Club for Growth Spokesman Barney Keller “Why should anyone be surprised that a California Democrat, Lobbyist, and Hillary Clinton supporter is backing Mike Simpson for Congress?” 

Washington, DC – The Club for Growth PAC today issued the following statement in response to news that an organization headed by former California Democrat Representative Cal Dooley is supporting Rep. Mike Simpson’s re-election campaign: 

“Why should anyone be surprised that a California Democrat, Lobbyist, and Hillary Clinton supporter is backing Mike Simpson for Congress?” asked Club for Growth Spokesman Barney Keller. “Mike Simpson is a liberal who has abandoned his promise never to vote for a tax increase, voted to bail out Wall Street and even for keeping the spending in the failed Obama stimulus. Mike Simpson can have the support of all the California liberals he wants – Idaho’s fiscal conservatives are backing Bryan Smith for Congress.” 

Democrat Lobbyist Cal Dooley and Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson – Two Peas in a Pod 

An organization run by former Congressman Cal Dooley (D-CA) is running ads in Idaho supporting incumbent Congressman Mike Simpson: And Boehner’s support for Simpson means the incumbent will benefit in other ways. This week, the American Chemistry Council, a Washington, D.C.-based group headed up by former California Democratic Rep. Cal Dooley, another longtime Boehner friend, began running a TV advertisement heaping praise on the Idaho congressman. (Politico, 8/11/13)  Former California Cal Dooley is a registered lobbyist. (Source: House Clerk, accessed 8/12/13) ü Simpson has received $222,718 from registered lobbyists. (Source: OpenSecrets.org, accessed 6/25/13)

Dooley gave $1,000 to Al Gore. (Source: FEC records)

Dooley gave $2,300 to Hillary Clinton. (Source: FEC records)

Dooley gave $1,000 to Mike Simpson. (Source: FEC records) 

Dooley voted for tax hikes and against tax cuts while in Congress 

Dooley voted against the Bush tax cuts (RCV #225, 2003; RCV #118, 2001)

Dooley voted for the Clinton tax hike (RCV #406, 1993)

Dooley voted against a constitutional amendment requiring a 2/3rds majority to raise taxes (RCV #78, 1997) 

Simpson is a “moderate”, who “rapidly switched from opposing tax cuts to embracing them” and abandoned his pledge not to raise taxes 

Idaho Statesman in 2004: “Simpson’s leftward shift infuriates conservatives:” Simpson represents what has been one of America's most conservative congressional districts. A lapsed Mormon who opposed the landmark 1990 anti-abortion bill and the 1994 anti-gay initiative and tax credits for private schools, he's never been a right-wing hero. Now, he's broadening his appeal and winning the loyalty of moderates who worship quality of life in Ada County, the fast-growing part of his district… He's going to be a rock star, said Johnson, the Conservation League director. Simpson's leftward shift infuriates conservatives. Former Sen. Stan Hawkins, who chickened out on challenging Simpson in 1998, says he's being urged to run in 2006. But Hawkins is blind to a changing Idaho. (The Idaho Statesman, 10/15/2004)

Simpson is “considered a moderate”: Considered a moderate in the Republican Party compared to other eastern Idaho elected officials, Simpson sounded only conservative themes to appeal to the more conservative voters who turn out in strength in Republican primaries. (Idaho Falls Post Register, 3/26/98)

When he ran for Congress in 1998, Simpson “rapidly switched from opposing tax cuts to embracing them.”: The other night in Twin Falls, 2nd District House candidate Mike Simpson no doubt did his best to explain why he, like the congressman he hopes to replace, Mike Crapo, had rapidly switched from opposing tax cuts to embracing them. But he, like Crapo, is stuck pushing a shoddy product just the same. (Lewiston Morning Tribune, 10/5/98)

Simpson on the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: “I didn’t know I was signing a marriage agreement that would last forever.”: Meanwhile, 40 GOP House members signed on to Ribble's letter this month, organized with Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., signaling that everything, including revenue increases, should be on the table in an effort to go big. A National Journal analysis found that the 100 members who signed the letter were quite representative of the House as a whole, which suggests that, if the super committee can come to an agreement, Congress may well do something big…Similarly, when asked on Fox News whether the letter would upset Norquist, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said of the pledge: I didn't know I was signing a marriage agreement that would last forever, and I think that the majority of members of Congress understand that you have to have additional revenue. (National Journal, 11/10/11)

