Kerry's Economic Remedy Won't Be Revealed Before Election

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 7/30/04 | Nathan Burchfiel

[kattracks]

(CNSNews.com) - A top economic advisor to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said the public won't hear Kerry's financial plans until after he's elected - if he's elected.

In the Aug. 2 cover story of "Business Week," former Clinton administration treasury secretary Robert Rubin said, "I don't think you can make proposals to try to dig out of this hole until you've gotten elected ... If you start to put out proposals now, they would be vigorously attacked and they would in effect become tainted so they couldn't be used."

The conservative group Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) stated that Kerry is trying to avoid revealing his plan to increase taxes on the middle-class because it would create a campaign liability if he did.

In a release, the group stated that Kerry's plan to roll back President Bush's tax cuts for the top earners "will yield him only $40 to $60 billion per year, far below the more than $200 billion of new spending commitments he has promised to special interests who feed off of American taxpayers."

"In other words," ATR stated, "if Kerry is elected, middle-class tax increases are coming."

Dan Clifton, chief economist for ATR, said the Kerry strategy relies on deception. "The idea is just say, 'Only the rich are going to get taxed,' [and] run out the clock on the campaign. Once they get in, they'll develop a crisis and say 'we've got to raise taxes on everybody.'"

If, as a presidential candidate, "you have something up your sleeve, you should let us know," Clifton said. Rubin's comments, furthermore, "made it very clear that they (the Kerry campaign) have something up their sleeve."

According to Clifton, Kerry's plan could include raising the gasoline tax which the Democrat has proposed in the past, raising the tax rates on the top one, two or three tax brackets, raising the capital gains tax and more.

"There are a number of things that they can do once they get in," Clifton said. "They're just not giving an indication to any of us what they're doing."

Clifton said Kerry's campaign promise not to raise taxes on the middle-class echoes the promises former president Bill Clinton made in his first Democratic National Convention speech as a presidential hopeful in 1992..

Clinton promised that "the wealthy" would be asked to pay their "fair share" and the taxes on middle-class families would not increase, but "Clinton and Kerry imposed the largest tax increase on middle class families," ATR stated.

The group pointed out that Kerry voted in favor of Clinton's tax increases while he served in the U.S. Senate.

Repeated calls to the Kerry campaign office seeking comment for this article were not answered.

[pctech]

If Kerry won't tell us now what his plans are then Bush should try and get it out of him during the debates. If Bush can get Kerry to admit that he plans to raise taxes on middle class as well the "over $30,000" group then Kerry can be legitimately labeled as a "tax and spend" democrat and thereby torpedo his presidential dreams.

[Grampa Dave]

al Kerry's economic plan:

1. Repeal all of GW's tax plan.

2. Tax the hell out any family making $100,000 per year.

3. Double the SS withholding of anyone making $50,000 and over per year to eliminate any SS withholding from those who make less than $50,000. The rats call it payroll taxe reduction.

4. As per Je$$e HiJack$on's wet dream impose a 10% tax on all Iras, 401ks, Keoughs and other retirement savings plan.
Je$$e's leeches and other perverted groups of the Lunatic Left will get most of this to pay for their votes in 2004.

5. Pull our troops out of Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas and slash the military spending to Jimmy Carter levels.

6. Fire Greenspan and let the interest rate copy Carter's.

If I posted # 7, 8, 9 and 10 everyone would become really depressed.

[EGPWS]

... If you start to put out proposals now, they would be vigorously attacked and they would in effect become tainted so they couldn't be used."

LoL's!!!!

Yea, lets just vote him into office and take a "wait and see" approach.

[Tench_Coxe]

"A top economic advisor to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said the public won't hear Kerry's financial plans until after he's elected - if he's elected."

I know it's a little much to ask, but let's apply some logic to this statement.
What would be the purpose in voting for Kerry, if one does not know what he proposes to do if elected?

[AFPhys]

A top economic advisor to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said the public won't hear Kerry's financial plans until after he's elected - if he's elected.

