Dems Can’t “Pivot” Away From Their Policies’ Job-Crushing Consequences

August 3, 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), 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), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-20), Jerry Costello (IL-12), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), 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), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)

Matheson Can’t “Pivot” Away From His Policies’ Job-Crushing Consequences
Utah Democrat Panics at the Increasingly Obvious Failure of His Big-Government Policies

Washington — Dismal economic numbers have Jim Matheson and his fellow Washington Democrats scrambling to justify the job-crushing policies they have continuously championed. However, Matheson would have to pivot pretty hard to hide the fact that his failed Democrat policies continue to destroy jobs and make a bad economy worse for middle-class families in Utah. In fact, it was exactly one year ago today that the Obama Administration declared that the recovery was upon us, which now seems immensely out of touch given the dire state of the economy today.

“Jim Matheson can continue to pivot in circles, but it won’t hide the fact that the job-destroying policies he continues to champion are directly stifling small businesses and making a terrible economy even worse,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Matheson and his Democrat colleagues promised one year ago today that their policies had worked, but we can now see that is simply not the case. Instead of spinning and making excuses, Matheson and his fellow Washington Democrats should recognize that middle-class families and small businesses want them to stop to their taxing, spending, borrowing and regulating that is stifling job creation.”

It was exactly one year ago today that the Obama Administration “welcomed” Americans to the “recovery” their policies had brought:

“The recession that began in late 2007 was extraordinarily severe, but the actions we took at its height to stimulate the economy helped arrest the freefall, preventing an even deeper collapse and putting the economy on the road to recovery.”

“These are considerable challenges, but we are in a much stronger position to face them today than when President Obama took office. By taking aggressive action to fix the financial system, reduce growth in health care costs and improve education, we have put the American economy on a firmer foundation for future growth.” (Timothy Geithner, “Welcome to the Recovery,” The New York Times, 8/3/10)

But dismal statistics and the resulting drop in the stock market on Tuesday were stark reminders of the economy’s continuing struggle today:

“The focus has turned to weak growth plaguing the economy. Data Tuesday showed Americans cut spending by the most in nearly two years and saved at a faster rate during June, a pair of signs that underscored the economy’s lack of vigor.

“The consumer-spending figures highlight another aspect of the struggling recovery. Last week brought news that the U.S. economy barely expanded in the first half of the year, and a report on Monday showed that manufacturing is shaky. Friday’s employment report is expected to continue to show a stagnant labor market.” (Steven Russolillo, “Dow Plunges 265 Points,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/2/11)

This had the Democrats scrambling for excuses to defend their policies’ obvious failures:

“Mike Allen’s note this morning that ‘Dems plan pivot to jobs’ sounded awfully familiar to me, as it apparently did to the Republican National Committee, which promptly turned out a list of 15 occasions on which the White House had allegedly announced a similar pivot.” (Ben Smith, “The eternal pivot,” Politico‘s Ben Smith Blog, 8/2/11)

Jim Matheson will need to do a lot more than change his talking points to hide the fact that his big-government policies continue to make a dismal economy even worse. Matheson’s constituents in Utah want the government to live within its means and pro-growth policies, not more pivots and excuses.

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