This can't be true: Republicans want to make the 2010 election a referendum on Bush? (updated)

[ProSense]

GOPers And Dems Agree: 2010 Should Be A Referendum On Bush

Brian Beutler

Republicans and Democrats alike seem content to let the November elections hinge on a question the answer to which once seemed obvious to voters: Was the Bush era good for the country?

Though for most of President Obama's tenure Republicans were eager to run away from that question, they now act as though the answer makes them bulletproof. With the economy still in crisis, and polls showing Republicans poised to pick up many seats this November, GOP leaders have found the nerve to explicitly argue that what the country needs is a return to the same policies that triggered country's woes in the first place.

"We need to go back to the exact same agenda that is empowering the free enterprise system rather than diminishing it," said NRCC chairman Pete Sessions on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning.

For Democrats, the comment was a gift -- one that they plan to use repeatedly between now and the fall.

"We could not have made the case any clearer than Pete Sessions did that Republicans only want to go back to the failed policies of President Bush," said DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer.

It's a daring strategy for Republicans -- one which includes explicit arguments for Social Security cuts, deregulation, and the repeal of a broadly popular Wall Street reform bill. And it's one they hope they can ride to victory.

more

Sen. Cornyn: ‘I Think A Lot Of People Are Looking Back With More Fondness On President Bush’s Administration’

When Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) made an appearance on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” yesterday, a host asked him whether Republicans plan to embrace the Bush legacy, and Cornyn suggested that they wholeheartedly would. He even claimed that former President Bush is enjoying a revivalas the public feels “fondness” about his administration:

HOST: Last question. We learned this week that President Bush’s memoir is going to be available really in mid October … Is this a plus for your candidates to have President Bush’s administration regurgitated, discussed before election day? …

CORNYN: Look, I think President Bush’s stock is going up a lot since he left office…I think a lot of people are looking back with a little more — with more fondness on President Bush’s administration, and I think history will treat him well.

HOST: So the book will be a plus for your candidates?

CORNYN: You know, I haven’t read it, so I don’t know what’s gonna be in it. But it’s intriguing when you say it’s going to be candid.

Watch it:

<...>

Clearly, though, the American public is still sour on Bush’s record. A recent Time poll found that 71 percent blame Bush for the “balky economy,” versus 27 percent who blame President Obama. By a whopping 53-to-33 percent margin, Americans favor Obama over Bush.

As for Cornyn’s claim that “history will treat” Bush “well,” the Siena Research Institute this month released its latest poll of presidential scholars, who ranked Bush as the worst president of the modern era and in the bottom five overall. Despite evidence like this, Cornyn is only the latest prominent conservative to engage in wishful thinking about Bush’s legacy, following the likes of Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), Bush’s former Attorney General John Aschcroft, and Karl Rove. (HT: Taegan Goddard)

Are Republicans that clueless?


Updated to add: GOP wants to go back to the good old days of George W. Bush

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) went on Meet the Press, and during a segment on the Bush presidency, said:

... we need to go back to the exact same agenda that is empowering the free enterprise system rather than diminish it.

:rofl:

[Ross K]

1. .

:rofl:

[TwilightGardener]

2. Counting on Americans' famously short memories, I see.

[TheWraith]

10. More like their OWN short memories.

Hell, they're also talking up the same "Be afraid of Nancy Pelosi" strategy that failed them utterly in 2006.

[global1]

3. Is This For Real Or Is This Satire - Is This From The Onion?.......

They can't be serious - can they?

[SpiralHawk]

4. "Smirk." - xCommander AWOL (R)

[BrklynLiberal]

5. A campaign poster suggestion....

[SunsetDreams]

6. WOW! I didn't think they were THAT stupid!

:rofl:

[ProSense]

15. Yes. They. Are.

:rofl:

[DevonRex]

7. And I think they should bring it ON!!!

:rofl:

[liberal N proud]

8. They are banking on voters having a short term memory

A really short term in this case.

[Cognitive_Resonance]

9. It's great news. "Looking back" is a losing strategy. nt

[Sheepshank]

11. The short term memory thing

only works if the nation had move beyond and repaired the problem. We are still bleeding and hurting from Bush policies....no short term memory required, it's a current reality. What an epic fail on their part to ignore that fact.

[Danascot]

12. Haven't you heard?

Jobs, the wall street bailout, the economy, the gulf oil spill are all Obama's fault (unless they were Clinton's fault). Bush was the second coming of St Ronnie. Facts, irony and minorities need not apply.

[Jakes Progress]

13. And you are rofling because.....

Do you really think that this won't work. Remember that the country put bush in office twice, both time while he was running against clearly superior men. You underestimate the capacity for stupid that exists in many parts of teh country. Add fear, greed, and pure nastiness to the stupid and you have an electorate that would probably put bush in office again.

[ProSense]

14. "Do you really think that this won't work." It worked brilliantly

in 2008 when the GOP rank Mavericky McCain against a first-term Senator.

Never say never, but


:rofl:

[Jakes Progress]

16. Keep rolling laughing boy.

If you think that mccain was anywhere near a serious candidate, you are fooling yourself.

And if you think that beating the walking corpse and the hillbilly tart was a great accomplishment, you lack any sense of proportion.

And mccain did not run on "gimme four more years of bush". That was back when the republicans were running away from bush.

And the kind of jelly-brained imbeciles who vote for people like bush have no memories and no concept of history. They will buy the idea that Obama caused the crash. They will buy the idea that Obama is on the side of the banks. (Well he is, but just not as bad as republicans). They will buy the idea that Obama is responsible for not ending the war. They will buy the idea that it was Obama who caused the depression and unemployment.

If you think they won't buy this crap that we need to go back to the good old days of george, you really haven't been paying attention.

[ProSense]

17. I'm a laughing girl who

has every reason to laugh.

But if you feel sorry for Republicans or believe they have super powers, feel free to keep hyping them.

:rofl:

[Jakes Progress]

19. Golly. You don't read very well do you?

Please show where my post said I was sorry for republicans. Show me where I referred to their super powers. Explain how I am hyping them.

Your posts are an embarrassment to this administration. There is nothing that people can do to hurt the chances of this administration doing well enough to be re-elected than to pretend that no one needs to worry about the republicans. As mentioned also in this thread, republicans don't have a lock on stupidity. Your posts prove that.

Now. How about you actually post an opinion. Do you believe that the republican party has no chance of taking a majority in the next election in either house? Do you think that the administration has been so accommodating of republican sensibilities is because they are worried that they will get too many votes or do you believe it is because the administration actually agrees with republicans quite often? Do you believe that in the four years between 2004 and 2008 the population somehow became exponentially smarter and therefore finally voted Democratic or do you think that this time we had the people-pleasing candidate and the republicans offered a corpse and a tart?

Any opinions about any issues other than the president is so dreamy that you just want to plotz?

Laughing at what is happening to people now and will happen if we don't win the next election is shameless and unprincipled.

[niceypoo]

18. Ironically

The reaction by many in the Democratic party to the Bush, Palin and McCain disasters was to lurch rightward. The GOP definitely does not corner the jelly-brain market.

[Jakes Progress]

20. You got that right.

Just check out the OP.