Back in January, Nancy Pelosi had an infamous interview with Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” that crystalizes what the 2014 election – just 100 days from today – is really all about.
Pressed on the problems with the rollout of ObamaCare, Stewart asked Pelosi whether Democrats needed to make a stronger case for the “competence of government” if they were going to try to pass large, expansive programs.
“Why is it so hard to get a company to execute that competently?” Stewart said of the ObamaCare website.
Stunned, Pelosi responded simply: “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know,” Stewart said, jumping out of his chair. “How do you not know?!”
Stewart’s question was basic and simple – but important and revealing. And it’s exactly what American voters are asking as they watch what’s happening in Washington: Big government bureaucracies careening out of control. From the Veterans Administration to the IRS, something’s gone terribly wrong and people are suffering as a result.
No matter where you stand on the list of issues facing our country right now, one thing is abundantly clear: President Obama’s administration has proven itself wholly incompetent at running our government – even at a basic level. So it’s no surprise a plurality of Americans now view President Obama as the worst president since World War II.
Whether it’s the recent scandal in the Veterans Administration that has put our nation’s bravest heroes at risk, the security and humanitarian crisis occurring at our southern border, or the ongoing problems with the rollout and execution of ObamaCare – over the last two years, it’s clear that those who put their faith in big government solutions have a lot to explain to the American people.
That’s pretty relevant for two reasons in particular.
For one, the president and his party have executed an ambitious agenda since he took office to increase the size and scope of the federal government – an agenda they’d like to continue expanding. Yet, at the same time, they have proven themselves utterly incapable of making any of it work.
Secondly, the incompetence of this administration is further proof of why it’s so important there is a proper check and balance on President Obama’s administration and the bureaucrats he appoints.
When American voters elected Republicans to the House majority in 2010, they did so because we promised to be a check on President Obama, rein in the intrusion of government in their lives, and create jobs. That’s an obligation we’ve taken seriously.
I’ve been traveling across the country, and our candidates are running strong campaigns focused on how they will produce results for the American people – on jobs, the economy and health care, to name a few. Democrats, meanwhile, are stuck defending a status quo that simply isn’t working.
- In Arizona, Martha McSally is running another strong race against Democrat Ron Barber. McSally, a retired Air Force colonel and the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat, has a winning message about how she’ll fight for women in Congress – just like she did in uniform.
- Will Hurd in the 23rd District in Texas is a former CIA agent and successful businessman who has put freshman Democrat Pete Gallego on high alert. With the recent crisis at the border, this district is seeing first-hand the devastating consequences of this part-time president, and Gallego’s constant defense of Obama won’t play well in this district Mitt Romney won.
- Up in Minnesota, long-time Democrat Collin Peterson is facing a candidate who the press has called his “worst nightmare.” Republican Torrey Westrom is giving Peterson his toughest race ever, talking to Minnesota families and farmers about how Peterson’s support for Cap and Trade and the Pelosi agenda is making it more difficult for them to survive in the Obama economy.
- The son of Cuban exiles, Miami-Dade County School Board Member Carlos Curbelo is ready to bring change to Washington. He’s running against Democrat Joe Garcia, who in just under two years in office is already dogged by corruption allegations.
These are just a few of our incredible candidates who are offering a fresh voice in Washington versus the Democrats’ record of failed governance and incompetence.
Late Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York once said, “The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it’s so rare.”
Today, that line rings true more than ever for Americans headed to the polls in just 100 days. If there ever was a time for a referendum election on an administration, this is that time.