East TN Conservative

Club For Growth Examines Fred’s Record, Chastises Huckabee According to this statement from the Club for Growth, “Fred Thompson’s eight-year record is generally pro-growth with an excellent record on entitlement reform and school choice and a very good record on taxes, regulation, and trade,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. It then gots into more detail on his record. Here’s their summation on Sen. Thompson: Senator Thompson’s eight-year record in the U.S. Senate demonstrates an admirable commitment to limited government and free-market principles. His record on entitlement reform and school choice is excellent, while his support for lower taxes and free trade is very good. On Social Security reform in particular, Thompson courageously supported personal accounts at a time when few politicians were willing to risk their necks taking on the third rail of American politics. His record on spending (save the occasional pork project) is generally impressive, as demonstrated by his votes to restrict the growth and reach of the federal government. On regulation, too, Thompson voted generally against government intrusion in the private sector. Many Republican politicians talk about limited government and the principle of federalism but Thompson exemplified those ideas, often voting against bills that would have made it easy for a political opponent to paint him in a negative light. While this strong federalist philosophy casts a redemptive light on his opposition to tort reform, it does not fully excuse or explain a number of his votes. His persistent federalism also makes his role in the passage of McCain-Feingold all the more disappointing. It is difficult to reconcile Thompson’s fervent belief in a limited government with his enthusiasm for increasing government regulation on political speech. Thompson has never adequately addressed this contradiction and will have to do so. His recent doubts over the legislation’s efficacy are encouraging, least of all because all politicians make mistakes, and rare are those willing to admit their own. Fred’s got an extensive record on limiting spending. He’s also consistently voted for cutting taxes, something none of his opponents can say. Fred’s record on free trade is the type of stuff that’ll make economists smile. In fact, here’s Club for Growth’s section on Fred’s free trade record: Free Trade Free trade is a vital policy for maximizing economic growth. In recent decades, America’s commitment to expanding trade has resulted in lower costs for consumers, job growth, and higher levels of productivity and innovation. Over his eight years in the Senate, Fred Thompson voted for many free trade agreements and was a proponent of America’s increased participation in the global economy. Although this strong record contains a trouble spot or two-such as his votes for nonbinding, symbolic measures in support of conditional tariffs on Japan in 1995 and to revoke normal trade relations with China in 1997 -the list of his pro-free trade votes is long and encouraging: * Voted to extend trade benefits to sub-Saharan Africa * Voted for the Africa Free Trade Act * Voted for normal trade relations with China twice * Voted for normal trade relations with Vietnam * Voted for Trade Promotion Authority several times * Voted to kill an amendment that would prohibit reducing tariffs in cases where an anti-dumping order exists * Voted against an amendment requiring an environmental agreement with sub-Saharan and Caribbean countries before trade benefits could be received * Voted against an amendment requiring a side agreement on labor standards with sub-Saharan and Caribbean countries before trade benefits could be received Now Club for Growth is telling South Carolinians to reject Mike Huckabee this Saturday: “The Club for Growth PAC urges South Carolina voters to reject Mike Huckabee and his big-government policies this Saturday. The Club for Growth PAC will be hosting a joint press conference tomorrow in South Carolina with three other major conservative organizations, FreedomWorks PAC, American Conservative Union PAC, and Council for Citizens Against Government Waste PAC, to expose Mike Huckabee’s liberal record. Republican voters should nominate a leader who will return the party to the principles of economic conservatism, not an economic liberal who sounds more like John Edwards than Ronald Reagan.” Meanwhile, the Huckabee campaign just committed a major blunder in addressing the Club For Growth: Today, the pro-business Club for Growth, which has run anti-Huckabee TV ads in the state, holds a news conference in Columbia to join the attack on what it calls the former governor’s “liberal record.” According to the watchdog FactCheck.org, Huckabee cut taxes 94 times but presided over a net tax increase of more than $500 million. Huckabee defended his record, saying he helped improve schools and roads in Arkansas. “My opponents are going to criticize my record,” he said Tuesday. “I didn’t really sit at my desk and say, ‘This is going to get me in trouble. This is going to be a TV ad.’” Later, former S.C. Gov. David Beasley, who accompanied Huckabee, defended him. He dismissed critics such as the Club for Growth as “just Washington insiders who are supporting the Washington insiders who are nothing but failed politicians.” Beasley’s statement is particularly foolish, especially considering how influential Club for Growth is with conservatives. Saying that the C4G are “just Washington insiders who are supporting the Washington insiders who are nothing but failed politicians” isn’t just foolish, it’s inaccurate. They aren’t Washington insiders. They hate most of the bilge coming out of Washington. If anything, they’re anti-Washington. These are the types of things people say when they’re being attacked. It doesn’t project a flattering image on the Huckabee campaign. That isn’t to say that Huckabee’s quote will help him either. Saying that he “didn’t really sit at my desk and say” that signing tax increases would later haunt him is irrelevant. The salient point is that he didn’t object to these tax increases. Instead, he seemed perfectly willing to raise taxes and spending, then rationalize that spending because it bought good things. At a time when the federal deficit is coming back under control, the last thing we need in our next president is someone who isn’t the taxpayer’s advocate. If South Carolinians live up to their reputation as true conservatives, this information is taking its toll on Huckabee’s campaign. That’s music to my ears.