10/11/06 - Boehner Praises Bush's Policies - Ridicules Democrats' Erroneous Economic Predictions

[Median Democrat]

It is interesting the alternate reality that Republicans are celebrating at CPAC where Republicans fought against Bush's economic policies, rather than embraced them as their own. Indeed, as late as 10/11/06, Boehner offered the following praise of President Bush's economic policies:

http://republicanleader.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=51467

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Boehner Highlights Success of Republican Economic Policies in Dramatically Reducing the Budget Deficit
Boehner Unveils Report Detailing Democrats' Erroneous Predictions on the Budget

Washington, Oct 11, 2006 - U.S. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) highlighted the success of Republican economic policies after the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) lowered its deficit forecast to $248 billion, well below the $423 billion forecast at the beginning of the fiscal year. President Bush's objective of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 has been met three years ahead of schedule. Boehner also released a report chronicling how Capitol Hill Democrats and other Washington D.C. skeptics predicted the President's goal was unrealistic, predictions which have now been proven wrong. Boehner issued the following statement:

"Today's announcement by President Bush confirms that the pro-growth economic policies put in place by Republicans are working as planned to spur economic growth and reduce the deficit. Republicans are meeting our commitments to American taxpayers by exercising fiscal restraint and promoting economic policies that create more jobs, all efforts which have produced a strong economy that is working to drive down and eventually eliminate our deficit.
"President Bush was right about the budget and Capitol Hill Democrats were wrong. Not only has the deficit been cut by half well ahead of schedule, but we've made significant progress despite the tactics of obstruction from Democrats who are forever seeking to raise taxes and spend more taxpayer money.

"With more than 6.6 million new jobs created since August 2003, a rapidly declining deficit, and strong growth in workers' wages, it's troubling that Democrats want to undermine the economic progress we've made by raising taxes. American families don't need to hand over any more of their hard-earned paychecks to Capitol Hill Democrats addicted to tax hikes. The American people deserve tax relief, not tax hikes, and Republicans will continue to emphasize fiscal restraint and pro-growth policies that help that keep America prosperous."

Boehner Report Excerpts on Democrats' Dire & Wrong Predictions on the Budget
When President Bush announced his goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 it was greeted as unrealistic and met with ridicule and scorn by Capitol Hill Democrats. Following are brief excerpts from the report which chronicles the naysayers' skepticism on the subject, all which have been proven wrong by today's announcement by the President that the goal has indeed been met three years ahead of schedule:

"Last year Mr. Bush promised us that he had a plan, a plan that would cut the deficit by half over the next five years. Well, last year, this year, and next year - as you can see here - the budget is clearly not on that path, nowhere near it."
Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) - News conference on the budget, February 7, 2005
"It is time for the Administration to be straightforward with the American people about the choices they are making on their behalf - painful cuts in important and popular domestic programs in return for virtually no reduction in the deficits."
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Minority Whip - Press Release, February 5, 2004

"President Bush claims to be taking our nation down the road toward cutting budget deficits in half, but an examination of his budget demonstrates that when all the costs are included the deficits will grow even larger under his spending plan, burdening our children and their children with huge tax bills to pay down the debt."
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) - Press release, February 7, 2005

"It is more likely that they will find a nuclear bomb in Baghdad than they will succeed at cutting the deficit in half by 2009."
John Podesta, former Chief of Staff for President Clinton and current president of the Center for American Progress - "Plan tries to reverse rising tide of red ink," Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2004

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