Election Year Two-Step: In Last Night's Debate, John Sununu Tried to Hide His 12 Year Record in Washington
Wednesday October 22, 2008

(Manchester, NH) – On issue after issue in last night's debate, John Sununu made desperate attempts to hide his record in Washington of standing with George Bush and putting the special interests ahead of the needs of New Hampshire families and small businesses.

 

"Voters in New Hampshire can tell Election Day is approaching by watching how furiously John Sununu tries to dance around his record of support for failed policies that have given us one of the worst economies in decades," said Kate Bedingfield, communications director for Jeanne Shaheen for Senate.  "Sununu's rhetoric sounds nice in an election year, but his long record of putting partisanship ahead of the needs of New Hampshire families tells the real story."

 

 

GLOBAL WARMING

 

What John Sununu Says in An Election Year:  "Well, I...I think I was very clear there that in responding in part to those communities [NH communities that demanded federal government action on climate change] but of course to the significance of the issue to the problem …" –10/21/08

 

What John Sununu Does in Washington:

 

Sununu Voted Against Reducing Greenhouse Gases 4 Times, Including the Climate Stewardship Act of 2003.  [Senate Vote #420, 10/30/03; Senate Vote #144, 6/21/05; Senate Vote #148, 6/22/05;Senate Vote #149, 6/22/05

 

Sununu Voted Against Urging U.S. to Re-engage in Kyoto Protocol Negotiations.    [Senate Vote #151, 6/22/05]

 

Sununu Voted to Reduce Funding for Climate Change Research Program.  [House Vote #159, 5/26/99]

 

Sununu Wanted to See More Research Before Concluding that Humans Were Affecting Global Warming.  The Concord Monitor reported in April 2007 that, "Sununu said, 'The best models out there can't calculate precisely how much is human influence and how much isn't."  [Concord Monitor, 4/17/07]

           

Scientists Agree That Global Warming is Most Likely Caused by Humans.  The Concord Monitor reported in April 2007 that, "more than 2,500 scientists from around the world have released reports saying that they are 90 percent certain that humans are contributing to warming and that ecosystems on every continent could be changed before the end of the century. Local modeling forecasts that New Hampshire's climate could feel like Atlanta's by then."  [Concord Monitor, 4/17/07]

 

Republicans and Local Businessmen Criticized Sununu for Obstruction on Global Warming.   The Concord Monitor reported in April 2007 that, "Ted Leach, Republican co-chairman of the Carbon Coalition, a group of businesses, community groups and activists that campaign to get climate change issues on town ballots, said, "'I think he should be paying attention to what the people in New Hampshire are saying and joining the senior senator (Judd Gregg) in acknowledging that this is a huge problem.'…Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm said, 'At this point, there's only about three people on the planet who are denying that humans are heating our planet. Two of them are in the White House, and the other one is Sen. Sununu.  If he's made progress, I'm thrilled to hear it. But he's late, and he's certainly not leading.'"  [Concord Monitor, 4/17/07]

 

 

What John Sununu Says in An Election Year: "It's not about privatization." –10/21/08

 

What John Sununu Does in Washington: 

 

John Sununu Has Taken $1,028,510 From the Securities and Investment Industry. [Center for Responsive Politics]  

 

Sununu Co-Sponsored Legislation Requiring Workers Under 55 to Privatize Some of Their Social Security Money (HR 4839, 2000).  The Associated Press reported in October 2002 that, "Sununu said he co-sponsored the bill in question to spark debate over fixing the system. The bill would have required workers under 55 to invest some of their Social Security dollars."  [Associated Press, 10/15/02]

 

Sununu Re-Introduced Social Security Privatization Plan to Privatize Half of Benefits.  In April 2005, the Union Leader reported that, "John Sununu has become one of the first senators to propose a concrete plan for changing Social Security, re-filing a proposal yesterday that would allow workers under 55 years old to eventually invest more than half of their Social Security payroll taxes through personal savings accounts."  [Union Leader, 4/21/05]

 

 

 

HEALTH CARE

 

What John Sununu Says in An Election Year: "We all should have the goal of providing affordable healthcare to everyone in the country.  Of course a goal is important, but you need to have specifics—specific ideas and policy that will help us get to that goal." – 10/21/08

 

What John Sununu Does in Washington:

 

In 12 Years in Washington, John Sununu Had Never Introduced a Single Health Coverage Bill Until This Campaign. [Congressional Record] 

 

During the Bush-Sununu Years, Health Care Costs for the Average Family Have Risen $5,305 – or 78%.  [Kaiser Family Foundation Snapshot and Annual Survey 2007]