attack, saying it benefits rich, blah blah...
Excerpt:
Mindful of the mounting criticisms, Mr. Cheney dismissed them Friday as all too familiar. "We've all heard them before," he told members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Addressing the growing deficits, Mr. Cheney acknowledged that the "recession, the declining stock market and the ongoing war on terror have combined to turn budget surpluses into deficits."
But he argued that the "actual impact on the deficit will be considerably smaller" under the president's stimulus plan because it would "generate new growth ... expand the tax base ... and increase tax revenue to the federal government."
It is the "economic sensible thing to do," Mr. Cheney said.
Also, he argued, the centerpiece of the president's plan - the $364 billion in dividend tax cuts - was not "tilted toward a small number of wealthy beneficiaries," as some critics charge.
At least 54 million Americans own stocks that pay dividends, he said, and 45 percent of all dividend recipients make less than $50,000 a year.
Moreover, half of all dividend income goes to the elderly, he said, "many of whom rely on these checks as a steady source of income in their retirement."
Finally, Mr. Cheney disputed claims that the new tax cuts would hinder the war on terrorism, pointing to the Reagan administration in the 1980s.
"President Ronald Reagan cut taxes to stimulate economic growth, increased defense spending and won the Cold War," Mr. Cheney said.
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my President Bush ping list!. . .don't be shy. 