There’s nothing I like more than seeing Democrats adopt Republican philosophies. It’s basically an acknowledgment that we’re right and they’re wrong. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen as often as it should.
And, even more unfortunately, when it does happen, it’s usually part of a hypocritical attempt to bash Republicans.
So when I saw David Catanese’s article on George Allen’s fundraising totals (over $1.1 million for the quarter – pretty damn good and dwarfing all of the other primary candidates combined) I was amused by DPVA spokesman Brian Coy’s quote at the end of the piece:
“George Allen isn’t any better at managing his campaign’s finances than he was at managing the country’s finances,” said Virginia Democratic Party spokesman Brian Coy. “After helping to add $3 trillion to the national debt and turn a record surplus into a record deficit, he still doesn’t seem to understand that you can’t get away with spending nearly as much or more money than you take in.”
Leaving aside the ridiculous idea that a freshman Senator who didn’t sit on either the Senate Finance or Appropriations committees had anything to do with “managing the country’s finances,” Coy’s comments are hilariously hypocritical.
That anybody in the Democratic party – especially someone who will be defending a sitting President who has added more to the national debt than any President in modern history – thinks they’re in a position to lecture anyone else on deficit spending is beyond the pale.
Allen’s record as Governor – when he was in a position to manage Virginia’s finances – speaks for itself. And it’s a much better record than Kaine’s, especially since he never tried to balance a massive budget deficit by leaving a record breaking tax increase on his successor’s plate, a tax increase that every Democrat in the House of Delegates ran away from.
I understand that it’s spin season for some of these races, but it’s usually a bad idea to throw the top of your ticket under the bus when you’re trying to spin a story. And it’s especially bad when your spin opens yourself up for the exact same charges you’re throwing.
It’s going to be a long 9 months.
