Democrats Not Shying Away From Tax Talk

[Muddleoftheroad]

Candidates Discuss Raises, Not Cuts

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 28, 2003; Page A01

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.

But the candidates have shown little reluctance to reverse tax cuts already in force. Although they couch it as "rolling back" Bush's tax policies, virtually all the major Democratic candidates say they would raise taxes on some or all of those who pay income tax. The proposals range from repealing all the tax cuts enacted in the past three years to raising taxes only on the wealthiest Americans.

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But Republican operatives are salivating over the chance to debate what they believe has always been one of their strongest issues.

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Last month, the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Analysis took the unusually political step of detailing the impact on six "tax families" of Democratic proposals to repeal the $1.35 trillion tax cut passed in 2001 and the $350 billion tax cut measure passed this year. The result is likely to become a staple for GOP attacks. One example: a married couple who have two children and earn $75,000 would see their taxes increase by $1,700.

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

[LuminousX]

1. Messy

I expect the tax debate to be very messy as I doubt they will do a blanket roll back but just a roll back on the high income groups, unflattening the tax code which has been what Grover Norquist has been pushing for since day one.

I honestly don't know how this is going to play in Peoria.

[Muddleoftheroad]

2. Not well

Is the right answer.