Toomey = tax breaks for the rich, no new jobs

Don’t forget to turn out tomorrow to ask Pat Toomey where the jobs are, but don’t expect a straight answer. This guy toes the party line, as I found out during a recent back-and-forth with him or, more likely, with his e-mail flack.

From: Sen. Pat Toomey
To: David McKenna

Thank you for contacting me about the debt limit… As you know, the debt limit is an important issue before Congress right now. The current limit, which was last raised in February 2010, is $14.3 trillion… As you may know, total federal spending has doubled since 2000. In addition, recent deficits have grossly exceeded those that we were running only a few years ago… It is clear that Washington has a serious spending problem, and the American people want Congress to make the tough choices necessary to address it… I therefore value your input as I continue working with my Senate colleagues on the debt limit and restoring fiscal responsibility. Thank you again for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance.

From: David McKenna
To: Sen. Pat Toomey

Yes, Washington has “a serious spending problem” in that it spent vast amounts of taxpayer money to salvage banks in 2008 rather than to put back to work the millions of people left jobless by the economic collapse… Most of our debt stems from the George W. Bush years and involves massive tax breaks for the rich and spending on foreign wars. Now, with so many people jobless and tax rates for the wealthiest at record lows, it is almost impossible to generate sufficient revenues to keep the deficit from skyrocketing… Your sudden interest in the “debt limit” would seem to have less to do with “restoring fiscal responsibility” than with trying to permanently install outrageously low tax rates… Thank you for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance.