Dems Find an Ally in Obama’s New “Jobs” Guru Pick to Push the Same Old Job-Crushing Policies

August 30, 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), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Lois Capps (CA-23), Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Kathy Castor (FL-11), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-20), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Kathy Hochul (NY-26), Tim Holden (PA-17), Bill Keating (MA-10), Ron Kind (WI-03), David Loebsack (IA-02), Jim Matheson (UT-02), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Betty Sutton (OH-13), John Tierney (MA-06), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)

Chandler Finds an Ally in Obama’s New “Jobs” Guru Pick to Push the Same Old Job-Crushing Policies
Kentucky Democrat Voted for National Energy Tax, Championed by Nominee Alan Krueger

Washington — Ben Chandler is surely glad to hear that he will have a new opportunity to push his failed, job-destroying Democrat policies now that President Obama has nominated Alan Krueger to chair the White House Council of Economic Advisers. When he was with the Administration the first time around, Krueger agreed with Chandler’s support of the national energy tax (Roll Call #477, 6/26/09), and Obama’s pick would suggest that the Democrats will only double down on these same old failed economic policies again.

“Ben Chandler’s new ally in the White House will give him another opportunity to ramp up the failed, job-destroying policies that have left Kentucky’s middle-class families facing a bad economy,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “In picking someone without any private-sector experience like Alan Krueger, President Obama and his fellow Washington Democrats like Chandler demonstrate their ‘new’ jobs plan will be the same as their massively unpopular and failing old jobs plans that have made a bad economy even worse.”

When working for the Obama Administration the first time around, Alan Krueger was an enthusiastic proponent of disastrous job-destroying policies like a national energy tax:

“As you know, one of the President’s top priorities is to develop a comprehensive energy and climate change plan to invest in clean energy, address the global climate crisis, and create new jobs. In turn, we believe that a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program should play a central role in our effort to achieve these goals at the lowest possible cost. We are very appreciative of the work being done in both Houses of Congress to this end, and look forward to working together to craft successful legislation. An economy-wide GHG cap-and-trade program would be one of the most important and substantial pieces of environmental legislation in our nation’s history.” (Alan Krueger, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Testimony, 5/7/09)

Even some House Democrats are quick to point out Obama’s choice signals no change from the Democrats’ failing economic policies:

“Democratic Rep. Dan Boren on Monday said President Obama’s appointment of Princeton University economist Alan Krueger as one of his top economic advisers sends a signal that the president is out of touch with independent voters.”

“‘If the No. 1 issue is the economy and jobs, you don’t get a labor economist from Princeton,’ said Boren, an Oklahoma centrist who is not seeking reelection next year. He argued that independent voters want the president to bring in someone with more business experience. ‘You get a Jack Welch-type, someone from the business world.'” (Alex Roarty, “Democratic Congressman Calls Obama’s Economic Advisers Pick Out of Touch,” National Journal, 8/29/11)

President Obama’s choice to lead his jobs plan is good news for Ben Chandler, who supports the same job-destroying policies. However, Chandler’s constituents in Kentucky will be disappointed to know that this “new” jobs plan is simply more of the same old failed jobs plan coming from Washington.

Dems Find an Ally in Obama’s New “Jobs” Guru Pick to Push the Same Old Job-Crushing Policies http://ow.ly/6gCTv #madeinwdc

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