WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will take a carefully orchestrated, staunchly anti-Washington campaign to voters this month, and they’re blaming President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats for Americans’ unhappiness with government.
Running against Washington is an old strategy. Ronald Reagan summarized it only minutes after being sworn in as president in January 1981.
Reagan told the country, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.”
Even if there’s little new about the tactic, it requires some finesse, or selective forgetfulness, by Republican incumbents seeking re-election to a House that their party controls.
Republican officials say it’s not hypocritical to attack Washington while also promoting achievements in the capital.
