Exactly a year after President Clinton's economic summit, Utahn Joe Cannon is joining stars of the Republican Party to say America has gone from Little Rock to a hard place.
Cannon - the chairman of Geneva Steel who was a Senate candidate last year - was just named to the board of the super Republican think-tank Empower America, and just in time to help with a major seminar Tuesday attacking Clinton.Empower America was founded by former Education Secretary William Bennett and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp - who are both likely presidential candidates for 1996 - and former United Nations Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick to promote a Republican agenda of ideas.
Among other board members are former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Malcolm Forbes Jr.
"I am probably the least consequential guy on the board," Cannon joked. As Empower America planned to begin a daylong seminar attacking the Clinton administration, Cannon also blasted away at Clinton's performance so far.
"I try to be charitable," he said. "But no matter how bad I or others thought things would be, it is worse than expected.
"Job creation has fallen off dramatically in the last year. Clinton likes to say the economy looks pretty good, but that's only because interest rates have been low - and he has little control over that," Cannon said.
Cannon isn't just worried about Clinton's performance on the economy. He complains Clinton has promoted policy that hurts families and American culture.
"It's the whole pattern from pushing to allow homosexuals in the military to his ruthless pursuit of his pro-choice agenda," Cannon said.
Cannon also said Clinton has been sending mixed messages on foreign policy in places such as Bosnia, where he has changed policy because of protests by Europeans. "The trumpeter is making unsure sounds, and it concerns our allies."
Cannon said he hopes to help Empower America with strategy and fund-raising. He said the group is planning numerous seminars for Republican candidates this year.
"They aren't going to be on the mechanics of how to run a race," he said. "They will say here are good Republican ideas on key issues."