Terrified: Rick Boucher Launches First Campaign Ad, Flees From His Record

BOUCHER'S RHETORIC

BOUCHER'S RECORD

"He voted against the healthcare bill because its deep cuts to Medicare would harm seniors."

Boucher voted for Obama's budget, which The Washington Post said paved the way for Obama's Medicare-cutting healthcare bill:

"Congressional Democrats overwhelmingly embraced President Obama's ambitious and expensive agenda for the nation yesterday, endorsing a $3.5 trillion spending plan that sets the stage for the president to pursue his most far-reaching priorities. Voting along party lines, the House and Senate approved budget blueprints that...would permit work to begin on the central goals of Obama's presidency: an expansion of health-care coverage for the uninsured..." (Lori Montgomery, "Congress Approves Budget; $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan Paves Way for Obama Goals," The Washington Post, 4/3/09)

"Rick took on his own party to protect coal jobs in the energy bill."

Boucher, in contrast to several fellow coal-district Democrats from Appalachia, not only voted for cap-and-trade, but was a key player in passing the bill - earning him effusive praise from Obama's White House:

"Boucher, D-Abingdon, is a key player in negotiations on a bill to create a national cap-and-trade system on greenhouse gases." (Mason Adams, "Boucher policies make him a bigger target," Roanoke Times, 9/24/09)

"‘I want to give a shout out to Rick Boucher, LaHood said...‘His support means a lot to the administration...LaHood's call underscores Boucher's importance to the bill's chances of passing. It also emphasizes just how much the congressman from Abingdon has stuck his neck out for President Obama...Boucher's work on the cap-and-trade legislation is politically risky as well -- his district is home to 5,000 coal workers in an industry that hasn't entirely warmed to the bill yet...LaHood's call, then, may well have been part of a keen political strategy to keep a key vote in a coal district on the Obama administration's side.

Boucher, who said he did not know about the White House call, attributed it to two things: ‘First of all, it is a signal of how important the administration views passing this bill...I think the other reason you got that call is because the president has personally told me several times how important he thinks my role is in this.'" (Mason Adams, "White House lauds Boucher," Roanoke Times, 5/23/09)

"He's reaching across party lines to balance the federal budget."

Boucher has voted for nearly every budget-busting initiative Obama's put forth, including:

• The $862 billion stimulus, which "is expected to add about $400 billion to the deficit in this budget year." (Andrew Taylor, "Officials Say Stimulus Bill to Cost $75B More," The Associated Press, 1/26/10)

• The $3.5 trillion budget, which "generate a deficit of more than $1.2 trillion next year and produce large annual deficits well into the future." (Lori Montgomery, "Congress Approves Budget; $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan Paves Way for Obama Goals," Washington Post, 4/3/09)

·         The nearly $2 trillion debt limit increase, which "allow the government to go $1.9 trillion deeper in debt - an increase of about $6,000 more for every U.S. resident that provided a vivid election-year reminder of the nation's perilous financial condition." ("House agrees to $1.9 trillion more debt," The Associated Press, 2/4/10)

"Congressman Rick Boucher. He listens to us. Because Southwest Virginia is home, and it always comes first."

Congressman Rick Boucher. He lies to us. Because Washington is home, and getting re-elected always comes first.