Kerry slams Bush's idea for a national sales tax

[Feanorcurufinwe]

John Kerry said Thursday that President Bush's musing about a national sales tax is an insult to financially struggling voters and would amount to ``one of the largest tax increases on the middle class in American history.'' The Democratic presidential nominee, during a speech at California State University-Dominguez Hills, tried to reverse partisan stereotypes by portraying the Republican president as the tax raiser and himself as a tax cutter.

Kerry said if Bush wants to create a national sales tax without increasing the deficit, people will end up paying at least 26 percent more for purchases on top of state and local sales taxes. ``We know exactly who that's going to hurt,'' Kerry said. ``That's going to hurt small business. It's going to hurt jobs. It's going to hit the pocketbooks of those who need and deserve tax relief most in America.''

Bush, who also campaigned in Southern California on Thursday, has suggested that overhauling the tax code would be a second-term priority if he is re-elected. While campaigning in Florida on Tuesday, he said replacing the income tax with a federal sales tax is ``an interesting idea that we ought to explore seriously.''
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/9390237.htm

[swag]

1. NICE!

They won't be letting Bubbles off his leash again any time soon.