by Josh Gerstein
Politico.com
12/27/2009
Democrats are retooling and reprising their “Party of No” attack on Republicans in Congress after straight party-line votes in December on financial reform and health care.
But already, analysts are questioning whether charges of GOP obstructionism will be enough to keep voters from taking out their angst over the economy on Democrats next fall.
Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began making robocalls against Republicans in four districts in Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania for opposing a Democratic plan to tighten regulation of banks and financial services firms widely blamed for last year’s economic meltdown.
“Remember? We said it can’t happen again. But did you know Congressman [Mario] Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) voted to let Wall Street continue the same risky practices that crippled retirement accounts and cost taxpayers $700 billion, including unchecked bonuses and salaries for executives?” says the call, which was first reported by the Miami Herald. “Maybe the $81,204 he got from financial special interests mattered more than taxpayers.”
The recorded messages come on the heels of 60-second radio ads the DCCC rolled out in five districts in California, Nebraska and Pennsylvania highlighting the same Dec. 11 vote in which no Republican backed the regulation package.
The salvos come as other Democrats say they plan to paint Republicans as obstructionist for their down-the-line opposition to Senate health care legislation Thursday.
“History will judge harshly those who have chosen the simple path of obstruction over the hard work of making change. It always does,” said Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), an architect on the Senate financial reform bill…
…“Nobody’s been an obstructionist. All we wanted to do was participate in the process,” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said on CNN during a back-and-forth over the health care bill. “I think [Democrats] deserve some credit for getting it done, as bad as it is. But it’s going to wreck our country, I have to tell you. And people out there know that.”…
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