Dems: Stim Bill Pulled Economy from Brink

The RNC gave us Jerry Kilgore yesterday. Today the DNC presents Rep. Gerald Connolly and Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Richard Cranwell, slamming Rep. Eric Cantor and Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell for not supporting President Obama's stimulus package. Or the recovery bill, as they call it.

Cantor, they say, has touted jobs that will be created through building high speed rail in Virginia, funded with stiumulus money. McDonnell has recently spoken flatteringly of the impact of tax cuts pushed by George Bush.

"You can't have it both ways. You can't on the national stage say this is a bad bill...but when it comes to my district I want a big chunk of that money. I want to be there with all four paws and snout in the trough," Connolly said.

It's the start of a hot August of efforts by the national parties to target politicians they believe may be vulnerable at home. The DNC today launches TV and radio ads against several Republican congressional leaders, including Cantor, accusing them of supporting Bush polices that wrecked the economy. "They broke it. Now they refuse to fix it," the tv ad says.

Meanwhile, the RNC likewise last week launched a new $1 million ad campaign targeting 60 Democrats, including Virginians Reps. Tom Perriello, Glenn Nye and Rick Boucher.

UPDATE: And there's response from the RNC, where spokeswoman Katie Wright said the bill "wastes Virginians tax dollars and has done nothing to stimulate the economy." Noting rising unemployment since Obama's inauguration, she said "it is hard to see how this massive spending experiment can be billed as a success."