Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick stopped by a small business in Drexel Hill on Thursday to push back on his opponent’s premise that private companies caused the inflation that has driven up prices about 20 percent since President Joe Biden took office.
And McCormick used former President Donald Trump’s recent stop at a Bucks County McDonald’s to help make his point.
Three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) has joined with the Biden administration to blame rising prices on “greedflation,” corporations somehow colluding to drive up prices rather than compete for market share. Economists have widely panned that premise, noting that if “greedy corporations” had the power drive up prices during the Biden presidency, they could have done the same during the Trump, Obama and Bush administrations. too. Why wait and miss all those millions in profits?
No, McCormick told supporters gathered at Drexel Hill Automotive, it’s “because of the weak leadership in Washington, Pennsylvania families and small businesses in our commonwealth are hurting, particularly over the last three and a half years. And we have Kamala Harris and Bob Casey’s extreme liberal policies to thank.
“Their reckless spending in Washington pushed inflation through the roof. They unleashed trillions of dollars of wasteful federal spending that over stimulated the economy,” said McCormick, an Army veteran and business executive. “They pushed an anti-energy agenda that drove up energy costs. Electricity’s up 35 percent. Fuel’s up 50 percent. And it hurt energy jobs.”
McCormick also called Casey out for joining with progressive U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in a letter to McDonald’s CEO CEO Chris Kempczinski, accusing the low-cost, fast-food company of price gouging.
While working families are trying to make ends meet, McDonald’s and its corporate counterparts have continued to grow their profits,” Casey wrote.
“This letter demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business model and contains contortions of facts and many inaccuracies,” the company said in response. “Take the components of the $5 Meal Deal with McChicken, for example, which would have cost 15 percent more in 2020 than they do today. That’s the opposite of price gouging.”
On Thursday, McCormick said he saw politics behind Casey’s complaints.
“This week Bob Casey decided to further twist the knife, basically telling a Pennsylvania McDonald’s franchise that he’s to blame for high prices. It was a vindictive move to score political points, attacking small businesses and employees. This was after President Trump’s visit.
“The very next day, Sen. Casey sent a letter to the CEO of McDonald’s attacking McDonald’s for high prices,” McCormick noted.
Raj Singh owns Drexel Hill Automotive and a family-owned insurance company.
“My business is struggling. Thanks to the sluggish economy, it’s been really tough,” Singh said. “We need some change.
“We tried Bob Casey since 2006 and nothing changed. Dave McCormick, he’s a successful business leader and will fight to lower prices so small businesses like my business can thrive.”
Meaghan Wagner, a lawyer and Upper Darby council member, was also on hand to make the case for McCormick.
“Bob Casey has not stepped foot here in over six years to support any small businesses in Delaware County or Upper Darby,” Wagner said. “He was here once, and that’s for a fundraiser. Where I can tell you David McCormick, just alone this month, has been here in the First District, supporting our small businesses.”
The Casey campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
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