Tarkanian: Sue Lowden is Wrong on Bailouts

(Danny Tarkanian) – Sue Lowden continues to defend Harry Reid’s vote for the financial bailouts.

She doesn’t seem to understand that the bailouts were wrong because they lacked transparency, they failed to address the underlying policies that got us in the financial mess, and perhaps worst of all, they triggered a series of bailouts and government industry takeovers that left conservatives having to bet on a Republican victory in Massachusetts to stop the madness.

Lowden justifies Reid’s bailout vote by reference to the panicked atmosphere at the time.

On bail-out spending: “It’s easy to say, no, I wouldn’t have voted for it. But people were panicked, we were facing collapse – that’s what they were saying. It’s easy to say from a distance I would have voted no, but I can’t do that.”

But in doing so, she disqualifies herself as the Republican standard-bearer against Harry Reid. Because, if what Lowden calls “crisis” or “panic” justifies a bailout vote, wouldn’t that also justify Harry Reid’s wrongheaded support for the GM bailout, the health care takeover and countless other votes? Harry Reid has been handed the perfect excuse for his votes by Lowden, a Republican who claims to be his strongest opponent.

This isn’t the only issue where Lowden can no longer be the contrast to Harry Reid.

Sue Lowden repeatedly contributed to Harry Reid in his political campaigns, even in 1986 when Ronald Reagan actually came to Las Vegas to defeat him. No doubt Harry Reid will be happy to point that out when she calls herself a ‘Reagan Republican.’

Like Harry Reid’s flip flop on abortion funding, Sue Lowden has also flip-flopped her position on abortion. This takes both Life and flip-flopping off the table in a very high profile way.

And now, she has defended the bailouts with a hollow argument that lets Harry Reid off the hook for all the bailouts and arguably even his rush to pass government-run health care.

Sue Lowden has famously boasted said she would be the best candidate because she would be the best debater with Harry Reid on Meet the Press.

That’s very debatable itself.

(Mr. Tarkanian is a Republican candidate for the United States Senate in Nevada)