A Dime's Worth Of Difference? (Liberal Republicans Say "NON!" To Tax Cuts)

OpinionJournal.com ^ | 7/11/04 | Pete Du Pont

[goldstategop]

An important and serious argument is going on in Washington about whether taxes on Americans' incomes should stay where they are or dramatically rise, and whether government spending should continue its accelerating growth. We know what Democrats think. They despise tax cuts and believe government spending should be higher. Washington Republicans, on the other hand, are unsure of themselves. They used to be for lower taxes and smaller government; now they seem to want bigger spending even if it means higher taxes, abandoning Reagan conservatism for '60s liberalism. In other words, this is a battle for the heart of the Republican Party; the outcome matters, and it seems to be in doubt. With the help of three liberal Republicans (Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island), and one who should know better (John McCain of Arizona), the Senate, with 51 votes, adopted a rule that if passed in the House will end all the Bush tax cuts and ensure that no new ones are enacted.

[goldstategop]

Kerry would gut everything (defense and intelligence wise to the bone to pay for his party's Canada in America drean.

[South40]

Compared to Klinton GWB has done well in defense spending. Unfortunately, he's outdone Klinton in social spending as well.

[Consort]

I wouldn't necessarily take Libertarians over the Constitution Party. The goal is to elect one or two candidates, not reduce Republican seats.

Can you translate that?

[Remember_Salamis]

GOV. BILL OWENS OF COLORADO IN 2008. THE NEXT REAGAN!!!!

[novacation]

I really like your name for Kerry. Kind of says it all.

[Tax Government]

Yeah. Become a third-party political force. Elect some good people. Let republicrats take the heat.

[GeronL]

We could also promote San Francisco Secession, that might help the GOP win California.

[N3WBI3]

Thata an aweful ugly picture..

[GeronL]

Ron Paul is pretty much a libertarian and he is totally ignored by other Republicans.

[goldstategop]

The champagne & brie Democrat has his Fifth Columnists inside our party.

[Reagan Man]

If the GOP Congress abandons the Bush tax cuts and continues spending like a drunken sailor, it will no longer be home to conservatives. PresBush was successful in his first term because he pushed through three significant tax cuts that together gave more tax relief then Reagan's 1981 Tax Reform Act. Thereby removing funds from the budgetary coffers and leaving less for the feds to spend. Bush`s spending on social programs like education and medicare are the policies of a big governemnt Republican and out of step with the conservative agenda and the recent policy agenda of the GOP. To remain successful, the GOP needs to get back to political planning that promotes policies like the Contract With America.

[KDD]

Why does no one understand that 9/11 happened? Do we have to have another attack for people to GET IT?

When 2/26/93 happened we survived quite well. This war of attrition by Muslims against Jews and Christians was happening long before Bush was Pres. We've had numerous acts of terror perpetrated against this country over the last half a century. It took a Bush and Ashcroft to exploit those lunatics actions into a curtailment of all our freedoms. Why do you think Clinton didn't try to push a Constitution shredding Patriot Act on the American People after the WTC was bombed in 93. You can be sure he had it on his desk.

[goldstategop]

Truth be told I want MORE tax cuts AND a BIGGER federal deficit. For exactly the reasons the Democrats and their RINO friends oppose them.

[Reagan Man]

Bill Owens is a good conservative Republican and would make a fine POTUS, but there's only one Ronald Reagan.

[Tax Government]

See my FR page. The main problem with both parties is they support the present fiat currency system, which gives them, the government and favored big business an enormous cash cow. It is wholely unconstitutional. They have NO intention of changing or reforming it.

[N3WBI3]

And what does the NEA, PBS, The federal education budget, or prescription drugs for seniors have to do with 9/11. Most of his increases have been non military / non defense..

[Consort]

Yeah. Become a third-party political force. Elect some good people. Let republicrats take the heat.

That would make you a Kerry Conservative. The Clinton Conservatives had the same misguided "reasoning".....they wanted to "teach Bush 41 a lesson" (same as "Let republicrats take the heat.")....so they voted for Perot or for another third party (like you want to do) or they didn't vote at all...and the Liberals won. If Bush loses, you lose....big time.

[novacation]

The GOP needs to make a right turn. I bash Bush a lot over the illegal alien issue, but I hope the GOP can get back to what most of us want to see from them.Bush is pretty liberal and needs to quit letting Fox run the illegal show. Kerry is a nightmare.

[Capitalism2003]

Sorry, but this ridiculous spending has nothing to do with defense...The fact is, NON-DEFENSE domestic spending has risen 12.5% annually under Bush and GOP dominance. Entitlements...welfare...education...arts...subsidies...all grown dramtically, along with 60,000 new pages in the government's big regulation book...it has nothing to do with defense and that is why real conservatives are upset.

[GeronL]

The GOP will have supporters even if it promotes government medicine and a 75% tax rate.... because the Democrats want it at 80%. All third-party supporters will still be called names.