Steny Hoyer: Democrats Will Run Against Bush's Record In 2010 And Win

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Tuesday that Democrats will be using George W. Bush's record against Republicans in the midterm elections, and he's confident they will win.

"Returning to failed policies is not a productive option for this country. The policies we pursued in the '90s under Bill Clinton that were unanimously opposed by the Republicans led to the best economy, biggest job creation, and four years of balanced budgets. We're going to make that argument," Hoyer told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. "The policies we pursued succeeded and the policies that the Republicans still talk about returning to were demonstrably failed policies."

Hoyer cited the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, which shows voter confidence in Obama has reached an all-time low.

"I'm not happy about that. I think Americans are angry. They were angry in '06. They were angry in '08. They changed leadership. They're still angry. Their economy is still not working the way it should work. We agree with that." he said. "Unfortunately their anger -- which should be focused on not returning to the Bush, Boehner, McCain policies which plunged us into deep debt and resulted in the worst economy in the lifetime of almost every American under 90 years of age -- [is focused on Obama.]."

Hoyer insisted that voters will adopt that focus and that Democrats won't lose the House this fall. When asked about White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' comments this Sunday about a possible Republican takeover of the House he said: "Do I think he's right and there are enough seats in play? Probably close. I don't think the fact that they're in play does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that I think we're going to lose the House."

Those remarks echo House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments Monday that there's not "much likelihood" that Democrats will lose the House.

Hoyer left little doubt about what the Democratic campaign message will be.

"All of the predictions that were made for Bush's and the Republican's economic policies were wrong -- all of them. They resulted in deep debt. They ran a deficit every year they were in place. Unemployment was staggering," Hoyer said. "I think the American public hopefully is going to reflect on that. We're certainly going to be talking about that. I'm going to be talking about that."

Comments

[tompoe]

03:01 PM on 07/15/2010

A winning strategy, but with one caveat. Either these corrupt Democrats bring out reconciliation, and get the show on the road, or the message falls on deaf ears. Reid and Pelosi are so pathetic, it's breaking over the line of criminal behavior.

[Chris1962]

05:04 AM on 07/15/2010

>>>House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Tuesday that Democrats will be using George W. Bush's record against Republicans in the midterm elections, and he's confident they will win.>>>

Good luck with that: http://news.yahoo.com/video/local-15749667/20881404

[senatortruth]

06:43 PM on 07/14/2010

DuganS1

It's hard to attack Bush when the current President is worse. Sure Bush added Medicare Part D and created No Child Left Behind, but even Republicans can forgive him for that as Obama has created the new Universal HealthCare monster which will be 100x more damaging to the economy and deficit. And sure Bush took too long to take care of business in Iraq and it burdened the budget deficit terribly; but yet Obama has continued to war-monger and in a much less significant country to boot. So the comparison goes from Bush bad to Obama worse. I think Republicans will be glad to take up that fight.
****************************

YOU might forgive TRAITTORS like Buhs and Cheeney.

REAL Americans will NOT...

[Countess]

03:28 PM on 07/14/2010

Obama could have chosen to expose the crimes of Bush and put the country on a new path reversing the destructive path of the last thirty years but he chose to cover up his crimes and adopt his foreign policy and for the democrats now to make Bush a campaign issue is totally ridiculous and only confirms how disconnected from reality they really are. People desperately want a government that will be a champion for ordinary people against wall street, the banks and corporate interests but the democrats are governing like there is no crisis offering hollowed out reforms without the massive public investment needed if we are to have any hope of turning things around and making Bush an issue in 2010 will get them nowhere.

[DuganS1]

03:18 PM on 07/14/2010

It's hard to attack Bush when the current President is worse. Sure Bush added Medicare Part D and created No Child Left Behind, but even Republicans can forgive him for that as Obama has created the new Universal HealthCare monster which will be 100x more damaging to the economy and deficit. And sure Bush took too long to take care of business in Iraq and it burdened the budget deficit terribly; but yet Obama has continued to war-monger and in a much less significant country to boot. So the comparison goes from Bush bad to Obama worse. I think Republicans will be glad to take up that fight.

