HOWDY, WE'RE THE DEMOCRATS; WE'RE HERE TO RAISE YOUR TAXES

Prez's tax-cut catch-22 for Dems (Dick Morris, June 2, 2003, Jewish World Review)

That deal -with the Democrats and moderates in [the President's] own party - looks like typical legislative compromise, but is actually a move of incredible political acumen: The "sunset" provision, under which the tax cut automatically lapses unless expressly extended by new legislation, makes taxes a front-and-center issue of the 2004 election.

Now Bush can send refund checks of $400 for each child to 25 million households this summer, slash the tax on dividends and capital gains to 15 percent and reduce tax rates on all three brackets - all effective immediately - and still be able to base his re-election campaign on the need to preserve his tax cuts.

The president can run for re-election with an economy stimulated by his tax cuts and still have the issue to use in the '04 contest.

With the tax cuts slated to expire in the opening years of the next presidential term, every Democratic candidate will have to answer the question: "Will you support extending the Bush tax cut?"

A "no" will be required to win enough primary votes to get the nomination. But a "yes" will be necessary to prevail in the general election. Bush has put the Democrats in an impossible position.

At this point in his presidency George Bush the Elder was having to defend raising taxes. His son is defending tax cuts from the Democrats. The father is considered smart; the son dumb. You figure it out. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 2, 2003 12:55 PM