Jerry Moran Clarifies Attitude Towards Obama Administration

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At the general meeting at Kansas Days on January 31, Kansas first district congressman Jerry Moran sought to clarify or recast the impression a news story left in the minds of attendees.

A Wichita Eagle news story headlined Moran: Obama easier to work with than Bush starts with the sentence “The day after filing to run for U.S. Senate, Rep. Jerry Moran told a Wichita audience that President Obama may be easier to work with than President George W. Bush was.” Referring to this story, Moran said these words:

I will tell you that I don’t think that’s the case, despite the headline, although I will tell you that time and time again I thought that Republican leadership and sometimes the White House failed to remember what Republicans were about. All my life growing up, what I knew about Republicans were that we were the party of fiscal responsibility. We were the ones who had the ability to say no, we can’t afford that. Now don’t you wish we had that in the banking world today? For all those loans the banker said “I’m sorry, I can’t make that loan, you can’t afford that house?”

That’s what we need in Congress. That’s what we need in Washington, is someone who has the ability to say no. So when President Bush and Republican leaders proposed that we expand Medicare in ways that, in my opinion, we couldn’t afford, in ways that, in my opinion, were developed to advance the causes of the pharmaceutical companies as compared to seniors in Kansas, we said no.

And when we decided that the number one priority of the Bush Administration was No Child Left Behind, and we wanted to engage the federal government in the classrooms of Kansas, I said no.

So yes, there are times in which when we as Republicans don’t agree. I guess I disagree with our administration, particularly the Secretary of the Treasury, who thought we could afford $700 billion to bailout Wall Street. The problems with that are many. But once you start down that path, how do I, as a Member of Congress, have the moral standing, the wisdom, to decide your business succeeds and your business fails.

When the automobile manufacturers came back asking for money I heard Members of Congress say “But you gave $700 billion to Wall Street. Surely you can afford $34 billion for the automobile manufacturers.” Well, I don’t know if I disagree with that logic, but the fault is we couldn’t afford the $700 billion in the first place.

That’s not how the story is written. But I did say to the folks at an agricultural business meeting in Wichita yesterday that when it comes to our ability to sell Kansas agricultural products to Cuba, the Obama Administration may be easier to work with than the Bush Administration was.

I didn’t intend to have that conversation with you this afternoon, but I will tell you my position in regard to the Obama Administration is one of concern.

Comments

5 responses to “Jerry Moran Clarifies Attitude Towards Obama Administration”

  1. sheila

    Moran voted FOR the SCHIP program, allowing families with income up to $88,000.00 per year to get free insurance for their children! ON US! I’m not voting for anyone that voted for this! The tax to cover this will hurt low and middle income people, who SHOULD NOT have to pay for this!

  2. Sloan

    Sheila how many other issues did you agree with Moran on? Are you a single issue voter? Are you narrow minded? Would you rather have a Democrat representing you?
    Think, think, think and put emotions away?

  3. […] remarks about Obama were related to selling agriculture products to Cuba, the Wichita Liberty blog reported. But his quotes in The Eagle clearly were about Obama being less partisan and more open to finding […]

  4. I like Moran on mani issues. I am not certain I like his vote on SCHIP. The language was vague allowing illegal immigrants to use the program. Moran has done many things for veterans. I would much rather see Moran as our new senator than Tiahrt who is a hypocrit and a very one issue representative…Boeing! There are other aerospace companies and he largely ignore them.

  5. Carolyn

    I think that either Moran or Tiahrt would be head and shoulders above Sebelius but after hearing both of these gentlemen legislators at Kansas Days, I do believe that Moran sounds to me like the more eloquent and convincing candidate regarding legislative issues, and while I do not agree with Rep. Moran’s vote on s-chip, neither do I agree with Rep. Tiahrt’s or Sen. Sam’s past votes on prescription drugs as well. Also, can someone validate for me the fact of Rep. Tiahrt’s yes vote on the earlier and ridiculous bailout that had NO accountability factor in it and now we do not know where all the money went to?! I believe he voted FOR it! Both candidates have had their issues but both men have been consistent in voting for pro-life issues and pro-family issues as well.
    Therefore,when it gets down to whoever wins the primary, we Republicans need to be hanging together and united as never before. Just maybe Sebelius will be leaving town before then (though I fear for national health care issues under her watch if she does) and will no longer be an issue for either Moran or Tiahrt. We can only hope and pray that along and I do mean that sincerely.
    I appreciated what Moran had to say at Kansas Days as reported in the Eagle and I must say, I had my issues with Pres. Bush as well, and I am glad that Jerry voted his conscience for Kansas’ and the nation’s sake even when it was not popular with party leadership! I was with him and encouraged him to hang tough. Carolyn Simms

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