Pelosi comes down on Republicans over jobs

SAN FRANCISCO

"Made in America," who doesn't like the sound of that? The flip side is of course is "made somewhere else" and that's where Democrats believe Republicans are vulnerable. Pelosi chided Republicans in Congress for failing to close loopholes that provide tax incentives for outsourcing.

In an attempt to counter GOP attacks over the sagging economy, Democratic leaders are pushing a message that Republicans are responsible for outsourcing jobs. A number of Democratic candidates including Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., are using the outsourcing attacks against their Republican rivals.

Pelosi said everyone in America can get behind the idea of supporting U.S. manufacturing.

"I don't see any reason why there should be any partisanship involved in that," said Pelosi.

But the flipside of the message is highly partisan; Democratic candidates across the country are using the issue of outsourcing jobs against their Republican rivals.

One Democratic political ad says, "Supporting Bush's policies that wreaked the economy including corporate tax breaks then send jobs overseas..."

Another says, "But one thing John Raese does support a pledge that protected tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas."

A third one says, "During his 18 years in Congress, Dan Coats voted for trade agreements like NAFTA that made exporting American jobs a way of life."

And nowhere has that attack been more visible than in California's Senate race with an ad against Carly Fiorina that shows her saying, "Perhaps the work needs to be done somewhere else," and continues to say, "Fiorina shipped jobs to China."

Pelosi says the message of fighting for the middle class will resonate and she'll remain Speaker of the House.

"But it's not about me. It's about the middle class," said Pelosi.

In Stockton Wednesday Republican leaders are attempting to make it all about Pelosi and the Democrats. National Republican Party Chair Michael Steele is on a "Fire Pelosi" bus tour, hitting Central California cities with the message that Democratic incumbents must go.

He addressed a group of Democratic supporters who were there to protest his bus tour by saying, "How you doing? Welcome, good to see you. I'm glad you're here and by the time we're done, you'll be voting Republican."

Steele told reporters the GOP has no top down talking points for their candidates and ABC7 political analyst Bruce Cain, Ph.D., says Republicans don't need them.

"The fact that they're not using those talking points, tells you all you need to know about what works on the campaign trail, which is stay away from what you will do and focus on what they have done and make sure that you blame them. And I think that's the best tactic and by the way, it's exactly what Democrats did at the peak in 2006," said Cain.

Steele came to California with more than just the bus. The National Republican Party gave a $2 million boost to Fiorina's Senate campaign. The money will be used in TV ads attacking Boxer and it comes at a critical time since she has been trailing Boxer in the polls and in the money race.

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