Dean Distorts Kerry’s Tax Position In New TV Ad

[isbister]

Kerry wants to protect middle class tax cuts, repeal Bush tax cuts for the wealthy; Dean wants to raise middle class taxes, refuses to disclose budget plan

Unable to explain his indefensible plan to repeal middle class tax cuts in debates, town halls or press conferences, Howard Dean has launched a misleading new 30-second television ad in New Hampshire charging that John Kerry and other candidates were “defending Bush tax cuts.

The fact is John Kerry voted against the final Bush tax legislation and as president will repeal the Bush tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and will preserve and protect the middle class tax cuts, such as the child tax credit, elimination of the marriage penalty, and reduced marginal tax rate on the first $14,000 of family income.
Dean has spent the last week explaining, clarifying, backtracking and continually changing his own position on middle class tax cuts, including saying that the middle class “never got a tax cut.” After his own advisors admitted that his trillion-dollar tax increase would cost middle class families $2,300 a year, Dean came under pressure to unveil a new middle class tax reform plan.

Most recently, Dean said that any middle class tax cut would have to wait until the budget is balanced (he has estimated that will take six or seven years) and he has yet to offer his plan to actually balance the budget.

Read the rest

[sfecap]

1. Whaaaaaaaa! Mommy!

Howie is being mean!

LOL.

Kerry is a loser.

[sangha]

2. Not mean. Dean's a liar

Again

[isbister]

4. Howie is being mean!

No, Dr. Dean continues to mislead the public about his, and the other candidate's, positions.

[dansolo]

3. You do realize that the middle class tax cuts expire, right?

The middle class tax cuts that Kerry wants to preserve are set to sunset after 2004. Who is the liar here?

[isbister]

6. Re: You do realize that the middle class tax cuts expire, right?

You do realize that was the whole idea of sunsetting.. to make it look good on paper, right?

You do realize that the plan was always to keep them and force the Dem to end them, right?

You do realize that Dean took the republican bait hook, line and sinker, right? (if not, it appears he's beginning to realize it)

You do realize the republican controlled Congress of the United States will never... never allow the tax cuts to expire, right?

You do realize that even if, somehow, we Dems could capture both house of Congress and the Presidency... the middle class tax cuts will not be allowed to expire, right?

[cindyw]

8. Exactly, Repubs will not let it expire.

They will pass it again. Except this time they will not have to pretend they need any Dem support.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[isbister]

7. Re: That's why I switched...

It is a logical second choice for you. If you generally liked Dean's policies but were just uncomfortable voting for him, Lieberman should be your man... except for a couple of issues, they are very much alike.

[cindyw]

9. Haha

:yourock:

[Leilani]

10. And Kerry is distorting Wes Clark's campaign

I lost a lot of respect for Kerry this week with his attacks on Clark.

[kerrygoddess]

11. Clark campaign is distorted without Kerry's help

[sandnsea]

12. What does Wes think?

About Reaganomics? About Reagan and the air traffic controllers? About Reagan's proxy wars? About Iran/Contra? About Reagan's military deficits? How exactly does Clark think Reagan ended the cold war? Why did Wes keep voting for Reagan after it was clear Reagan was a horrible President by Democratic terms? What made him specifically change his mind?

Why don't Democrats care what Wes really thinks about the Reagan years now and what he thought then?

What's wrong with our party that we follow a man cuz he has 4 stars, looks good and can repeat a Democratic policy platform?

Just vote Kerry. You'll feel better in the morning.

[quaker bill]

13. Dean is correct

Kerry does support retaining a fair portion of the Bush tax cut. Whether he voted for them or not, he has been clear that he will keep a solid piece of the Bush* plan in place. Dean's statement is factually accurate.

Read your own post.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. Kerry keeps only the part for the middle class

IOW the part that counts.

[Cheswick2.0]

15. Just like with Clark, if Kerry is the nominee

we get four more years of "it's not my fault". Only instead of everything being Clintons fault, now it is all Dean's fault. Does no one take responsibility for their own choices anymore?