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*** *Bush vs. Obama, by proxy:* Watching yesterday’s forum on “Meet the
Press” -- featuring NRCC Chair Pete Sessions, NRSC Chair John Cornyn, DCCC
Chair Chris Van Hollen and DSCC Chair Bob Menendez -- it appeared to be a
Bush vs. Obama debate by proxy. Republicans blasted the Obama
administration’s policies. “I think the public sees this as a long-term debt
issue of big government, more spending,” Sessions said. Added Cornyn: “If
there's one area where this administration has failed miserably, it's been
in creating an environment where job creators will make those investments
and create jobs and grow the economy.” On the other hand, here was Van
Hollen: “During the whole eight years of the Bush administration, we
actually lost over 600,000 private sector jobs…” And Menendez: “It's not
just talking about President Bush; it's the policies that they espouse that
are in essence Bush's policies. Those led us to a 72% percent increase in
the debt from $5.7 trillion to $9.8 trillion when Bush left.”

*** *Where’s the beef? *But the biggest news that was made on “Meet” may
have been what WASN’T said instead of what WAS. Over the course of several
minutes, both Sessions and Cornyn were unable or unwilling to discuss what
Republicans would specifically do on the deficit, etc., if they take back
control of Congress. Sessions said that the GOP would: 1) ensure that the
government live within its means, and 2) read the actual legislation. But
when NBC’s David Gregory demanded specifics and details of painful choices
Republicans were willing to make, Sessions didn’t offer a single one.

*** *The GOP is waiting on Obama’s commission?* When Gregory asked the same
question to Cornyn -- what painful choices would you make to balance the
budget? -- the senator replied, “Well, the president has a debt commission
that reports December the 1st, and I think we'd all like to see what they
come back with.” Gregory followed up with this: “But wait a minute,
conservatives need a Democratic president's debt commission to figure out
what it is they want to cut?” (Not only that, but as it turns out, many
Republicans and several Democrats -- though Cornyn wasn’t one of them -- voted
against <http://bit.ly/d0nB5F>Congress creating a similar task force on the
debt/deficit. Obama then was forced to create the current commission via an
executive order.) One of the critiques many are making of the GOP is that,
unlike in ’94, the party isn't offering new ideas or fresh faces if they
take back control of Congress.
--
Eric D. Schwerin
Rosemont Seneca Partners
(202) 333-1880
eschwerin@rosemontseneca.co