In a mash note written on Politico, the press release outlet of Democrats and establishment Republicans, John Kasich assures us he'll be tough on spending, because you can see that by looking at his record.  The title of the article is "John Kasich positions himself as a Frugal Hawk," but the only example of budget-cutting it cites is Kasich's opposition to the B-2 Bomber.  That's it.

In 1984, the year Kasich came to Congress, the debt was nearly 1.6 trillion dollars.  When he left Congress in early 2001, it was 5.6 trillion dollars.  Of course, he was only one member of Congress, but he was clearly part of the problem, not only voting for, but as budget committee chairman proposing budget after budget that increased the debt.  What does he have to show for 16 years in Congress?  A three-and-a-half-times increase in the size of the debt.

And then there is his dismal record as Governor of Ohio.  He voluntarily embraced the Obamacare provision that expanded Medicare in his state.  It's a great deal because for the first few years the federal government will pick up nearly all the costs, until 2022.  But in a few years, when Kasich is long gone, Ohio will be responsible for picking up most or all of the tab, and the costs are going to be enormous.

This uncritical, fact-lite Politico press release didn't seem to dig too deeply into facts, relying on the one anecdote about the B-2 Bomber to carry the entire article.  Can Kasich site any domestic program he has cut...or even tried to cut?

In my view, Kasich is Bush-lite, the crony capitalists' backup candidate in case Bush falters (as he seems to be doing now).  Because if you take away Kasich's "fiscal hawk" credentials, what other reason is there to vote for him?

Thomas Lifson adds: In fairness, Kasich did lead the House Budget Committee under Newt Gingrich that for the first time in decades passed a balanced budget.  No small thing.  He also took Ohio from a giant budget deficit to surplus.  Yes, Medicare is a time bomb, but let's not ignore the facts.

This article was produced by NewsMachete.com, the conservative news site.