Clinton: Bush should raise taxes to pay for recovery
 

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/...ton/index.html

Democrats should make tax cuts an issue in 2006, former president say

Monday, September 19, 2005; Posted: 10:46 a.m. EDT (14:46 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former President Clinton believes the Democrats should pounce on and exploit President Bush's refusal to hike taxes to finance Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"They should continue to oppose it, and they should make it an issue in the 2006 election, and they should make it an issue in the 2008 election," said Clinton, interviewed on Sunday by George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week."

"I think it's very important that Americans understand... tax cuts are always popular, but about half of these tax cuts since 2001 have gone to people in my income group, the top 1 percent. I've gotten four tax cuts. They're responsible for this big structural deficit, and they're not going away, the deficits aren't."

Clinton said America's deficit has forced the United States to borrow "money from other countries to finance Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina, and our tax cuts."

"We have never done this before. Never in the history of our republic have we ever financed a conflict, military conflict, by borrowing money from somewhere else."

The former president, who is involved in a Katrina relief fund-raising effort with former President Bush, elaborated on the issue of tax cuts, saying leaders should hope "for the sake of our country that the cows don't come home before we have time to rectify" the problem.

"I mean, sooner or later, just think what would happen if the Chinese -- we're pressing the Chinese now, a country not nearly as rich as America per capita, to keep loaning us money with low interest to cover my tax cut, Iran -- I mean Iraq, Afghanistan, and Katrina. And at the same time to raise the value of their currency so their imports into our country will become more expensive, and our exports to them will become less expensive."

He said the United States depends on Japan, China, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Korea "to basically loan us money every day of the year to cover my tax cut and these conflicts and Katrina."

"I don't think it makes any sense. I think it's wrong."

Clinton's appearance on the show marks the first time he was interviewed by Stephanopoulos, who worked as a senior adviser for policy and strategy in the Clinton administration from 1991 to 1996.

As for his relief efforts with former President Bush, Clinton said $90 million to $100 million have been raised.

I'm glad he said something because I think most Americans are unaware that this borrowing is even happening. It makes absolutely no sense to be borrowing from these countries.

If it keeps going like this we are going to be broke. It's ridiculous.

I really wish. He's a slippery sucker.

I hope Clinton keeps harping on this because people have very short attention spans.

Has anyone on the Ledge gotten one of these alleged tax cuts? I damn sure didn't get one. I had to *pay* when I filed my tax return this past year, and I made less than $25,000.

Essentially, unless you made over, say $150,000 a year, you probably noticed no tax cut overall because though your Fed. income taxes may have been reduced, you state and local taxes likely increased to compensate for the Fed. Govt.'s lack of funding for many state programs, etc. There are a bunch of articles on it if you look around on the net.

Clinton wants everyone to be equally miserable. Raising taxes would lower revenue; Clinton knows this and doesn't care. For Clinton, this is just an excuse to limit freedom and increase government influence in our lives.

simply raise taxes -- it's the Democratic Party cure-all.

Baloney. This is not "typical" raising taxes. This is "clean up your mess" raising taxes. He started an unjust war which is a black hole of a money sucker. Now we have Katrina, which isn't his fault, but we have all of that to pay for. The top 1%, the wealthiest of Americans, the ones who need the extra money the least can't give back their tax cut because we are in crisis? That seems selfish. If they let the economy go to sh*t by watching the dollar decrease in value they may wind up with nothing themselves. Then they may wish they never got a tax cut that choked the economy.

And he is also setting up the sound bites for the 2008 election. "We're tired of paying for the War in Iraq!"

Funny thing is that the majority of the country agrees with him.

Actually, I think that majority is over 70% now :eek:

But, Coulter and her ilk will go down with the ship rather than attack their sacred cow.

It's not unjust. What do you think happened when two airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings? War was declared on us. 3,000 people dead. Action had to be taken. I would not stand idly by and let the Middle Eastern countries involved get away with that.

I can hear the forthcoming argument now...well why not go after Bin Laden instead of Hussein, no WMDs, etc...blah blah blah...They are all in league, one with another. The Middle Eastern countries are like one body. Taking Hussein was like cutting off both arms and legs. I think there are things in this world we will never full understand, or get the truth on. Don't think for a minute that the puppet media out there hasn't fooled you into joining the masses on what you should think.

I agree with you, and have to say you are brave making that statement around here...because you know exactly where it is going to lead. Bush's intentions were rather clear from the get go. He said not only Osama and his cronies, but also the countries that even supported or harbored terrorists, and if Iraq is not such a country then I don't know what is.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I would think by now that the talking points could be freshened up just a little bit.