Tim Kaine Condemns John Cornyn's Promise to Repeal Healthcare & Wall Street Reform

by: David Mauro

Thu Sep 30, 2010 at 06:54 PM CDT

In a recent interview with Jim Lehrer, Sen. John Cornyn said that Republicans would move "pretty quickly" to repeal health insurance and Wall Street reform if the party wins control of congress in the November election.

Today DNC Chairman Tim Kaine hit back against Cornyn, the chairman of the NRSC.

“Senator Cornyn is not the first Republican to call for the repeal of Wall Street reform and health insurance reform, but I grow more concerned for our country's future every time I hear another Republican leader pledging to do away with critical legislation that guarantees, among other things, that American taxpayers will never again be left to bail big banks out of a mess of that the banks created.

"There is a rapidly growing rank of Republicans who show themselves to be hopelessly out of touch with middle class Americans’ concerns – for their families, their finances, and their future.

“Senator Cornyn and Republicans might act like they’re promising change, but really they’re just promising more of the same policies that failed so miserably and put us on the brink of a second Great Depression.  It's more of the same back-room dealing with special interests – like the strategy sessions they held with Wall Street lobbyists shortly before voting against financial reform in the first place.  And it's more of the same cynical obstructionism – like the political tactics they used to delay reforms that are ending unfair lending practices and putting a stop to unfair credit card rate hikes.

“If Senator Cornyn thinks the America people want to go back to the policies that nearly left our economy in tatters; if Senator Cornyn thinks the American people are ready to let corporate special interests and lobbyists write their own rules again; and if Senator Cornyn thinks for minute we’re not going to spell out very clearly for the American people how Republicans are putting these special interests at the head of the line; then I have a message for Senator Cornyn: 'You are wrong.'”

Tim Kaine is exactly right: John Cornyn is wrong. More talk like this from Republicans will enable Democrats to make it clear what this election is about.  The more Cornyn continues to talk, the greater chance Democrats have to fair far better in November than the coventional wisdom would dictate.