Hodes Hypocrisy Alert

Paul Hodes Failed To Vote On Unemployment Benefits After Playing Politics On The Issue For Months

MANCHESTER, NH – For months, Paul Hodes has attacked Kelly Ayotte regarding his desire to extend unemployment benefits, even without finding a way to fully pay for it by cutting other government spending. However, when the issue came to the House floor last week, Hodes was recorded as not voting. And in a Web video posted on his campaign Web site, Hodes discussed his plans to attend a conference for liberal bloggers in Las Vegas last Friday.

Ayotte for Senate Communications Director Jeff Grappone released the following statement regarding Hodes’ missed vote:

“Paul Hodes loves to play politics with unemployment benefits. He has pumped his chest for months, calling the bill ‘essential,’ and saying that not supporting it would be ‘cruel and shortsighted.’ But Hodes didn’t show up to vote for the bill last week. In a Web video, he said he was ‘all in’ for a trip to Las Vegas, but when it came to voting on the unemployment bill, Hodes folded.

“Paul Hodes failed to vote six times last Thursday. After playing politics for months with jobless benefits, Hodes couldn’t find time to vote on the bill or suggest how to fully pay for it, but he could fit in a trip to Las Vegas. Paul Hodes couldn’t be more out of touch with New Hampshire if he tried. And come November, Hodes will have plenty of time to play the slots in Vegas.

“Kelly Ayotte supports helping out of work Americans who are struggling in today’s difficult economy. The question, though, is how do we pay for it? Kelly believes we need to help jobless Americans, but in a way that doesn’t add to our burgeoning deficit.”