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Washington GOP chair: Election ‘massive repudiation’ of ‘lazy’ Democrats
Nov 6, 2014, 5:53 AM | Updated: 11:06 am
Washington state GOP Chair Susan Hutchison says Tuesday's election was a "massive repudiation" of President Obama, Governor Jay Inslee and "lazy" Democrats. (AP Photo/File)
(AP Photo/File)
In the wake of Tuesday night’s GOP landslide, Washington state GOP Chair Susan Hutchison said the results are a “massive repudiation” of President Obama, Governor Jay Inslee and “lazy” Democrats.
“He (Inslee) decided that climate change was the most important issue for the people of this state and that was just flat out wrong,” Hutchison told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson.
Hutchison was referencing California billionaire Tom Steyer, a climate activist and Inslee ally who spent $1 million in a failed effort to help Democrats take control of the state Senate.
“The voters saw through it,” Hutchison said. “The guy is supposed to be good at investments and he’s been a lousy investor here in Washington state.”
Hutchison said Republicans made sure they repeatedly brought up Steyer and Inslee in all their campaigning.
Among their arguments: supporting Inslee’s climate change agenda would add up to one dollar more to every gallon of gas.
“Normal people sit there and say ‘Every week I would have to add another $18 to my gasoline bill? They didn’t like it at all,” she said.
Hutchison said Republicans also also hammered on Democrats for being “lazy” for continuing to call for more taxes.
“They don’t like to go back and trim their spending, they just like to get more revenue and so the lazy way out is to bring on a state income tax. It would utterly destroy the state,” she said.
Hutchison said the election solidified the GOP as the party of jobs and education, pointing to ongoing battles over education funding and other issues she says will continue to improve with Republicans controlling the Senate and more members in the House.
She also said the electoral shift will force Inslee and Democrats to compromise far more than before.
“The voters are fortunate to have balance,” she said. “It’s been many, many years but I think with our gains in the House we are able to wrest power from (Speaker of the House) Frank Chopp, who has had this mentality of transferring taxpayer money into his social programs.”
