Democrats Not Shying Away From Tax Talk

[onehandle]

Democratic presidential candidates are following the politically risky strategy of embracing tax increases as key parts of their economic agendas, hoping to make mounting federal deficits and President Bush's economic stewardship major issues in the 2004 campaign.

When Bush signed his third tax cut into law last month, the legislation was supposed to put Democratic candidates in a political bind. They could no longer say they favored delaying or canceling future tax cuts, because the legislation put those planned cuts into law immediately.

"Most Americans would gladly pay the same taxes they paid under President Bill Clinton if they could just get the Clinton economy back," said former Vermont governor Howard Dean, one of the leaders in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. "People are not stupid out there."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54308-2003Jul27.html

[wryter2000]

1. I hope he's right

Unfortunately, if you look down a post or two you'll find that 72% of people still believe Iraq was connected to Al Qaeda. I'm afraid people *are* stupid.

[Monte Carlo]

2. I don't like taxes, but neither do I like debt....

... which is what the 'Tax cuts at any cost' crowd is getting this country deep into. Taxes that I have paid do not accumulate compound interest. I think the Democrats could counter any argument about increasing taxes with arguments about the skyrocketing debt, they just have to say it like they mean it. A massive public debt is a ticking time bomb.

[indypaul]

3. I see to recall that

"voodoo economics" did not work during the Reagan/Bush I
era and it seems NOT to be working again. Isn't it a sign
of insanity to continue to do the same thing over and over
yet expect different results? One economist ?(Galbreth)?
described it as "sparrow and horse" economic philosophy.
When one stuffs enough into the horse it will ultimately
drop something along the roadside for the sparrow. I think
the horse is presently over-stuffed but there does not
appear to be anything on the road for the sparrow and
the attitude of this Congress and President appears to
continue down that path.

[StopThief]

4. Sounds a little reminiscent of good ol'. . .

Fritz Mondale to me.

Perhaps a different result this time?