In the Aug. 2 cover story of "Business Week," former Clinton administration treasury secretary Robert Rubin said, "I don't think you can make proposals to try to dig out of this hole until you've gotten elected ... If you start to put out proposals now, they would be vigorously attacked and they would in effect become tainted so they couldn't be used."

WOW --- Now THIS is a great new campaign strategy that fits in GREAT with sKerry's record!

'We can't put out any proposals because if we did we wouldn't be able to use them because people would discover how dumb they are. We'll just have to not put out any proposals at all so we can get elected and then we'll start with a clean slate!

All week, I've been looking for solid proposals from the Demodogs as solutions to the "problems" they claim we have. Rubin just revealed exactly why NONE was proposed.

They really think the American electorate will fall for this?

Orwellian --- this campaign is so Orwellian that I am going to have to reread 1984.
.

[krb]

That's a bunch of BS. Bush announced his economic plan during the campaign, won the election, and implemented it just fine.

[AFPhys]

Yes there are TWO AMERICA'S. The America that these extremely wealthy leftest elitists live in and the America that those of us who have to earn a living live in.

God forbid that Robert Rubin should have to debate a policy before it is implemented. Just impose it on the peons for their own good.

What a disgusting elitist jerk.

Yup. If Rubin doesn't get fried, and the sKerry campaign dirtied by association, for the call he made on behalf of ENRON in an attempt to keep their stock pumped up, I'll be real surprised. Nader will blast this guy's association with sKerry. I know several libs here who are really on the edge of whether to vote sKerry or not, and this will truly put them over the edge.

If sKerry starts losing a fair number of these marginal voters to Nader, that could really snowball and the leftists who really wanted Dean could start flocking over to him. Internationalist elitist Rubin does NOT help sKerry with his association in that campaign. Wide dissemination that he is the leading economic head for sKerry could really start blowing it away, and Business Week is wide dissemination.
.

[AFPhys]

To: prairiebreeze

Well, isn't that convenient.

He's refused to hear White House press briefings because he's got his OWN
intelligence sources. I think we should know who they are.

And now he has an economic plan but won't tell us until after the election?

I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my entire life.


74 posted on 07/30/2004 11:12:36 PM EDT by Peach

-----

I like your interpretation --- good sound bytes, Peach.

[Badeye]

So, the rocket scientists at Kerry Campaign Headquarters are okay with the defining of Kerry's policy as "I'm going to raise your taxes, and I'm not Bush!"

Ooookay, fine by me.

[AFPhys]

If Kerry can't explain how to make his numbers add up, it means that when his advisors finally "do the math," the middle class is screwed. He needs to present a plan and let the people decide. If he can't present a plan, then assume he's going to raise your taxes. If he presents a plan and it doesn't add up, he's going to raise your taxes. If his plan says he's going to raise your taxes and it doesn't add up, he's going to raise your taxes more than he admits in his plan.

This has to get a replay!
.

[Peach]

Thanks, AFPhys. I hope you and your daughter are doing well.

[gitmo]

Only a rat would buy a pig in a poke.

[AFPhys]

You forgot the items which EXEMPT from any significant taxes nearly all of the assets of the EXTREMELY WEALTHY such as Terrayzza and Soros due to the use of their tax dodge foundations and other cute tricks - those tricks that you really need many millions of dollars to employ. sKerry is certainly not going to do anything to discontinue those.
.

[Southack]

"That's a bunch of BS. Bush announced his economic plan during the campaign, won the election, and implemented it just fine."

Precisely.

5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires

[BenLurkin]

The media, if it was legitimate, would hammer on this question fo rthe next three months.

Candidates can not be allowed to be this brazen about riding into office behind a cloud of deception.

[upchuck]

So does this mean that when sKerry sez, "I have a plan..." that he's really saying, "My mind is blank and I don't have a clue?" Geeze who'd a thunk it?

[AFPhys]

She's doing very well. She just got back from "choir camp" where she played Esther, one of the leads, in a musical they put together "Malice in the Palace". Very cute, and not only she, but all of the children, swelled my heart with pride so much that it squeezed water out of my eyes for most of the performance.

I'll be corresponding further about things to interested parties soon.
.

