Pelosi: We'll stop blaming Bush when his problems go away

Democrats will keep blaming George W. Bush until the problems from his administration end, according to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In an interview with MSNBC, Pelosi said congressional Democrats feel justified in blaming the Bush administration because of the problems it left behind for President Barack Obama.

Asked if there was a statute of limitations on blaming Bush, Pelosi said: "Well, it runs out when the problems go away.

"He brought us to the brink of financial crisis, he brought us to the brink of deep recession, ignoring issues related to climate change," said Pelosi (D-Calif.), who rattled off a number of problems she said Democrats inherited from Bush and are trying to fix.

Republicans have criticized Democrats for playing the Bush blame game, a successful political strategy for the latter party in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

The GOP argues it is time for Obama, in office for nearly 18 months, to take responsibility for some of the country's problems, from the Gulf oil spill to the huge budget deficit. Democrats have been in charge of Congress for nearly three and a half years.

Pelosi's criticism of Bush is routine. In press releases, her office often mentions efforts Democrats have taken to help the economy recover from a recession that began during Bush's presidency, her statements emphasize.

Pelosi and Democrats more recently have pinned blame for the BP oil spill on lapses at the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the regulatory agency in charge of preventing accidents. Democrats argue the Bush administration let MMS be overtaken by people with ties to the oil industry.

The Speaker's strong remarks come as the former Republican president has begun to re-emerge in the public spotlight, defending his policies in the war on terror, promoting his work on earthquake relief in Haiti and establishing his library and foundation.

Pelosi pinned some of the opposition she's facing on a "continuation" of Bush-area policies by way of congressional Republicans, a group that has repeatedly emphasized that it would seek to break with some of its past ways if it returns to power this fall.

"It's a continuation of the Bush policies in the Congress," she said, pointing to the GOP's opposition to healthcare reform, financial regulatory reform and energy and climate legislation. "But they have their roots, and the problems were caused in the Bush administration."

---