Monday, August 23, 2010

Perlmutter Blames Bush for His Job-Killing Votes

Misleads voters on the economy, flip-flops on healthcare

Wheat Ridge, CO – Instead of taking responsibility for his job-killing votes in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Golden) used the same tired rhetoric of the Democratic Party by blaming former President George W. Bush for our prolonged economic recession at this morning’s Arvada Chamber of Commerce debate. Perlmutter’s Bush blame-game was met with jeers from the crowd.

“The Pelosi-Perlmutter agenda has done nothing to help get Americans back to work,” Ryan Frazier, Republican nominee for the 7th Congressional District, said. “Ed needs to stop making excuses and take responsibility for the failed policies of this Congress.”

Perlmutter also falsely claimed President Bush left a $1.3 trillion budget deficit when he left office. The budget deficit in 2008, Bush’s last year, was an unacceptable $438 billion. Despite criticizing Bush for his spending habits in 2007, Perlmutter has since voted to more than triple the budget deficit, to $1.4 trillion, in just two years.

“Since Ed took office in January of 2007, Colorado’s unemployment rate has doubled,” Frazier continued. “Americans want new solutions, not more of the same.”

In 2006, Perlmutter said he would NOT mandate businesses to provide healthcare to their employees. Yet, this year, Perlmutter flip-flopped and voted for the most intrusive and expansive healthcare mandate in history.

“Ed went to Washington to change it. Instead, Washington changed Ed.” Frazier concluded. “It’s time for a new way forward.”