"BLUE DOG" BACA MEETS WITH OBAMA

Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) and other members of the so-called Democratic Blue Dog Coalition met with President Obama Tuesday at the White House to discuss the upcoming Economic Recovery package and the need for long-term fiscal reform.

"Yesterday's discussion with President Obama was a great chance to talk about our nation's need for fiscal responsibility," Baca said in a news release today.  "After being handed a $5.6 trillion surplus by President Clinton, President Bush has given our nation trillions of dollars in deficit and debt.  President Obama understands the urgency of our current situation, and that all new government spending we create most come with the greatest standards of transparency and accountability."

Baca joined the Blue Dog Coalition shortly after his election to Congress in 1999.  The fiscally conservative coalition was formed in 1995 and is dedicated to a "core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States."

joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com