[albertp]

Clinton and Kerry imposed the largest tax increase on middle class families

Precisely! This is Kerrynomics for a "compassionate" 21st century America of "values." Kerry pretends he can reduce the deficit and increase government spending at the same time. As far as the Demon-rats are concerned, the paycheck-to-paycheck middle class are "the wealthy" and must have their backs and their spirits beaten into submission. Why don't they just come out of the closet as full-fledged progressives and socialists, and throw in reparations for slavery to spice things up a notch?! Socialism is the equal distribution of POVERTY, and postmodern liberalism, the equal distribution of IGNORANCE, intellectual dishonesty and moral bankruptcy. We must then realize and accept that "some animals are more equal than others."

[albertp]

"http://www.sacredcowburgers.com/parodies/the_hanoi_candidate.jpg"

It's not really YOUR money, you realize that, don't you? Now don't make things more difficult than they have to be!

[Peach]

I'm glad she's doing so well. That play sounds adorable - just the title!

[arielb]

Kerry's economic plan: adopt Vietnam's economic system. Yup and did you know he was a war hero for serving there?

[George W. Bush]

If there actually is a plan (and I doubt it), it's probably a Euro-style VAT tax, tied to universal health care.

One has to wonder what Kerry will say during the debates with W.

Kerry: "If you elect me, I'll tell you my secret plan..."

[George W. Bush]

Of course they're not. However, Kerry demands that other companies that relocate should pay the same benefits they did in the U.S. Why does he not demand this of the Heinz Company, since he is married to the owner?

According to a recent thread here on FR, the Heinz corporation said that Teresa and her kids own something like 4% of Heinz Inc.

Much of what you're posting is urban legend: Snopes.com on 'Heinz Sight'

I guess I'd like to know where your info came from. My understanding was that they owned stock, not actual factories. I'd be interested to know if these factories are Heinz factories or some other kind.

Your info makes it sound like they own all of Heinz or at least a controlling interest. I don't think so.

Can you provide a reference to the Wall Street Journal info on these factories owned by Heinz-Kerry? And it's probably her, not him, who owns them.

Teresa is a smart broad when it comes to money and knows better than to give a kept man too much of it in his own name.

[boop]

I LOVE that picture! LOL!

[Capitalism2003]

Kerry's platform can be found at this link:

http://sp-usa.org/about/platform.html

[philetus]

Sorry. Looks like I should have went to Snopes first.

[George W. Bush]

Hey, no problem. FReepers use Snopes all the time to keep the forum operating on a factual basis.

I should bring up that Snopes has an entire section on Kerry. Looking at it, it would appear to me that they may pro-Kerry because they are making almost a weasely argument to try to refute some of what they list as urban legends about him.

So we might not be able to trust Snopes on Kerry. I think some of their other material is defensive of Kerry. But on this matter of the outsourcing by Heinz and how much Teresa and the kids own, it is a matter of record and the Heinz corporation is waging an aggressive campaign to make sure the media knows that they have nothing to do with Kerry.

They probably hate it every time we call him Ketchup Boy.

BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHA...

[SupplySider]

kerry....goodbye capitolism, hello socialism....ultimately leading to communism.

While Kerry and his pals may dream of communism (under a more "nuanced" name, of course) I think they'll be happy just bringing us down to the level of France. Hello permanent double-digit unemployment.

[Defender2]

I think that more "nuanced" name being that "Third Way" cr*p, yet again or something similar.

Thanks for the post!!!!:-)

Best FReegards, D2

[SupplySider]

Rubin should be in jail for what he did

Thank you. I am so sick of Rubin being treated like a god by the media. Besides his ethics outrages, his big brilliant idea was raise taxes to cut deficits to make interest rates go down to bring prosperity. It didn't happen that way and it never will, no matter how many economically illiterate journalism majors at the major media say it.

[SupplySider]

After the convention I wouldn't be surprised if their name for communism is just "capitalism".

[norton]

Vietnamization was underway LONG before Nixon was elected; some of us wanted to scale it back, slow it down, in 1968.

[norton]

I had a plan before I didn't have a plan but I'll only tell you about it after 51% of you, including Florida, which was stolen from what's's name, vote for me.