[Truffle]

06:56 PM on 07/14/2010

Worse? How so?

[Bat Wrangler]

03:01 PM on 07/14/2010

I know, Steny, it's hard to forget the past, but a better strategy might be to focus on the future Bushies that will be sprouting up to take this country further down the drain. We all know Ol' Jeb is just biding his time, waiting for us all to forget the horrendous eight years his brother was in charge, or the weak economic period of his father's administration from 1989-1993. Let's not forget also, that the next generation of Bushies is almost of legal office-holding age and will be bouncing along the campaign trails shortly. The past is over, and we are all paying the price for it, but the thought of future Bushies (and Cheneys) who believe they are entitled to hold public office should scare every God-fearing American out there. Tell everyone to be on-guard..

[richnerd]

02:53 PM on 07/14/2010

DISCLAIMER: A completely fictional letter....

Dear Steny,

Hey man! How's it hangin' ? how's the missus? I was readin' in the Crawford rag here that you was thinkin' of dredging up my administration's record as a platform in 2010. Man, I wish you could cut me a darn break, Cuz. Tell you what, you can bring up all that tired ol' stuff if you also bring up my accomplishments. For example, like how I was a "uniter". Didn't I unite all the Democrats, who else could have done that? Also, I ran up the largest deficit of any sitting President in history....in Hisss...Toh...Ree! And get this Steny!...I did more to encourage elitism, irresponsibility, materialism and anti-intellectualism than even my Daddy, and that's sayin sumpin' So...come guys, cut me a dang break. Use a different strategery. People don't wanna hear about me no more.

And come on down to Crawford for a beer and we'll go golfin! I got lots of advice to give.

Your buddy,

Gearge Walker Bush, President of the United States of America....before the new guy. Psych! Ha Ha!

[JackHoffman]

03:09 PM on 07/14/2010

lmao fanned and faved!

[lightningbolt]

02:53 PM on 07/14/2010

Obama has the power to release enormous amounts of damaging information from the Bush administration. What we already know about the Bush administration is horrible enough. I can't imagine all the horrible things he did which we don't yet know about, but Obama has the ability to find out and tell us. The republican party needs to be squashed into oblivion.

[RMorr2002]

04:08 PM on 07/14/2010

You are probably correct....but Karma is a b**ch! It would set a precedent and, somewhere in the future, the entire Obama background could be released.

[Clarabell]

09:22 PM on 07/15/2010

Hey Sparky, I'm looking forward to your reply on how you are going to help me in the brains department. So don't miss the post.

[lightningbolt]

02:50 PM on 07/14/2010

This is a great idea. We must remind everyone all the time about Bush's reign of terror. We cannot allow anyone to forget how horrible his government was. We should also remind voters of how republicans are blocking progress now. Keeping the republicans out of our government is a matter of survival.

[RMorr2002]

01:47 PM on 07/14/2010

I'm curious...and have a legitimate question for the Dems who post here.

I would like Congress (Both Houses) to pass a rule that says.....
"If you cannot prove that you have read a proposed bill and understand what is in it, you will not be allowed to vote on it."

We have WAY too many 2000-3000 page bills being voted on that most of these guys have not even read.

My guess would be that the Republicans would support such a rule 100%. Do you think the Dems would support such a rule??

[miketothad]

02:19 PM on 07/14/2010

Do you think conservitards would even pay attention if such a bill passed?

[RMorr2002]

02:39 PM on 07/14/2010

Such a bill DID pass...It was called HeathCare reform and Nancy said "uou have to pass it to find out what is in it" You think that is intelligent???

[mjl422]

02:30 PM on 07/14/2010

The rule should also say that if you haven't read it, you can't vote against it or fillibuster it. The reality is, most of these guys have made up their minds (or have it made up for them by their party) before the legislation is crafted. Do you reaaly think that every Repub is against a jobs bill or unemployment extension in the middle of a recession, in an election year? Of course not. If we had a Repub Pres., it would be hailed as the greatest piece of legislation ever created.

