(FOXNews).Sixteen years ago, Bill Clinton surged to an improbable presidential victory over incumbent George H.W. Bush, primarily on the strength of a snarky campaign phrase: "It's the economy, stupid."
Now, Republicans appear to be crafting their own version in an effort to recapture both chambers in Congress next year.
Their message: President Obama's fiscal policy "spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much."
While that phrase lacks the same zing as Clinton's, Republicans have persistently wielded it every chance they get.
Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour unleashed the phrase in the last two weekly Republican addresses. Other GOP leaders to hurl it include House Minority Leader John Boehner, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"Obama is providing us with a message by definition of the trillions of dollars in spending for the stimulus and spending packages," said Bill Lee, a GOP consultant who once defeated Clinton in a gubernatorial race. "Obama is the best messenger the Republicans have at this juncture. He's ably assisted in this regard by [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid."
Lee said he doesn't know which slogan will help restore power to Republicans.
"But it certainly is going to center around that subject," he said.
Brian Walsh, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee said Democrats cleverly hung Bush around the neck of Republicans in the last election cycle. But they won't have him to kick around next year, Walsh said.
"They're the party in charge," he said.
"If they continuing doing what they're doing," Walsh said of Democrats, "I'm increasingly optimistic about Republicans' chances in 2010.
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