PHILADELPHIA — Democratic Senate candidate Katie McGinty of Pennsylvania said Thursday that Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and presidential nominee Donald Trump are offering only “scapegoating and fear-mongering” to Americans worried about the economy.
“Just blame the Mexicans. Blame the Muslims,” Ms. McGinty said at the Democratic National Convention. “Blame the government. Build a wall. For goodness sakes, the Donald even blamed the pope! My dear mother, God rest her soul, would be turning over in her grave!”
Mr. Trump briefly got into a war of words with Pope Francis earlier this year after the pope said his proposal to build a wall along the Mexican border was “not Christian.”
Ms. McGinty, a former aide to then-Gov. Ed Rendell who has never held elected office, said Mr. Toomey and Mr. Trump favor Wall Street over Main Street.
“Pat Toomey made his millions on Wall Street,” she said. “And he’s still selling us the same old trickle-down that benefits only the rich. Trust the stock market with your hard-earned Social Security, Toomey says. Trust the wheelers and dealers with your savings, and you will be living large, Toomey tells us.”
She added, “We’ve seen this bad movie, and the sequel. And the ending is always the same: Things work out for the big shots, and everyone else gets the bill!”
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But a day after President Obama boasted that the U.S. economy has fought its way back, Ms. McGinty said Americans still so have deep anxiety about their family finances.
“The truth is that fear and anxiety reach far and wide across our country,” she said. “Hard-working people feel anxious and insecure. Our choice is how we respond.”
She said she and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will “expand opportunity and build on the strength of our diversity.”
“Democrats, we can — and must — work for good schools, and affordable college, and job training that enables our families and neighbors to make the economy of tomorrow,” she said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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