Parties Trade Barbs in Radio Addresses : Reagan Hits ‘Liberal Big Spenders’ as Democrat Cites Corruption

President Reagan said Saturday the Democrats who control Congress are directed by “liberal big spenders” and he asked voters to reject their party in next month’s elections for the Senate and House of Representatives.

Reagan, in a highly partisan radio talk, said that Democratic leaders in Congress might find a way to raise taxes next year if their party retains its majorities in both chambers.

In a broadcast response for the Democrats, Rep. Dennis E. Eckart (D-Ohio) charged that Reagan had engaged in “needless confrontation” with the legislative branch and forced Congress to override a dozen presidential vetoes of clean water, trade and civil rights bills in the past two years.

Cites Corruption

Eckart added that Republican presidential nominee George Bush has been a “silent partner” in an Administration “riddled with corruption” while the Democratic Congress recently approved a tough bill to promote ethics in government.

The cross fire occurred less than a month before national elections Nov. 8 when all 435 seats in the House and 33 of the 100 Senate seats will be at stake. Political experts in both parties have said they expect the Democrats to keep control of the House, where they now have a 255-177 advantage with three vacancies, and the Senate, with a 54-46 Democratic edge.

Reagan blamed the Democrats for the monumental U.S. budget deficit, estimated at $145.4 billion for the current fiscal year, and added: “I’m sorry to say the Congress’ liberal leadership still has one answer to everything: raise your taxes. And if they stay in control of the Congress, they just might find a way to raise them.”

During his appeal, the President said if the American people want a chief executive who will oppose new taxes--as Vice President Bush has promised to do--they should elect members of Congress who have the same position.

“Since we must ride two horses, Congress and the President, across every stream, shouldn’t they both be going the same way?” Reagan asked. “Why should we have a President who says no more taxes and Congress have a liberal leadership that wants to tax and spend?

“If we don’t want a tax-and-spend liberal in the White House, shouldn’t we give the President we do want a Congress that will work with him?”

Criticizes Quayle

Eckart, who aimed some of his campaign barbs at GOP vice presidential nominee Dan Quayle, said voters understood that “it’s been the Democrats who have worked hard to save their jobs, that it was George Bush and Dan Quayle who opposed plant-closing (notification) and tough trade laws.”

He said Congress had sided with Democratic nominee Michael S. Dukakis in approving legislation to halt ocean dumping and revise the welfare system to move aid recipients onto payrolls instead of benefit rolls.

In an unusually sharp attack, Eckart added: “George Bush has been a silent partner in an Administration riddled with corruption--corruption that has reached into the President’s Cabinet, to the Pentagon, from defense contractors to Wall Street.

“And yet it was the Democratic Congress this week that spoke of the shared vision with the American people and Mike Dukakis in passing a tough ethics bill that covered ourselves and those who tried to profit from their connections.”