Tax Cuts Lose Spot On GOP Agenda -WP

[Rose Siding]

President Bush and Republican lawmakers are being forced to temper their anti-tax ambitions, as the party that consolidated power in Washington by promising to shrink government grapples with the high cost of its efforts to expand the Defense Department and the nation's two largest entitlement programs.

The president's only new tax initiative for the second term -- a broad restructuring of the tax code -- will be crafted in a way that results in a simpler system, not lower taxes, White House aides said.

At the same time, Bush's call for Congress to make permanent all the tax cuts enacted in his first term faces increasingly strong resistance among some Republicans concerned about rising deficits. The chairmen of the Senate Budget and Finance committees said in interviews last week that Republicans might wait until next year, or later, to consider the Bush plan, because the cuts do not expire until the end of the decade.

And, for the first time in years, Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) and other Senate Republicans are advocating increasing taxes -- as a way to pay for a restructuring of Social Security. Bush has not ruled out backing the effort.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12185-2005Mar6.html

[Tux]

1. Well

Bush did cause 5 bizs to fail when he was put in charge. No reason why he can't do it again. Hell, Reps are scared it'll elect a Dem pres that will try to retain jobs for AMericans and not send our economy to India, China, and Mexico.

[TwentyFive]

2. Conservatives are stupid

The only way to cut taxes is to spend less.

Actually, the other way to cut taxes is increased social spending. A healthy, secure workforce, is also a productive one.

Giving large crony capitalism deals to multibillion dollar corporations does nothing...but make your tax rates go up.

[bemildred]

3. Ditto that. Social spending pays for itself, in the long run. nt

[Erika]

4. Gollee. US top 1% who profited from W's tax cuts

might have to trade down their vehicles from the humvees and escalades.

[skids]

5. Which one? They've probably got over 70. n/t

[rodeodance]

7. "bills for Medicare, Social Security and the Iraq war are piling up".

that is an understatement!!


......To be sure, Bush and most congressional Republicans, especially in the House, remain committed to cutting taxes as a guiding principle. Some leaders are considering pushing this year to extend some of the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003, including those for capital gains, at the very least. But after cutting taxes aggressively over the past four years, a growing number say it would be unwise to reduce the amount of money the government is taking in at a time when bills for Medicare, Social Security and the Iraq war are piling up.

[Toots]

9. Medicare and Social Security are more than paid for

It is all the money spent on war and war toys that is sinking the US.

[pf99]

6. Tax and Spend Republicans

[rodeodance]

8. you got it

[roseBudd]

11. memme: Borrow and Spend Republicans n/t

[struggle4progress]

10. kick

[w4rma]

12. They promised everything they could to get votes. Just like Hitler. (nt)