McCain's first dumb GE promise is DOA

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

According to Washington Post he has promised no new taxes.

Suppose the democrats nominate Hillary?  I believe McCain will be President.

However, I see no reasonable possibility that the republicans will sweep both the house and the senate.  Since the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010 that means a democratic controlled house must agree to them.  This is not going to happen.  It's going to have to be a compromise.  So taxes are going up on Americans that can most afford it.

A blanket pledge like this is bad.  As a minimum he should say that if I'm elected, I'll need a republican congress and then we will have no new taxes.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-talk/2008/02/mccain_vows_to_hold_line_on_ta.html?hpid=topnews

[TomC]

If under law, it's set to expire, it's not a new tax.

[exopolitician]

According to Washington Post he has promised no new taxes.

Suppose the democrats nominate Hillary?  I believe McCain will be President.

However, I see no reasonable possibility that the republicans will sweep both the house and the senate.  Since the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010 that means a democratic controlled house must agree to them.  This is not going to happen.  It's going to have to be a compromise.  So taxes are going up on Americans that can most afford it.

A blanket pledge like this is bad.  As a minimum he should say that if I'm elected, I'll need a republican congress and then we will have no new taxes.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-talk/2008/02/mccain_vows_to_hold_line_on_ta.html?hpid=topnews

How very George HW of him....did anyone read his lips first?

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

If under law, it's set to expire, it's not a new tax.

If the straight talk express wants to play this kind of game....he ruins his image.....people will be paying higher taxes in 2010

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

How very George HW of him....did anyone read his lips first?

Exactly my thoughts when I saw the headline and groaned

[Mr. Morden]

Isn't it kind of implicit that any promises a candidate makes on policy are dependent on approval from Congress?  I doubt that when Kerry was running in 2004, he bothered to keep repeating a "of course, this policy only works if I get a Democratic Congress" disclaimer with every campaign promise.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

Isn't it kind of implicit that any promises a candidate makes on policy are dependent on approval from Congress?  I doubt that when Kerry was running in 2004, he bothered to keep repeating a "of course, this policy only works if I get a Democratic Congress" disclaimer with every campaign promise.

There is a subtle difference here.  The tax cuts will expire and action must be taken.  He needs to run a straight talk campaign that he will save the country from the largest tax increase in history.

No tax cuts is defensive....Taxes need to be held at current levels and my opponents are promising to raise them is the offensive.   If I understand the law, the entire thing expires in 2010 so a new bill even to keep tax rates for the middle class at the same rate must be passed through Congress

He needs to be seen as fighting an uphill battle against the inevitable tax increases that the democrats will allow to happen by not extending the Bush tax cuts. This changes the debates to what tax cuts are going to be approved since Bush's expire.  Talking about details of tax cuts is better than avoiding the reality

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Of course, if the Republicans back in 2001 had actually passed permanent tax cuts in the first place they wouldn't need to be passed again to keep them.  They tried to be cute and arrange things so that they could in the future pass a "tax cut" that wasn't really a cut and it's coming back to bite them and us.

[Person Man]

How very George HW of him....did anyone read his lips first?

Exactly my thoughts when I saw the headline and groaned

Yeah. I bet he more narrowly wins and gets slaughtered like 41.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

How very George HW of him....did anyone read his lips first?

Exactly my thoughts when I saw the headline and groaned

Yeah. I bet he more narrowly wins and gets slaughtered like 41.

Exactly the problem if he wins.  Conservatives will go wild if the Bush cuts expire and McCain has to compromise.  All the more reason he has to run on the reality that we are getting huge tax increases and become the champion of Tax cuts.  Any other strategy is a huge mistake.

For conservatives...we will not keep 100% of the Bush tax relief unless we win congress which is highly unlikely.  Get over it.

This election is how much of a tax increase can we tolerate and are we willing to fight to stop as much as possible

[CARLHAYDEN]

How very George HW of him....did anyone read his lips first?

Exactly my thoughts when I saw the headline and groaned

Yeah. I bet he more narrowly wins and gets slaughtered like 41.

Exactly the problem if he wins.  Conservatives will go wild if the Bush cuts expire and McCain has to compromise.  All the more reason he has to run on the reality that we are getting huge tax increases and become the champion of Tax cuts.  Any other strategy is a huge mistake.

For conservatives...we will not keep 100% of the Bush tax relief unless we win congress which is highly unlikely.  Get over it.
This election is how much of a tax increase can we tolerate and are we willing to fight to stop as much as possible

First, McCain is a liar who favors increased taxes.

Second, if a Republican President with the support of a clear majority of Republicans in both chambers of Congress (even if in the minority) supported renewal of the tax cuts and the Democrats refused to allow the tax cuts to remain, the Republicans would achieve a majority in the subsequent general election in both chambers of Congress.

Third, tax in/creases are not inevitable.  The Democrats do not want to lose control of Congress so they won't let the cuts expire if the Republicans press them.  They still remember what happened in 93/94.

[Smash255]

How very George HW of him....did anyone read his lips first?

Exactly my thoughts when I saw the headline and groaned

Yeah. I bet he more narrowly wins and gets slaughtered like 41.

Exactly the problem if he wins.  Conservatives will go wild if the Bush cuts expire and McCain has to compromise.  All the more reason he has to run on the reality that we are getting huge tax increases and become the champion of Tax cuts.  Any other strategy is a huge mistake.

For conservatives...we will not keep 100% of the Bush tax relief unless we win congress which is highly unlikely.  Get over it.
This election is how much of a tax increase can we tolerate and are we willing to fight to stop as much as possible

First, McCain is a liar who favors increased taxes.

Second, if a Republican President with the support of a clear majority of Republicans in both chambers of Congress (even if in the minority) supported renewal of the tax cuts and the Democrats refused to allow the tax cuts to remain, the Republicans would achieve a majority in the subsequent general election in both chambers of Congress.

Third, tax in/creases are not inevitable.  The Democrats do not want to lose control of Congress so they won't let the cuts expire if the Republicans press them.  They still remember what happened in 93/94.

If the tax cuts on the middle and Working class expire because the Republicans try to protect the wealthiest one percent from seeing their tax cuts expire its going to be the Republicans who pay at the polls in 2010, not the Democrats.

[Gustaf]

I think McCain remembers 1984 rather than 1988-1992 when it comes to promises on taxes.

[CARLHAYDEN]

I think McCain remembers 1984 rather than 1988-1992 when it comes to promises on taxes.

Based on what?

Your enomerous knowledge of McCain?

Just how many times have you met with and/or talked with McCain?

Oh, and BTW, how many American states, aside from Wyoming, aren't "real" per Gustaf?

Finally, while you really, really, really, like tax increases, you never answered my question about what limits on government spending (if any) you would support (well, I guess the answer would be embarassing).