Iowa Debate: Michelle Norris was trying to help Dean re taxes.

[Eric J in MN]

Michelle Norris asked Howard Dean: What tax relief will you offer the middle-class?

Dean talked about how little the middle-class benefited from the Bush tax-cut.

I think Michelle Norris was trying to indirectly tell Dean that unless he promises the middle-class a tax-cut instead of promising to raise their taxes, he won't win the general election.

[mouse7]

1. People need less stupidity: No tax cut with $500 billion deficit

Any media fool who tries to suggest tax cuts with $500 billion deficit need to be made to look like the utter dumbass they are.

[Eric J in MN]

4. The Progressive Tax Act of 2003 would raise more revenue by

The Progressive Tax Act of 2003 would raise more revenue by raising taxes on the rich and lowering them on the middle-class.

Dean should endorse Kucinich's tax plan.

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/taxes.php

[revcarol]

2. That was sorta sneaky.

But the mods were so much better than the blow-dried yukkos like Ted Koppel that I forgive her.

[BobbyJay]

3. I agree, and he didn't bite.

He went on and on about how I didn't get a tax cut (even though I did).

[blm]

10. Oh...you mean Dean didn't give a STRAIGHT answer, yet again.

.

[poopyjr]

12. I don't know what he did, but this will kill him vs Bush

Bush will be able to sit there and play the tax game. "My opponent wants to RAISE taxes on everybody, including the middle class". I can hear it now. Dean's stubborness will do him in.

[MercutioATC]

14. Actually, that'll only work if you're a Republican. The REAL answer is...

to respond by saying:

"The Bush tax cuts only put $500 into the pocket of the average American family. By repealing these cuts, your $500 is buying you universal healthcare...healthcare that has no exclusion for pre-existing conditions...healthcare that you'll never lose, even if you lose your job. It's also buying you batter schools and jobs in the form of increased spending on infrastructure. The real truth: Do you need a job? This plan creates jobs. Do you need better schools for your kids? This plan provides more federal funding to schools. Do you need healthcare, especially if you've lost your job or have an excluded pre-existing condition? This plan gives you that coverage."

I'm betting that the "middle class" will bite at having the benefits rather than the pittance they saw in tax cuts.

[poopyjr]

15. History suggests otherwise

nm

[MercutioATC]

22. We're making history every day. I believe this time people may see the

light. He, I may be optimistic, but somebody has to be...

[gun_toting_liberal]

5. Where can I see this debate?

I missed it. Does anyone know where I can see it online?

[revcarol]

6. Re-run is on C-Span now.

x

[VelmaD]

7. C-SPAN just started teh rebroadcast onlin

http://www.cspan.org

[maddezmom]

8. here ya go

http://www.c-span.org/watch/index.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS&ShowVidDays=30&ShowVidDesc=

it's on now, don't know why the schedule doesn't reflect as such. But it's on. :)

[gun_toting_liberal]

9. Thanks!

Cheers.

[salin]

11. Dontcha think that he doesn't need this "hint" from her?

that his policy folks are well aware of the stickiness of the issue... or perhaps that the attacks by other dems on this very issue might have already given him the warning that some think this is a problem?

I don't think she was giving him a special message. I think the question was tailored about a specific perceived weakness - as were many of the questions that were asked of each of the candidates.

[Eric J in MN]

13. Regardless, why can't Dean take a hint and modify the tax proposal?

Regardless, why can't Dean take a hint and modify the tax proposal?

At least propose something which will give tax-relief to some people in the middle-class.

[MercutioATC]

16. What do you call healthcare benefits?

Granted, it's not "tax relief", but the benefits of universal healthcare far outweigh the "tax cuts" that the middle class recieved. That doesn't even take into account the increased funding for education and infrastructure.

The middle class will reap much greater rewards with a plan like Dean's than a small tax "cut".

[salin]

19. No idea

not in on that campaign. Wasn't responding to whether or not he should, nor to how he responded.

Only to the idea that she was giving him a "hint". I found most of the questions in the debate (to each candidate) along the lines of... folks have questions about x stand of yours... what would you say to them.

I thought the moderating in this debate was much better than I have seen in other debates.

[BeyondGeography]

17. Howard will be slaughtered on this

First of all, members or our own party disagree with his accounting. Kerry says the average family of four got up to $1,800 in relief under this tax bill. Today, someone put the figure at $2,000.

You know Bush will parade around the country with real-world Americans who have the much higher dollar sign next to their name. And that will be all she wrote for Howard. Bless him, he's trying to make a classically sophisticated Democratic Party argument: You got a little break from Bush, but you're getting hosed on health care and education costs. I'll take that little break away from you, but, under my Administration, it will be more than made up for by governmental benefits that Bush took out of your pocket.

Here's the problem: You can prove that Howard will take money from the middle class, but you can't prove they will benefit (you'll just have to take Howard's word for it). This is such a political loser, I can't believe he's sticking with it. But he is.

So, should he be the nominee, we'll be running someone from a small northeastern state with no foreign policy background who wants to raise taxes on everyone. Wonder why we non-Dean supporters worry? It's not that we hate Howard; many of us (myself included) actually started out supporting him. It's that he's such an obviously difficult sell in the GE that we have to do better as a party or it's four more years of Chimpass.

[zulchzulu]

18. Dean playing the "Mondale Card" with raising taxes

That will be a huge, I mean a HUGE issue if Dean get the nod.

[stickdog]

20. Dean is going to need a mandate to rescind Bush's tax break for the rich

and offer universal healthcare instead.

He's learned from Repukes that this battle isn't about NUANCE, it's about IDEOLOGY.

And well over 60% of Americans agree with Dean's ideology on this.

[deminflorida]

21. Well, he's been given lots of opportunity to readdress this...

he hasn't and he won't because, he actually wants to ride this policy to defeat. Guess what else, it's the cure he's decided we all need, so like any stubborn doctor who's made up his mind..he's going to take all of us down with him.

Maybe we can sue him for malpractice in about twenty years once we recover from the landslide, if we recover at all.