Kerry's $900 Billion Tax Increase

Bush-Cheney '04 ^ | March 12, 2004 | Bush-Cheney '04

[PhiKapMom]

This is an update from the Bush-Cheney ’04 blog on the scope of John Kerry’s plans to raise taxes. For additional documentation, be sure to check out the ad fact sheet accompanying the “100 Days” spot:

http://www.georgewbush.com/news/Read.aspx?ID=2314

Kerry's $900 Billion Tax Increase

John Kerry has promised at least $900 billion in spending in his first one hundred days -- and that's just his health care plan. He's also promising middle class tax cuts. And he claims he can cut the deficit in half in five years.

His numbers don't add up.

To pay for these promises, Kerry has already said he would raise taxes. But the Washington Post says that the tax increases he has proposed fall at least $165 billion short of paying for Kerry's spending:

But a review of his campaign proposals shows that the Democratic front-runner is promising to spend at least $165 billion more on new programs during his first term in office than he could save with his tax plan, a mix of breaks for the middle class and increases for corporations and the most affluent. The $165 billion figure does not include the cost of several proposals Kerry has not fully detailed or backed with estimates.

And that's a low estimate. The only tax increase Kerry has specifically laid out -- on people earning over $200,000 -- would only raise $250 billion over ten years, leaving Kerry $650 billion short of paying for his entire health proposal. Who else will Kerry tax to get the rest of the money?

Under pressure, Kerry now concedes that he would have "revise" his plans. A key Kerry adviser told FactCheck.org that we might not know the full details until Kerry gets into office:

"John's not the president yet. When he becomes the president he'll send up a whole budget." Meanwhile, [Michael] Meehan said, "We're not going to get into the back and forth on that." He also said that the Thorpe analysis [pegging Kerry's health plan cost at $895 billion]"doesn't take into account any savings," but Meehan would not be specific about what kind of savings he meant.

In short, these are just the kinds of election-year shenanigans you'd expect from someone who's voted for higher taxes 350 times in his Senate career. What is clear is that the only way Kerry can get his $900 billion in spending is through a massive tax increase that will derail our economic recovery.

[PhiKapMom]

This is an update from the OFFICIAL Bush-Cheney Blog on John Kerry the man who never met a Tax Hike he didn't like!

[PhiKapMom]

If you would like on or off this Bush-Cheney '04 List aka the Republican Attack Team :), please let me know!

PKM

[onyx]

The media is already saying, "he hasn't had time to explain his plan --- Bush people are spinning, etc."

[deport]

Now don't come here posting facts...... Kerry isn't interested in them don'tcha know.....

[onyx]

Media ARE alreading saying....

I am tired.

[AngrySpud]

Why do GOP ad writers have to try to spin facts that get spun right back in their face? They've never been as good as 'rats at it. Why not just state the fact: $900 billion in spending over ten years. That's bad enough to make the point. Why try to imply it's an immediate $900 billion cost? Geez.

[txrangerette]

Supposedly, he's claiming that
unspecified cuts in spending on
other areas will make it add up.
CNN radio news was carrying his
water on this - Big Time!

The Big Bad Bush won't take his
word on that - Wahhhhh!!!!!

Unfair negative ad!!!!!

[OldFriend]

Mary Matalin pointed out exactly on one of the morning shows...exactly where Kerry would raise taxes and exactly what he planned to spend.....

[isthisnickcool]

"John's not the president yet. When he becomes the president he'll send up a whole budget." Meanwhile, [Michael] Meehan said, "We're not going to get into the back and forth on that."

No, they won't "get into the back and forth on that". They don't have the money.

[nopardons]

The Kerry team is on,as I type, calling the president a " lousy president" and lying about this 900 BILLION thing.

The president's surrogates had better get up to speed on this and FAST!

[Smartass]

PROUD TO BE PART OF THE GREAT RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY.

[MattMa]

No matter what Kerry says, a tax increase is tax increase. He already pulled a McGovern; and the attack team needs to continue hitting hard on this subject.

[GailA]

Tax increases ahead

Upcoming Automatic Tax increases detailed by the Republican Study Committee, this is what will happen if Congress doesn't act and a virtual certainty if Kerry is elected.

PDF FILE

[MeekOneGOP]

[GailA]

Cuts in other areas like military, intel, fbi etc?

[Jorge]

calling the president a " lousy president" and lying about this 900 BILLION thing. The president's surrogates had better get up to speed on this and FAST!

I agree. The Bush team should have known that Kerry would deny the $900 bil tax hike, and they should have been ready to support their claim with easy to understand clips of Kerry's own words.

If they don't then the Kerry team will succeed in branding the Bush campaign as "lying" about him.

[txrangerette]

That's what I'm thinking, too...
(And farm bills, which he always
rails against, being from MA, and
NASA & whatever Bush had passed as
his own...)

[onyx]

Unfair negative ads!

Truth hurts.
Truth is to democrats what a mirror is to Dracula.

[onyx]

It continures to bother me that Mary Matlin shares a pillow with Carville.

[OldFriend]

I believe she was on with Charlie Gibson and really handed him his head......big time. Perhaps a freeper could find the transcript and post it here.