DNC chairman blasts Republicans for championing Bush policies

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine on Monday blasted Republican campaign committee Chairmen Pete Sessions and John Cornyn, both from Texas, who on Sunday defended the policies of President George W. Bush. 

Under Bush, Congress passed a $1.3 trillion tax bill that was not offset, which some contend contributed mightily to the current deficit.

“The men in charge of Republican campaigns made it crystal clear what Republican candidates plan to do if elected — take us backward,” Kaine said in prepared remarks. “Pete Sessions’ promise that Republicans plan to go back to the ‘exact same agenda’ that turned a record surplus into a record deficit and allowed Wall Street banks and insurance companies to ruin the economy, and John Cornyn’s inability to name a single difference between today’s GOP and the same agenda, are more than revealing flubs. They are frightening prospects.” 

Sessions and Cornyn appeared on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday, where they highlighted the differences between the Bush and Obama administrations.

Cornyn also said on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” program that Bush’s stock “has gone up” since he left office. 

“I think a lot of people are looking back with more fondness on President Bush’s administration, and I think history will treat him well,” he said. 

Results from a Labor Department study released earlier this year showed that only three million jobs were created under Bush even though his tax cuts were enacted within months of him taking office. 

President Clinton advocated for tax increases and created more than 23 million jobs on his watch. Sixteen million jobs were created under President Reagan even though he added great uncertainty to the economy by reforming the tax code, which helped create jobs. 

“While President Obama and congressional Democrats have taken bold action to turn the economy around and lay a foundation for long term prosperity, Republicans have promoted gridlock and obstruction — and now we know why,” Kaine said. “Republicans and their special interest allies want to return to the very policies from the Bush era and Republican rule that nearly sank our economy and cost eight million Americans their jobs.”