Says Democrat tries to pass as independent
U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner stumped Monday in Tucson for state Senate President Tim Bee’s campaign to replace freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Boehner accused Giffords of acting like an independent in her southeastern Arizona district but being a liberal Democrat on Capitol Hill.
“The current incumbent says one thing in the district and does another in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
Specifically, Boehner said, Giffords talked about cutting taxes when she ran for office two years ago but voted to raise them once elected. Also, he said she opposes an energy plan that includes drilling on the outer continental shelf.
Giffords’ campaign defended her as a “common-sense” problem solver who has worked across party lines on issues important to the district.
“Today’s attacks are just more of the same tired, old politics of misrepresentations and distortions from Tim Bee and his party bosses in Washington, D.C.,” said campaign spokesman Eric Swedlund.
Boehner helped create the $700 billion economic recovery plan that Bee said he opposed.
“My involvement was to make sure it’s not a taxpayer bailout and is a rescue bill,” Boehner said. “But it’s more important to remember how we got there.”
He blamed liberals who he claimed pushed homeowner loans to low-income and minority families.
He especially blamed the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now for the practice, while accusing the group of trying to “steal” the election by registering ineligible voters.
Bee has said he would have changed the recovery bill, a tough act as a junior member of the minority party. But it would have been doable, Boehner said, adding “When you are in the minority party, you just have to work harder.”
Bee has 15 days to make his case to voters in southern Arizona.
“Our numbers are strong,” Bee said. “We need to get our voters to polls. That’s going to make this difference.”
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