Blumenthal Distances Himself From Obama, His Policies
A sign of the times: When Democratic Richard Blumenthal (D) runs against the stimulus and TARP at an AFL-CIO meeting in Connecticut, it's a signal that the administration's policies aren't playing well even in the more-Democratic parts of the country.
Per the Connecticut Mirror:
Richard Blumenthal distanced himself Monday from the Obama administration and the state's Democratic congressional delegation with a forceful denunciation of Washington in a speech to the Connecticut AFL-CIO in Hartford.The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate was cheered as he arrived, but his anti-Washington theme drew little applause from a labor audience that had warmly greeted the man Blumenthal hopes to succeed, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd.
Blumenthal says he would have opposed the Trouble Asset Relief Program that bailed out Wall Street. He also objects to the stimulus package as doing too little to help the middle-class.
"I believe that the stimulus was wrongly structured, because it failed to provide jobs and paychecks to ordinary Americans. It unfortunately was inadequately designed to invest in infrastructure, in roads and bridges and schools," Blumenthal said.
Asked how the state could have balanced its budget given the influx of stimulus money for Medicaid, education and other programs, Blumenthal said, "That's an entirely separate question. I would have opposed the stimulus as it was structured."
There are lots of Wall Street voters in Connecticut, particularly those centered in the affluent, western part of the state (Greenwich/Stamford) who are angry with Obama's economic policies from the stimulus to the financial regulation bill.
The fact that Blumenthal, running against a flawed but well-funded Republican (Linda McMahon) is distancing himself from the president is a sign that this race is poised to get more competitive, and that other downballot Democrats in these wealthy districts - Reps. Jim Himes and Chris Murphy -- are in for a tough time come November.
In fact, newly-released internal polls conducted by GOP pollster Whit Ayres shows both those races in competitive territory. Himes, a freshman who has voted with Obama on his signature pieces of legislation (stimulus/health care/cap-and-trade/financial reg.), only leads Republican Dan Debicella by four points, 46 to 42 percent.
Murphy, also a reliable Democratic vote and an up-and-comer in the House, is in better shape, but still at risk. A 48 percent plurality of voters in his district said they would rather "give someone else a chance" with only 42 percent saying they definitely would re-elect him. Murphy is facing Republican Sam Caligiuri in the November general election.
Hum, actually, his criticisms of the stimulus package sure sound like he is saying it wasn't enough to the LEFT as Democrats wanted more infrastructure spending in the package but put tax cuts in there to try and attract Republicans.
And once again, TARP was voted under Bush.
I know you want to further the narrative about Obama being unpopular and while it is to a large extent true enough, this is a bad example.
Did you support Obama’s healthcare bill? Jim Himes voted yes. Dan Debicella would repeal it and replace it with a reform that focuses on cutting the cost of healthcare.
The $800 billion stimulus financed by borrowing? Jim Himes voted yes. Dan Debicella wants to repeal the remaining stimulus and replace it with a payroll tax cut.
Cap and trade? Jim Himes yes. Dan Debicella no.
End the secret ballot in union elections? Again, Jim Himes yes. Dan Debicella no.
On Election Day, vote for whoever agrees with you.
you assume blumenthal knows what he's doing, and that a Republican pollster conducts a unbiased, scientifically sound poll instead of striving for results that will please his clients.
Titbug: Obama voted "aye" for TARP, and every other spending bill (except military) that Pelosi and Reid asked for!!! Remember, only Congress gets to spend, and the Democrats had a plurality in both houses since 2006!