DCCC - Lungren Flip-Flopping on Stimulus Again

GOP's go after contribution to Bera

With the race for California's third Congressional District clearly on the national radar, both sides in the battle between incumbent Republican Dan Lungren and Democratic chellenger Dr. Ami Bera, M.D. are turning up the heat.

Lungren during an earlier Elk Grove town hall meeting

Today the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) accused Lungren of "doubling down on his hypocrisy in recent comments."

The DCCC pointed to comments published in the Galt Herald where Lungren praised a Recovery-funded project that expanded broadband service in rural areas noting it will expand service to under served areas and could provide up to 30 jobs.   

The DCCC also seized on comments Lungren made in the Folsom Times last December where he characterized the stimulus package as a failure.

“Obviously, (the stimulus package) didn’t work,” said Lungren. He added that the stimulus "was a terrible tragedy in the midst of an economic downturn. We poured kerosene on the fire. I’ve held my tongue on this, but we’ve got to get our priorities in order.”  

“Over and over, Dan Lungren has criticized the economic recovery package as a failure – even comparing it to pouring kerosene on a fire, but then without batting an eyelash Lungren turned right around and applauded the jobs it’s creating,” said Andy Stone, Western Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  “Once again, hypocritical Dan Lungren got caught trying to have it both ways.”

Bera returns campaign contribution

Meanwhile Republicans criticized the Bera campaign for accepting a $250 contribution from an official with a Muslim-American organization. 

Earlier today a Bera campaign spokesperson said that last week Bera returned the contribution of Basim Elkarr, the executive director of the Sacramento chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. 

Conservative groups have long alleged the national group, not Elkarr specifically, or the Sacramento  chapter, has ties to Middle Eastern terrorist groups.