Boehner: McCain sets tone for House campaigns

DUBLIN – U.S. House minority leader John Boehner (R-West Chester) said Friday John McCain’s presidential campaign sets the tone for Republican House races across the country.

Speaking to Republican volunteers at a Victory office during an appearance for 15th Congressional District candidate Steve Stivers (R-Columbus), Boehner said the House GOP hasn’t created a “Contract for America” as it did in 2004 because of the presidential race.

“We didn’t think that contract concept would work this year because you have a presidential race and a presidential candidate that kind of sets the jet stream on their own,” Boehner answered a volunteer’s question.

Similarly, Boehner said Republicans would benefit if McCain’s health care plan were better explained to voters.

“John McCain’s got a pretty good health care plan, if he could explain it. Just being frank with you,” Boehner said. "If he can’t explain it, how the hell else anybody else suppose to understand it? We got to take the basis of that plan and put some English around it so that people will understand that this is much better for them than what Obama is offering with more government health insurance.”

The GOP must have new ideas based on freedom and security to rebuild the party and its majorities in Congress, Boehner said, adding that policy formation won’t be easy.

“We need to be the party of new ideas. New ideas are hard,” Boehner said, citing the long trek of welfare reform from idea to implementation.

That’s not to say Boehner didn’t attack Democrats, including Barack Obama. He continued to riff on Obama as a socialist.

“You all heard Obama talking about sharing his peanut butter sandwich. You’re going to go from the guy sharing his peanut butter sandwich to the guy stealing your lunch money to give it to his other friends,” Boehner said, adding that Democrats want to raise taxes and increase the size of government.