Outgoing Governor Tom Vilsack and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver are campaigning together today (Wednesday), attacking the fiscal record of Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle.
“It is important for the people of Iowa to know that fiscal responsibility is an important component of this job,” Vilsack says. “I’ve watched Chet Culver as Secretary of State over the last eight years manage his budget. He understands that ‘deficit’ is not a word that is acceptable in this capitol.”
Vilsack says Nussle has been trying to “gloss over” the federal budget deficit racked up while Nussle’s been chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee since 2001. “Congressman Nussle must take some responsibility for the current state of our national budget,” Vilsack says.
Culver says Vilsack has “gotten the job done” when it comes to balancing the state budget. “Democrats know how manage budgets. We know how to balance budgets,” Culver says. “Frankly, my opponent has never balanced a budget. As the governor said, he’s actually helped create the largest deficit in the history of our country.” Vilsack, who is now appearing in a Culver campaign ad on this topic, says it is “outrageous” for Nussle to charge that Culver would have to rob the Senior Living Trust Fund to pay for his campaign promises. “That is simply not true,” Vilsack says. “It is misleading and it is incorrect.”
In a written statement released this afternoon, Nussle said Culver is “trotting out Governor Vilsack to mask his own inexperience and lackluster record.” Nussle said with the election nearing and the race tightening, Culver is “turning to Vilsack to prop him up.”