Goes MIA After Failing To Pass Budget For 800 Days
WASHINGTON — As U.S. Senate Republicans unite behind a common-sense Balanced Budget Amendment and call for urgent bipartisan negotiations to finally bring Washington’s spending and debt under control, liberal U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) chose instead to jet to a ritzy partisan fundraiser with President Barack Obama, joining in Obama’s refusal to engage in bipartisan budget talks as he echoes his Washington party bosses’ calls for new job-killing tax hikes and yet another round of wasteful “stimulus” spending.
As the Post-Gazette’s Daniel Malloy noted last night on Twitter, “According to pool report, @SenBobCasey flew with Obama to Philly and hung with him at water ice shop before heading to fundraiser.”
Meanwhile, President Obama made it clear at last night’s fundraiser that he can always count on his “great friend” Bob Casey to toe the line for his liberal partisan agenda:
And to one of my dearest friends — I always tell this story, when we were campaigning during the primary back in 2008, and it was still pretty rough going, this guy stepped up, endorsed me, despite the fact that we were losing here in Pennsylvania, didn’t bat an eye, volunteered to do it and did it happily, and has been a great friend ever since. So we just love him, Bob Casey.
“If Pennsylvanians want to know where Bob Casey’s priorities are, they need only look at the fact that he skipped town on bipartisan budget talks in order to raise campaign cash with President Obama,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond. “Apparently Casey was too busy to pass a federal budget for the last 800 days, but not too busy to reap his reward for supporting President Obama’s tax hikes and wasteful spending in Washington.”
Notably, as a candidate in 2006, Casey told Pennsylvanians “I believe in a balanced budget. Government should live within its means, like any small business.” But instead of keeping his promise, Casey and his fellow Senate Democrats have refused to pass any federal budget, much less a balanced budget, for more than 792 days – during which time our national debt has exploded to a record-high $14.3 trillion.
Background Information
| AS A CANDIDATE IN 2006, BOB CASEY EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR A BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET:
Casey Campaign Ad: “I Believe In A Balanced Budget. Government Should Live Within Its Means, Like Any Small Business.” MR. RUSSERT: “Let me find out how you would implement something that you’re promising the voters of Pennsylvania. Here’s a Casey campaign ad about our budget.” (Videotape, Bob Casey campaign ad): MR. CASEY: “I believe in a balanced budget. Government should live within its means, like any small business.” MR. RUSSERT: “How would you get a balanced budget?” MR. CASEY: “It’s not easy, Tim, but here are the steps we should take. First of all, when it comes to the budget, what’s missing principally is a lack of fiscal responsibility, you know that. We’ve gone from about two, 236 of, of surplus down to 296 in deficit. We need some fiscal discipline.” (2006 Pennsylvania Senate Debate, “Meet The Press,” 9/3/06)
· Video Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPYUwCYLBOk
In 2006, Casey Attacked His Opponent For Voting To Raise The Debt Ceiling. MR. CASEY: “I’m for, I’m for fiscal responsibility. Hey, Rick, you’re–there’s only one guy sitting at this table running for the Senate who voted for those record deficits and voted to raise the debt number more in, in a couple of years than every president from George Washington to, to Bill Clinton. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do. I’m, I’m the one who’s been fiscally responsible in my work. You ought to try it.” (2006 Pennsylvania Senate Debate, “Meet The Press,” 9/3/06)
· Video Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De7Fa_6Tnwg
Casey: “We Have To Take A Different Course. I Really Believe That We’ve Got To Move This Country In A Brand New Direction. We Cannot Stay On This Road Of Deficit And Debt And Division.” (Pennsylvania Senate Debate, www.c-spanvideo.org, 10/12/06)
· Video Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D4-Q3piPjg
IN THE MORE THAN 790 DAYS SINCE THE DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED SENATE PASSED A BUDGET, THE NATIONAL DEBT HAS RISEN BY AN ADDITIONAL $3.1 TRILLION:
· On April 27, 2009, The National Debt Was $11.2 Trillion. (Treasury Direct Website, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 6/7/11)
· Today, The National Debt Is Over $14.3 Trillion. (Treasury Direct Website, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 6/2811)
‘VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS FAVOR BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT’
“…there is overwhelming support for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring a balanced budget… Interest in enacting a balanced budget amendment clearly has spiked due to the unprecedented increase of budget deficits in excess of $1.6 trillion.” (“Poll: Vast Majority of Americans Favor Balanced Budget Amendment,” Yahoo News, 5/27/11)
“As the intense debate over the federal budget continues to dramatically unfold in Washington, a new Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll finds an overwhelming number of Americans would support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring Congress to pass a balanced budget every year.” (“Sachs/Mason-Dixon Poll Finds Strong National Suppor For A Balanced Budget Amendment,” Sachs/Mason-Dixon Poll, 5/27/11) |
