Posted on 07/30/2004 6:26:12 PM PDT by 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.
What?
"Kerry's Economic Remedy Won't Be Revealed Before Election"
And you were expecting......????????
On the other hand, if he had a solution, how can he withhold it at any point and be considered anything but a traitor.
A sure sign he doesn't know what he wants to do yet.
None of this happened in the '90's, but, true to form, the Clintonistas took credit for it anyhow ...
Is this called "nuance"?
That's cause Kerry's planning on confiscating all the $$$$ from the pockets of the middle class...;) If we knew we wouldn't elect him now would we?
Kerry has got to be joking! What an ass!
He wants people to vote for him, but he won't tell them anything about what he's going to do. That's liberal arrogance taken to its logical end.
The Republicians have GOT to use this against Kerry.
You want Kerry to actually tell you what he'd do if elected???
Oh, there you republicans go with the hate speech....politics of personal destruction....running from the issues....hamsters....
(eyes roll)
Oh bullcrap. They're afraid if they actually come up with something good that Bush will implement it.
That is the Kerry solution that cannot be announced pre-election.
"And you were expecting......????????"
Wealth...Fame...and within a year after Kerry wins...does this mean it's going to take longer?
I think we're onto something here. Kerry plans to raise taxes on the middle class. Why are we not surprised? Because Hill has already informed us the Bush tax breaks are going bye bye and she's going to take away some other things 'for the common good'. Uh, but not 'her' things, of course, just yours and mine.
Isn't that just like a DemocRAT! I won't tell you what I'm gonna do until AFTER I'm elected. BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Kerry says trust me. BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
kerry....goodbye capitolism, hello socialism....ultimately leading to communism.
I have a plan for a time machine and an infinite energy generator.
I'll release the plans only after Bush is re-elected.
The tax increases will be announced after Election Day. These guys have a low estimate of the intelligence of the American people.
Oh, yeah, Richard Nixon, with his secret plan and Vietnamization.
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