I don't think Dems or Repubs would support that rule. Repubs know that one day they will be in charge again and that rule would come back to bite them in the butt. Passing unread bills is not a new thing. Nothing that is going on now is new. Dems and Repubs have been playing these same games for years. It's only a problem for Repubs because Dems are in charge. Just like it was a problem for Dems when Repubs were in charge.

[LibertarianJon]

01:47 PM on 07/14/2010

They obviously have nothing better to do than say... Oh... we don't want a repeat of Bush/Cheney! I guess it has been working for BO while his approval ratings plummet!

[Mydian01]

02:37 PM on 07/14/2010

we dont want a repeat of the Bush/Cheney form of cronyism government. it is unsustainable.. but then again, it doesnt have to be when your aim is to steal as much cash for your corporate buddies and get the hell outta dodge.. well, then thats a successful administration..

trying to clean up afterwards is gunna be messy.. and if there is one thin republicans are very good at.. its destroying government and then crying about how government doesnt work.

why do republicans hate america so much?

[LibertarianJon]

02:58 PM on 07/14/2010

They don't hate America.... Republicans look out for what's coming 5-10 years in the future.... Dems are all about right now....

[den1953]

03:00 PM on 07/14/2010

They have no new ideas that will work, the Republicans got high jacked from the tea party and that party has gone nuts, and is splitting the Republican party up!

[bobell]

01:38 PM on 07/14/2010

"Under democracy, one party always devotes it chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right." H. L. Mencken

[mjl422]

02:39 PM on 07/14/2010

The sad thing is both parties, probably, agree on 90% of the same things. But, they are too idiotic and polarized to work out the 10%.

[den1953]

02:58 PM on 07/14/2010

It is what happens when neither side wants to move forward our politics is all geared today with who will win the upper hand and the American people get ignored!

[den1953]

01:26 PM on 07/14/2010

The Democrats don't need to run against the Bush disaster all they need to do is quote how many times the Republicans have voted NO on the bills that were written to pull this country out of the ditch , and get Americans back to work at all costs!

[Mydian01]

02:38 PM on 07/14/2010

that list is extensive.

[den1953]

02:56 PM on 07/14/2010

And accurate and hard to debate why they voted all the bills down especially when the Republican amendments were inserted and agreed to and yet the republicans still voted them down!

[funinthesun]

01:21 PM on 07/14/2010

Hoyer is correct to a point, as long as the DEMS do it correctly. Just blaming Bush will not work, but if he points out the GOP answer to today's problems are just a rehash of the Bush policies which did not work AND this is what the DEMS would do differently , then it'll work. He can point out that these same GOPers who are complaining about deficits want to pass more tax cuts for the wealthy without a way to pay for them. It seems aiding the unemployed and the middle class is "too expensive" in GOP eyes but not tax cuts for their friends.

[RMorr2002]

02:17 PM on 07/14/2010

The Dems have a couple of problems going here.

1. Perception is Reality....the American public is looking at the BIG picture...the economy sucks and unemployment is 9.5%. They were told that if we did the $870B Stimulus, things would get better. The Stimulus was passed and the economy still sucks and unemployment is still 9.5%. The Dems Control Congress with big majorities
AND the WH and have for the past 2 years.

2. Nobody likes a whiner- The situation was not great when Obama took over, but, if you remember, He wanted the job and he was given the job by the American Public.
In fact, he made a sorts of promises about how WONDERFUL it would be if he were elected. Blaming the guy who left office 2 years ago makes the administration look weak and pathetic. The American Public doesn't like whiny kids and they don't expect whiny President!

The members of Congress have an even bigger problem than Obama. The Dems have controlled Congress for the past 4 years and yes, things were better before they took office. Unemployment was lower, the deficit was much lower and the economy didn't suck as bad as it does now. You can argue the causes, but most of the people are just looking at that Big Picture.

[bobell]

02:26 PM on 07/14/2010

exactly. most people do not even realize what congress is for or what they are doing. t

[webandgraphics]

01:11 PM on 07/14/2010

How about doing something positive so you can focus on that in November? Or is that too hard a concept to grasp?