Lieberman Proposes Raising Taxes on Rich

earthlink news ^ | 11-12-03

[wheelgunguru]

WASHINGTON - In a break from the Democratic field, presidential candidate Joe Lieberman is promising to ensure that upper-income Americans pay more in taxes than they did before President Bush's record-breaking tax cuts.

Lieberman's proposal, due to be unveiled as part of a weeklong critique of Bush's policies, would at the same time reduce taxes for middle-class Americans, according to a senior campaign official.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said income tax rates will be restructured to achieve Lieberman's goal of shifting the tax burden to upper-income Americans. The official provided no further details on how the changes would affect middle-class taxpayers.

Lieberman's rivals have proposals repealing Bush's tax cuts for wealthy Americans, with most setting the bar at people with annual incomes exceeding $200,000. Two candidates, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt, want to repeal all of Bush's tax cuts, including those benefiting middle-class Americans.

But the net effect of Lieberman's plan would give upper-income Americans a greater tax burden than if Bush's tax cuts were simply repealed, the campaign official said.

The five-day "Leading with Integrity" tour begins Monday in Lieberman's home state of Connecticut and takes the senator to New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Florida and Michigan.

All but Florida are key early voting states in the primary fight. Florida was the site of the 2000 election recount, where the Gore-Lieberman ticket narrowly lost to Republicans George W. Bush and Dick Cheney after a Supreme Court appeal.

Lieberman is trying to jump-start his campaign, which has been languishing near the bottom in key state polls and fund-raising. He is being urged by supporters and staff to abandon Iowa's caucuses and focus his resources on a handful of states that hold elections afterward. A major shift in strategy is likely soon, campaign officials say.

[SGCOS]

Lieberman is a jerk.

Thank You, and have a good night.

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[Atchafalaya]

Ah, the KISS principle; works for me.

[Mr. Mojo]

It's as if Loserman doesn't know quite how to proceed with his campaign at this point, and his just throwing caution to the wind.

[ladyinred]

A revolutionary NEW idea from a democrat folks!

Taxing the Rich!

What will they think of next? LOL!

[ladyinred]

ROTFL!

[genghis]

i just don't get this strategy.
When was the last person elected to anything on th promise of raising taxes??
Yes, many politicans have raised taxes, but who ever promises to do so before they are elected?
I am amazed at what gephart has been saying,
"my proudest vote was for the '93 clinton tax hikes."
And what was the lesson of 94?
clinton," i agree, i raised taxes too much."
Th other problem the rats have is assume the economy is terrible.
is this a good time to raise taxes. Yes if you are hoover or fdr.
Assume the economy is humming-- well if it is humming, why raise taxes.
The rats have found a way to throw kr into the briar patch, they just can't figure out why he likes it so much.

[Graybeard58]

"Taxing the Rich"!


...When Democrats talk about taxing the rich, I holds on to my wallet, because they are talking about me. (and I ain't rich)

[Defiant]

How about this for a campaign strategy: Restore the Reagan Tax Cuts!

Reagan's 1986 tax package got the top marginal rate down to 28 percent, not as low as I would like it, but not too bad. At that rate, people will go out and work for the extra dollar. Papa Bush was hornswaggled into raising it to 33, and our pal Bill raised it another 5 first thing he did. 28 was good, and will bring in increased revenue, as people stop deferring income.

[Graybeard58]

"The rats have found a way to throw kr into the briar patch"


...That strategery, among other things is what is going to get their arses handed to them in '04

...Who is kr?

[Waco]

"Donate to my campaign and I'll kick you right in the K-NUTS!" I promise.

[jazzlite]

He is tapping into that age-old ENVY factor. When these politicians begin to lose, they resort to the stimulation of the emotions which grab the parasites among us. FEAR (old people and little children starving) and ENVY (It is not fair that your neighbor has worked since he was 12 and owns a home, but you, who have sought to ignore education and have worked little, have to rent.) The solution, tax away your neighbor's reward and redistribute it to you and others like you. This is crazy for Leiberman..With the economy coming back due partly to President Bush's tax cut, this will not fly. Anyway, the so-called "rich" people are paying 50% or more of the taxes now.

[grania]

He is tapping into that age-old ENVY factor

I really don't know what he's tapping into. Any anger to be built on has to do with things people are actually suffering...job loss and insecurity, loss of our culture and values to the invasion, protecting pensions and Social Security, whose sons and daughters are risking their necks in Iraq, certain corporations getting huge contracts to rebuild Iraq, and government spending out of control.

Most people are fair-minded about taxes. Reinstituting the cut on the rich might fly. More taxes? As Dan Quayle said (paraphrasing) "if a tax is passed on the rich, next those making $30,000 a year will be 'rich'".

Lieberman might be a terrific guy, but when it comes to campaigning (now and then) he seems to be a panderer with no real commitment to ideals.

[Baklava]

I can't figure out who this man's supporters are. He seems to be equally disliked by the left and the right.

[DustyMoment]

And this is a surprise to whom?

(btw, the rich are defined as anyone who earns enough to pay taxes. Don't you feel speeeeee-shul?)

[You Dirty Rats]

The 1986 top rate of 28%, and the tax bill passed that year, was actually in most respects the Bradley-GEPHARDT bill.

Yes, THAT Gephardt!!

You may recall that after Reagan came on TV an urged tax simplification (and there were several plans out there), Rostenkowski gave the 'Rat response which also urged simplification of taxes (fewer reductions) and a much lower rate. Yes, this was the same Rosty who later demanded the "millionaire's tax"(10% surcharge) and later still was run out of Congress (I think on the check kiting scandal).

A million dollars a year was rich THEN. NOW, it's $200,000 a year -- in cheaper dollars.

The 'Rats only giveth so they can later taketh away.

[xrp]

Didn't Walter Mondale try something like this, too? 25 years of NO IDEAS from the Democrats except for tax, tax, tax and spend spend spend. For 25 years, it hasn't solved anything.

[Pearls Before Swine]

...When Democrats talk about taxing the rich, I holds on to my wallet, because they are talking about me. (and I ain't rich)

Oh yes you are. You pay taxes don't you? That's more than roughly 50% of the population does, most of them firm Democratic voters.

Was it Madison who said that democracy would last only until the people figured out they could vote themselves benefits from the public treasury?

[Defiant]

I remember it well, since I was working on the issue in the Senate at the time. We were trying from 1982 on to get a comprehensive tax simplification bill, and finally achieved it in 1986, after a lot of effort and arm-twisting. Only Reagan could have done it, by appealing over the heads of the Congress. Revenue poured in. Bush thought he could tinker with it, and he doomed himself, giving us Clinton and even higher rates.

When Reagan came in, I think he initially lowered rates from 70 to 50 percent. Can you imagine? And then 28. Capital gains were lowered substantially too.

I favored the flat tax plans that were out there, and I think the goal was to simplify with the 1986 plan, and go for the flat tax a few years later. Papa Bush screwed that up royally. I knew we were in trouble at the inauguration, with that "kinder, gentler" crap, as though letting people keep their own money and increasing the wealth of the entire nation is not kind or gentle, but stealing it and redistributing it is.