Swing State Ohio

President Bush nominated a new White House Budget Director today.

President Bush on Tuesday nominated Trade Representative Rob Portman of Ohio as the White House budget director, turning to a Washington insider and longtime friend as part of an effort to re-energize the administration and boost the president’s record-low approval ratings.

It should come as no surprise that Portman is a true Bush loyalist with a history of sticking by the family. The Washington Post points out Portman’s longstanding ties to the Bush family.

For a White House that cherishes loyalty, it's difficult to find a more faithful supporter of the Bush dynasty than Portman, who cut his political teeth as a New Hampshire advance man on the elder Bush's 1980 presidential campaign.

Wikipedia points out that “Reagan won big in the New Hampshire primary.” This is nothing new, the Bush’s have developed a reputation for sticking by complete losers.

The WaPo article also points out several strange roles Portman has held within the Bush Jr. administration.

He also worked as a White House lobbyist in the first President Bush's administration and played the role of Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., in Dick Cheney's vice presidential debate preparations in 2000. Four years later, Portman impersonated Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., in Cheney's 2004 debate preparations.

As the transcript of Bush’s speech shows, Bush claims Portman will “be a powerful voice for spending restraint. Rob's a man of deep integrity. He knows the priorities of my administration. He can get things done.” Unfortunately for BushCo, reality paints a completely different picture of Bush’s economic agenda.

FACTCHECK on the Federal Deficit: The President promised to curb deficit spending, but said nothing about where the deficits come from.

BUSH: We can cut the deficit in half over the next five years.

FACTCHECK: Not mentioned: The projected federal surplus at the end of Bill Clinton's term have now turned to a projected federal deficit of $1.4 trillion over the next 10 years, due to Bush's two large tax cuts, large increases in federal spending, and an economic downturn. Also not mentioned: A 12.3% rise in discretionary federal spending last fiscal year followed by a 9% rise this fiscal year, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office.

Additionally, Wikipedia notes that “Federal spending in constant dollars increased under Bush by 26% in his first four and one-half years.”

The point of all of this is quite simple: Don’t get your hopes up. When Bush says “A” he really means “B.” When he says “spending restraint” he means “record deficits.” It looks as if Rob Portman will fit into this administration quite well.