All Together Now: 'The Largest Tax Increase in History'
A recap of the House GOP's blog row
By Bluey Posted in Congress | Featured Stories — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
If yesterday's House Republican Conference bloggers' event in the U.S. Capitol taught me one thing, it's that Republicans have finally found an issue to rally around. Seven conservative bloggers heard from 28 members of Congress (I've posted more than 100 photos on Flickr). While some Republicans deviated from the script (most notably former Speaker Dennis Hastert), nearly everyone used the occasion to rail against the Democrats' budget proposal, which amounts to the largest tax increase in U.S. history.
Rep. Paul Ryan, ranking member on the Budget Committee, got things started when he outlined the staggering numbers: a tax hike of $2,600 on American families that adds up to a hundreds of billions of dollars. Other Republicans cited the various alternative Democrat budgets, poking fun at the diverging views of the majority party.
My fellow RedState contributor Pat Cleary, who blogs at ShopFloor.org, noted how nearly every speaker stuck to the talking points. As great as it was to see the GOP back on track and united against the Democrats, the real test will be if they can deliver when it comes to act. Republicans need to do more than talk a good game. After all, they said the right things in years past when they were running the show. When it came to get the job done, however, Republicans often veered off course, consuming the pork they now disparage.
Read on ...
Yesterday's event was a postive development for the GOP. Not only did it show that Republicans stand united, but it also allowed members of Congress to bypass the mainstream media by pleading their case directly to bloggers. Meanwhile, the other bloggers who joined me -- Mark I, Pat Cleary, Ivy Sellers, Mary Katharine Ham (great video clips!), Steven Spruiell and the Influence Peddler -- got exclusive access to some of the highest-ranking Republicans in government. Events such as these can be incredibly productive at creating a dialogue. Kudos to the House Republican Conference for pulling it off.
Here's a rundown of my 10 posts coming out of the event:
• The Life of a Blogging Congressman
• Zach Wamp, Proudly Pitching Fred Thompson
• Can Republicans Flip Three New York Seats?
• For the Former Speaker, Life Goes On
• Harry Reid’s Choke Hold on Nuclear Power Plants
• Can Giuliani Top Romney on Health Care?
• Blunt Goes to Bat for Conservatives on Education Reform
• Blunt on Blunt: Will Son Follow Father’s Advice?
• For Brian Bilbray, It’s All About Fiscal Responsiblity
• Tax-and-Spend Democrats Haven’t Changed
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All Together Now: 'The Largest Tax Increase in History' 5 Comments (0 topical, 5 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
If I weren't at the end of our billing year here, placing me on blogging hiatus, here'd what I would do. I'd go through, and find all the quotes from different Democrats about how they were only going to raise taxes on the top 1-2%. Actually, I'd probably just focus on leadership, freshmen, and Democrats in districts carried by Bush in '04. Go through their campaign websites, and see what their positions on the budgets were. If I had a lot of time, I'd go through their press releases to see what they'd said. I know Pelosi said that they'd just raise taxes on the top 1-2% numerous times. I know that Carol Shea-Porter's campaign website had proposed to raise taxes only on people making more than $1 million a year.
As I understand it, the House bill removes almost all of the Bush rate cuts, which is a HUGE tax increase on the middle and lower-middle class. This is a massive departure from the campaign, and the Dems need to be called on it.
I bet if you did it, you'd be linked all over the place.
Bush temporary tax cut = huge giveaway to his rich friends
Expiration of Bush tax cut = restoration of fairness (it's not fair to call it a tax increase)
Seriously though, what I wish there was more focus on is proof that the tax cuts do increase tax revenues, which the libs always deny is the case. It was proven during Reagan and during Bush 43 that the problems isn't too little money coming in but rather too much money going out.
I see more comments here how Bush has done the Republicans great harm than I do on the effect the tax cuts have done to the economy since 2003. There's a stark contrast in jobs created and GDP increase. Just can't find the PDF document, maybe it was through the Republican Study Committee's web site.
Its time to make that document public on every outlet available.
Put up charts in Congress showing the positives of those tax cuts, the only ones that have given W the distinction of being the only president to reduce taxes during a time of war. (courtesy of IBD editorial)
Is there a good source of tax raise info that shows the details?
Thanks
because they'll only increase taxes on "the rich" to make sure they pay their "fair share". Average people like you and I needn't worry, right?