Putting politics ahead of jobs

June 13, 2012

The Washington Times reports, "Tim Kaine said Tuesday that electing George Allen to the U.S. Senate would lead to brass-knuckle politics and a turn-back-the-clock attitude on an already stagnant economy... Mr. Kaine said Tuesday that the upcoming general election race for Senate represents a clear choice between two different philosophies. 'I think it's sort of whether we continue to embrace newly innovative strategies ... in the nation or whether we go back to strategies [that haven't worked],' he said, pointing to his platform of investing in infrastructure and winning the 'talent race' through education."

Progressive Point: Virginians are frustrated with politicians who put their political goals ahead of jobs. After his primary, it is clear that George Allen is more interested in partisan politics than growing our economy and strengthening Virginia's future.

George Allen has stood with the conservatives in Virginia's General Assembly who pushed for trans-vaginal ultrasounds and personhood. Allen endorses Mitt Romney's position that we should lay off more police officers, teachers, firefighters, and nurses while keeping tax giveaways for the wealthy and continuing handouts to corporate donors. He rubber-stamps Romney on raising interest rates on student loans and ending insurance coverage for preexisting conditions. George Allen has his priorities, and they aren't growing jobs and helping working Virginians.

Get the Facts:

• While visiting Iowa, Allen expressed growing disinterest with his job in the Senate, saying that it runs like a board of directors. "I made more decisions in half a day as governor than you can make in a whole week in the Senate," Senator Allen said. At another stop in Iowa, Allen "lamented about being in the Senate, [saying] 'It's too slow for me.' Senator Allen had traveled to Iowa with designs on the White House in 2008, so his musings on his job's duties may not sound surprising. But the senator from Virginia may be getting ahead of himself. Even as he laments his day job, he is...asking Virginians to return him to it." (New York Times, 3/26/06, Newport News Daily Press, 10/11/98)


• George Allen has accepted $498,597 from the oil and gas industry. (Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 3/30/12)


• "Allen takes credit for 'reining in state spending' when he was governor. In fact, general fund spending grew by 46.8 percent from the budget Allen inherited when he was inaugurated in January 1994, and the budget he recommended before leaving office in January 1998." (Politifact, 9/12/11)


• Allen drastically cut Virginia's public assistance programs, declaring "Welfare is not to be a permanent status for anyone in life." [Harris, John F. "Allen Urges VA Welfare Restrictions; Plan Would Require Job, Two-Year Cutoff", (Washington Post, August 17, 1993)


• As Senator, Allen voted to extend corporate welfare to oil and gas companies. (Washington Post, 9/24/11) He has since repeatedly opposed attempts to repeal these subsidies. (Virginia Politics blog, Richmond Times-Dispatch,5/11/11;Virginian-Pilot, 3/29/12)

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