President Obama Tackles Different Kind of Deficit to Fill Coffers for Matheson

March 8, 2011

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Mark Critz (PA-12), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Jim Matheson (UT-02), Mike McIntyre (NC-07), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Bill Owens (NY-23), Gary Peters (MI-09), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Tim Walz (MN-01)

President Obama Tackles Different Kind of Deficit to Fill Coffers for Matheson
President Fund Raises for House Democrat Campaigns while Failing to Lead on Record Debt Levels

Washington — Although President Obama and Congressional Democrat leaders have yet to get serious about our record deficit levels, the President has found time today to speak at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) fundraiser in Boston. Instead of tackling our debt and deficit today, the President has decided to protect vulnerable Democrats like Jim Matheson and their commitment to the same old policies which led to our current fiscal crisis. With the DCCC $18.6 million in debt, it seems that Democrats have placed a priority on paying off that debt instead of listening to the message from voters to change their ways and lower the debt burdening America’s middle class families.

“Instead of taking charge of fixing the fiscal crisis they created, President Obama seems more interested in filling the coffers of his vulnerable Democrat allies like Jim Matheson,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Americans would appreciate it if the President and Matheson showed as much enthusiasm for tackling the national deficit placed upon their backs as they’re showing for fundraising galas to pay off Democrat Party campaign debts. Party leaders are instead making it clear they are more interested in preserving their legacy of job-crushing policies and returning Nancy Pelosi to the Speaker’s chair.”

President Obama’s leadership has been markedly absent from the budget debate, even prompting some Democrats like Freshman Senator Joe Manchin (WV) to speak out:

“Why are we doing all this when the most powerful person in these negotiations – our president – has failed to lead this debate or offer a serious proposal for spending and cuts that he would be willing to fight for?” (Jennifer Epstein and Scott Wong, “Freshman Democrat Joe Manchin: Obama has ‘failed to lead’ on budget,” Politico, 3/8/11)

Seeing that the only budget deficit President Obama is addressing today is the DCCC’s, it becomes clear that the Democrat leaders’ priorities lie with defending allies like Jim Matheson, who find themselves increasingly vulnerable as they continue to ignore fiscal and economic reality. Instead of leading the way forward to fiscal responsibility and reducing economic uncertainty, President Obama and his Democrat allies will instead cling to the status quo and push to put Nancy Pelosi back in the Speaker’s chair.

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