#10: THE REAL KBH…VOTED WITH BUSH 90% OF THE TIME
October 19th, 2009

kbhTEXTSen. Kay Bailey Hutchison voted with President George Bush 90% of the time when he was in office. While she may try to cast herself with a “moderate” image, Kay’s record reveals the truth: she’s an extreme Republican with a long history of putting partisan politics ahead of the people of Texas.

Hutchison’s votes in Washington betray her “moderate” image:

  • In 2007, Kay Bailey Hutchison voted with George Bush 90% of the time, nearly ten percentage points greater than the average Republican in Congress. (Source: Washington Post via On the Issues)
  • Hutchison is a 100% champion of Bush-style tax cuts for the wealthy that benefit special interests like Exxon-Mobil and pass the bill to the middle class, going so far as to once make the factually wrong statement that, “every major tax cut in history has created more revenue.” (Source: Think Progress) Meanwhile, former Republican U.S. Senator from Texas Phil Gramm – who described Americans as a “bunch of whiners” when the economy collapsed due to Wall St. deregulation Gramm, Hutchison, and Bush pushed through Congress years ago – is one of Hutchison’s key supporters, and even organized her first official campaign event. (Source: Austin American-Statesman)
  • Before Hutchison voted to confirm Samuel Alito as Supreme Court Justice, she went on Meet the Press and defended Bush’s embarrassing and failed nomination of Harriet Miers. Yet, when President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor – who was undoubtedly more qualified than Miers – Hutchison voted not to confirm. (Source: MSNBC)

Kay Bailey Hutchison’s record of extreme Republican partisanship and support for the powerful special interests betrays her effort to craft a moderate public image. The evidence: her unwavering support of the failed Bush policies that led to a recession; her unrelenting defense of tax cuts for the special interest cronies that fund her campaigns; and her partisan support for an unqualified Harriet Miers contrasted with her partisan opposition to the highly qualified Sonia Sotomayor.  The record is clear: Kay Bailey Hutchison is another Republican career politician who, along with her fellow Republicans, has failed Texas.

Next: #9: The Real KBH… Using Taxpayer-Funded Staff for Personal Matters

To read more about the real KBH, visit the TDP’s “Who is the Real KBH?” campaign by clicking here.