable or unwilling to promote the private-sector job growth that is needed to get America back to work again. Just hours after President Obama argued that all their failed policies have actually “been the right ones,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared that “private-sector jobs have been doing just fine” in a push for more government spending paid for with more job-killing taxes. Does Matheson agree with his Democrat leaders that more government stimulus spending and job-killing tax hikes take priority over creating jobs for middle-class families in Utah?

“President Obama and Leader Reid seem to have all the wrong priorities as they continue to issue marching orders to Jim Matheson and his fellow Washington Democrats,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Does Matheson agree that the post-stimulus economy is ‘doing just fine’ and more government spending is needed, even at the expense of private-sector jobs in Utah? If this is the backwards logic that has been driving Matheson and his party to pursue their failed job-killing agenda over the past three years, it’s no wonder they have done nothing but make a bad economy even worse.”

President Obama said in a recent interview that Democrats have no regrets about their years of failed leadership in Washington:

“I guarantee it’s going to be a close election because the economy is not where it wants to be and even though I believe all the choices we’ve made have been the right ones, we’re still going through difficult circumstances.” (“Transcript: ABC News’ Jake Tapper’s Exclusive Interview With President Obama,” ABC Nightline, 10/18/11)

Just hours later, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on the Senate floor said ramping up government spending was a priority, even at the cost of private-sector jobs:

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday indicated Congress needs to worry about government jobs more than private-sector jobs, and that this is why Senate Democrats are pushing a bill aimed at shoring up teachers and first-responders.

“‘It’s very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine; it’s the public-sector jobs where we’ve lost huge numbers, and that’s what this legislation is all about,’ Reid said on the Senate floor.” (Pete Kasperowicz, “Reid signals government jobs must take priority over private-sector jobs,” The Hill‘s Floor Action Blog, 10/19/11)

As Jim Matheson’s Democrat leaders continue to push for more stimulus spending and job-killing tax hikes, their rationale is also becoming clearer. Does Matheson agree that more stimulus spending and higher taxes are the way forward, even if it results in fewer private-sector jobs?

Are House Dems on the Same Page With Democrat Leaders Who Dismiss Private-Sector Jobs? http://ow.ly/73lnL #madeinwdc

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