[Defender2]

Could be, nothing that lefty freak show does surprises me.

Freegards, D2

[Smartass]

[GeronL]

A top economic advisor to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry said the public won't hear Kerry's financial plans until after he's elected

Thats it. This candidacy is OFFICIALLY doomed.

[Terridan]

Throughout Edwards speech, we all wondered how he hoped to achieve his goals... no mention was made, either by him or Kerry. Not once did either mention how to attain or achieve their stated goals! Only promises to unite the "two Americas". Huh?! I really thought we were all one, but I guess only multi-millionheirises like Kerry and his protoge believe us little people are separate entities....

[GeronL]

Most secret campaign in history!

[steveegg]

A sure sign he doesn't know what he wants to do yet.

He knows exactly what he wants to do (raise taxes on everyone except ketchup heiresses, their husbands and trial lawyers); he just hasn't figured out how to break the news to those that don't live in Jean-John's Amerika.

[MeekOneGOP]

LOLOLOL! Good pic!

In the Aug. 2 cover story of "Business Week," former Clinton administration treasury secretary Robert Rubin said, "I don't think you can make proposals to try to dig out of this hole until you've gotten elected ... If you start to put out proposals now, they would be vigorously attacked and they would in effect become tainted so they couldn't be used."

Well, HE** yeah. Increasing taxes for ALL Americans can't help you win votes, can it ?? Doh !!

If I only had a brain!

[Tom602]

"I guess I'd like to know where your info came from. My understanding was that they owned stock, not actual factories. I'd be interested to know if these factories are Heinz factories or some other kind."

So if they own stock in companies that are American OWNED that deliberately send buisness overseas, doesn't that make them just as guilty of approving such measures? In other words, by owning even a 2% share of these companies they are condoning the loss of American Jobs to foreign companies. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me. But what do you expect from a demonrat.

[George W. Bush]

I take your points but apparently Heinz Inc. bought most of the family's stock back about 7-8 years back IIRC. And the Heinz family has nothing to do with management decisions. FWIW, it might be a little hard these days to find a Fortune 500 company to invest family money into that isn't doing some outsourcing.

At any rate, I was mostly interested in whether the WSJ actually reported this or if it was urban legend stuff.

We've got plenty on Kerry to defeat him without resorting to repeating urban legends. And it's not good for our forum to pop up in a Google list repeating urban legends about our opponents. That's how I found this info from Snopes.

[yoe]

Kerry's Bait & Switch promises are just as disingenuous as his so-called wounds that needed only a bandaid.

KERRY LIED WHILE GOOD MEN DIED!!!

[GrandMoM]

BTTT

[Piquaboy]

No Kidding? Whoada thunkit!

[Condor51]

A sure sign he doesn't know what he wants to do yet.

Or........
He does, but it would then be a 'Mondale Moment'; "Of Course I'm Going To Raise Your Taxes".

IMHO I believe he darn well knows what he wants and/or will do. But then he'd go down in flames and it'd be a Dubya landslide.

[tobyhill]

I believe Kerry will offer tax cuts for the middle class but it will be after President Bush's tax relief expires then Kerry will offer a lesser tax reduction."Rider on other's success".

[Condor51]

Robert Rubin said, "I don't think you can make proposals to try to dig out of this hole until you've gotten elected ... If you start to put out proposals now, they would be vigorously attacked and they would in effect become tainted so they couldn't be used."

Hmmm, that sounds familiar ---- why??? Wait, I think I have it!

Mary Beth Cahill said the exact same thing during the RAT primaries. "Yes he has a plan but we aren't going to tell you what it is because then you could use it against him." (pretty close quote)

BTW, do you notice how Kerry has "a plan" for everything but refuses to say what those grand plans are.

• He has a plan to create 10 million jobs
  
• He has a plan to get our allies to "like us" again
  
• He has a plan to end the deficit
• He has a plan to ... blah, blah, blah

But all those "plans" are secret?!?!?!

Yep, that'll get votes --- NOT!

[Mr. K]

yeah THAT's a good plan......

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

[Mr. K]

next he will propose to pass reparations for all blacks and badabing- he will be elected