Simpson was one of just 16 Republicans to vote for the 2012 “Cooper-Latourette” budget that raised taxes and repealed the sequester. (RCV #141, 2012)

Americans for Tax Reform said that the budget that Simpson voted for “raises taxes by $1.2 trillion.”:  By their own numbers, this budget raises taxes by $1.2 trillion.  They do this by calling for a net income tax hike disguised as tax reform.  In exchange for sharply curtailing income tax deductions and credits, their budget calls for the top tax rate to be lowered to between 23 and 29 percent.  While this may sound like tax reform, it isn't.  Even after this is accomplished, federal tax coffers are still swollen by at least an additional $1.2 trillion over the decade relative to a current policy baseline.  This is a net tax hike disguised as fundamental tax reform, which is supposed to be a revenue-neutral exercise in cleaning up the tax code. (Americans For Tax Reform, 3/28/12) Americans for Tax Reform said the tax increase “may be even bigger than $2 trillion”: The tax hike may be even bigger than $2 trillion.  Back when the Simpson-Bowles report came out, Congressman Ryan said the actual tax increase was not $1 trillion, as the report claimed, but over $2 trillion.  The Heritage Foundation said that the tax hike was closer to $3.3 trillion.  Since this budget is based off of Simpson-Bowles, it's fair to question whether the authors have been honest with Members about the size of their net tax increase. (Americans For Tax Reform, 3/28/12)

Simpson was one of just 85 Republicans who voted for the fiscal cliff tax increase. (Roll Call Vote #659, 2012)

Simpson “I said before the election if Obama was re-elected, tax rates are going to up”: Simpson was hopeful but skeptical that Congress could resolve the issue during its lame-duck session. He handily won re-election in one of the most conservative districts in the nation -- Idaho's 2nd -- even though he said that increasing revenues had to be on the table. I said before the election if Obama was re-elected, tax rates are going to up, he said. Now that the tax vote is out of the way, there is more interest in a grand deal, Simpson said. I noticed more people are saying we should have just done Simpson-Bowles, he said. (The Idaho Statesman, 1/6/2013)

Simpson receives low rankings from conservative organizations

ü Citizens Against Government Waste has called Simpson “Hostile” to the Taxpayer (Source) ü The National Taxpayers Union has given Simpson a “C” rating (Source) ü Heritage Action for America gave Simpson a 47% (Source) ü FreedomWorks has given Simpson scores as low as 30%: (Source) 

Simpson Has Repeatedly Voted with A Minority Of His Own Party To Grow Government ü Simpson was one of just 3 Republicans who voted against blocking funding for ACORN (RCV #397, 2011) ü Simpson was one of just 9 Republicans who voted against DC School Choice (RCV #204, 2011) ü Simpson was one of just 12 Republicans to join with Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats to oppose an amendment offered by Paul Ryan that would have capped spending as a percentage of GDP (RCV #610, 2009) ü Simpson was one of just 16 Republicans to vote for a budget alternative to the Ryan Budget that would have raised taxes by over a trillion dollars. (RCV #145, 2012) ü Simpson was one of just 42 Republicans who voted against stripping the spending out of the Obama stimulus (RCV #42, 2009) ü Simpson was one of just 41 Republicans who voted against cutting $1.2 million from the Botanic Gardens (RCV #371, 2012), and was one of 88 Republicans who voted against cutting $3.2 million from the Botanical Gardens. (RCV #624, 2011) ü Simpson was one of just 52 Republicans to vote against early grade school vouchers. (RCV #521, 1999) ü Simpson was one of just 60 Republicans to vote against tougher regulations on mortgage lenders. (RCV #242, 2009) ü Simpson was one of just 65 Republicans who voted for the first version of TARP. (RCV #674, 2008) ü Simpson was one of just 66 Republicans to vote against school vouchers. (RCV #524, 1999) ü Simpson was one of just 55 Republicans to vote to raise the debt limit by trillions. (RCV #690, 2011) ü Simpson was one of just 77 Republicans to vote for Cash for Clunkers. (RCV #682, 2009) ü Simpson was one of just 85 Republicans who voted for the “fiscal cliff” tax increase that resulted in higher taxes for 80% of Americans. (RCV #659, 2012) ü Simpson was one of just 89 Republicans who voted to fund the “Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.” (RCV #678, 2007) ü Simpson was just one of 100 Republicans who voted to against cutting spending on NPR by 1%. (RCV #263, 2000)