Politicians & Pundits: George W. Bush

Club for Growth Action: “Lobster”

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The Club for Growth accuses Indiana Senate candidate Joe Donnelly (D) of supporting wasteful spending, citing a series of amendments to appropriations bills that would have banned spending on individual projects. But Donnelly’s vote against banning money for the projects was backed up by vast bipartisan majorities in the House. Furthermore, Donnelly has voted in favor of a balanced budget amendment, and it was Bush-era policies and the recession that drove up deficits, not earmarks.

Read more after the jump.

Crossroads GPS: “Taxing Tammy”

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Crossroads GPS accuses Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) of being “far left of Obama and Pelosi” and “too extreme for Washington,” citing her support for a budget proposal introduced by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The budget in question emphasized higher taxes for the wealthy, but also proposed to spend less than the president’s plan and would have eliminated the deficit faster than the GOP alternative introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan.

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Spirit Of Democracy: “Lois Capps: 14 Years”

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Spirit of Democracy America released an ad attacking Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) for her tenure in Congress by asking: “What does America have to show for it?” To make its point, the ad derides her vote for the bipartisan bank bailout and her support for the Recovery Act without mentioning the economic conditions that made these actions necessary, or the possible depression that that was avoided because of them. After calling Capps an “extreme partisan” the ad cites a grade given to the congresswoman by the National Taxpayers Union, a conservative organization the San Francisco Chronicle called “the Grand-daddy of the tax revolt organizations.”

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Crossroads GPS: “Hole”

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Crossroads GPS blames President Obama and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) for the rising debt, citing the Recovery Act and Obamacare as examples of measures that allegedly “dug the hole.” However, the recovery bill helped rescue the economy from a deeper recession, while the Affordable Care Act actually reduces deficits. In reality, the deficit skyrocketed thanks to Bush policies – especially tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans – and the crushing recession Obama inherited. Crossroads also criticizes Tester for supporting “Obama’s budget deal” that included defense cuts, but the ad does not mention that congressional Republicans played a major role in forcing those cuts into law.

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Crossroads GPS: “Promotion”

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Crossroads GPS attacks Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), who is running for Senate, over his votes in favor of a 2009 budget plan and the Affordable Care Act, which the ad suggests are harmful to small businesses. The non-binding budget resolution Donnelly supported cut taxes for middle- and lower-class Americans while letting the Bush tax cuts expire on top earners, few of whom are small businesses. The Affordable Care Act, meanwhile, contains tax credits for small businesses.

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American Crossroads: “Sack It”

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In its latest attack on President Obama, American Crossroads pretends that the economic recovery is not happening, asking, “Where are the jobs you promised?” The economy was hemorrhaging jobs when Obama took office, but the private sector has created 4.7 million new jobs over the last 31 consecutive months of growth. Indeed, even counting the hundreds of thousands of job losses each month in early 2009, the latest data shows positive net job growth in Obama’s first term. Moreover, Crossroads dishonestly blames Obama for rising debt fueled by the recession and Bush-era policies, such as tax breaks for the wealthy and unfunded wars.

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American Action Network: “3 Wishes”

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In an ad urging voters to “make Kathy Hochul go away” on November 6, the American Action Network attacks the first-term Democrat from New York, claiming she voted to raise taxes “almost 50 percent” and increase spending “even more.” But the ad’s citations make clear that it’s referring to Hochul’s time on the Hamburg, New York town board, and the increases in question occurred over the course of 13 years. In fact, when the town budget is adjusted for inflation, spending actually increased a mere 8.5 percent during Hochul’s service. The ad also claims Hochul “voted for the job-killing health care law” and to increase small business taxes. But Hochul wasn’t in Congress when the health care law passed, and she voted to preserve tax cuts on the middle class while ending them for top earners, few of whom are true small businesses.

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Americans for Tax Reform: “Tax Raising Politician Sean Maloney (NY-18)”

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Americans for Tax Reform targets New York congressional candidate Sean Maloney’s (D) support for ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which the group claims will hurt small businesses and kill jobs. However, conservatives rely on a dubious definition of “small business,” and allowing the top tax bracket to return to its pre-Bush level would not affect many actual employers. In addition, ATR’s charge that phasing out the tax breaks would cause job losses is based on a flawed study that assumes the revenue will not go toward deficit reduction, which is exactly what Maloney and other Democrats have proposed.

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Americans for Tax Reform: “Charlie Wilson – Boxer”

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Grover Norquist’s anti-tax organization, Americans for Tax Reform, released an ad blaming Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-OH) for the country’s spending and debt. The ad derides the bipartisan bank bailout, which helped avoid an economic depression, and the Recovery Act without mentioning the conditions that made both actions necessary. The ad’s emphasis on the debt is disingenuous given Norquist’s rigid “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” which commits signers to oppose tax increases and undermines any balanced solution to the nation’s fiscal troubles.

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American Crossroads: “Four More”

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American Crossroads looks forward in its latest ad, warning viewers that President Obama’s second-term plans will bring tax hikes on small businesses, job losses, and higher debt. In reality, Obama wants to extend tax cuts for the middle class while phasing out tax breaks on income above $250,000. That would reduce deficits without harming job creation, and the flawed study that American Crossroads cites to claim otherwise does not actually address Obama’s proposal. Meanwhile, the ad also claims that Obama has “nothing to show” for his first term, ignoring the economic disaster he inherited and the 4.7 million new private-sector jobs created over the last 31 months of growth.

Read more after the jump.