Romney Campaign Press Release - VA Lt. Governor Bill Bolling: "Obama Will Discover It's Not 2008 Anymore"

"On behalf of all Virginians, I welcome our president back to Richmond. In the coming months, he will have many tough questions to answer and a record in office to explain. The crowds may not be as large. The rhetoric may not be as lofty. And he may discover rather quickly that it's not 2008 anymore." - Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling

"Obama Will Discover It's Not 2008 Anymore"

By Bill Bolling

Richmond Times-Dispatch

May 2, 2012

timesdispatch.com

This weekend, President Obama will formally kick off his re-election campaign with a rally here in Richmond. Virginia was his last stop during the 2008 campaign, and it will be the first stop of his 2012 campaign. What has happened in between will be the topic of much discussion for the next six months. One thing is already clear: Americans will be casting their votes in one of the most important elections of our lifetimes.

The night before Sen. Obama became President-elect Obama, he came to Manassas to hold his final campaign rally. He promised to "create new jobs and grow this economy." He also spoke that night about hope and change — and many Virginians were inspired by what they heard. He delivered rousing speeches and promised an end to the bitter, partisan politics that divide America. But time has passed, and now the president has more than just rhetoric to offer. He has a record. Three and a half years later, with 23 million Americans struggling for work and an economy stuck in neutral, Virginia will have the chance to hold the president accountable for his broken promises.

America is still in the midst of the worst jobs crisis since the Great Depression, with chronic unemployment at record levels. Foreclosures continue, and home values remain depressed. The federal government has grown while the middle class has shrunk. Our national debt grows by the day. Our position of strength in the world is diminished. This is the record of the Obama presidency.

The president has already tried more spending and more government in his efforts to address America's problems. After an $800 billion stimulus package, a litany of new regulations, and a federal takeover of health care, the recovery we were promised has remained the most sluggish on record.

As President Obama failed to deliver on his promises to get the economy back on track, states have sought their own solutions. For example, Gov. Bob McDonnell has urged the federal government to allow him to tap the energy resources available in the deep waters off the Virginia coast. Obama said no — not just to Virginia, but to every state. Meanwhile, gas prices have doubled since the president took office and he hasn't bothered to offer a coherent energy plan for America. It is bad enough that Obama's federal policies have failed — it borders on inexcusable that he is actively blocking innovative efforts at the state level to address his failures.

Mitt Romney knows that we need new ideas and a new approach to get America back on track. That's why I'm proud to support his candidacy for president. His sterling record of achievement in business, leading the Winter Olympics and as governor of Massachusetts stands in stark contrast to Barack Obama's record of failure. Gov. Romney has a simple proposition for the American people: more jobs, less debt, and a smaller government. His campaign will be about big ideas for our country's future. He knows we need to get our economy growing again, create good jobs, get our fiscal house in order, and preserve America's military strength. Romney will lead where Obama has failed.

Virginians have a long and storied history with the American presidency. In November, we will have a pivotal role to play yet again — as we have from our nation's founding. On behalf of all Virginians, I welcome our president back to Richmond. In the coming months, he will have many tough questions to answer and a record in office to explain. The crowds may not be as large. The rhetoric may not be as lofty. And he may discover rather quickly that it's not 2008 anymore.