California Conservative

Everyone knows that Democrats are genetically predisposed to raising taxes. Now Jim McGovern, John Murtha and David Obey are using the Iraq War as their excuse to do what they love doing:

A group of Democratic legislators presented on Tuesday a plan to create an income tax surcharge to finance occupation in Iraq, which currently means to US taxpayers about $150 billion in operation costs yearly. Legislators Jim McGovern, John Murtha and David Obey said the conflict is “devouring money that could be used to expand their educational opportunities and job training possibilities and to attack our long-term energy problems and build stronger communities.”
The initiative calls for low- and middle-income taxpayers to add 2 percent to their tax bill. Wealthier people would pay an additional 12 to 15 percent, they said. “The war will cost future generations billions of dollars in taxes that we’re shoving off on them,” said Obey.

Democrats ran on eliminating the middle class squeeze. Now that they’re elected, they’re attempting to increase taxes on “middle-income taxpayers.” Surprise, surprise. I’m shocked. Who would’ve thunk it?

This isn’t surprising. In fact, this fits a pattern that we first pointed out last March when the House DFL went on an unprecedented tax-increasing binge. Remember this Steve Murphy gem?

“I’m not trying to fool anybody,” said Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, sponsor of the measure that would increase funding for roads and transit by $1.5 billion a year once it was fully implemented in the next decade. “There’s a lot of taxes in this bill.”

This year, Democrats have shown a propensity for increasing taxes, whether it’s DC Democrats or St. Paul DFLers. This plan, like the others, is a loser. Nancy Pelosi even knows that this bill shouldn’t be debated because it’d hurt the Democrats:

“Just as I have opposed the war from the outset, I am opposed to a draft and I am opposed to a war surtax,” Pelosi said in a statement issued this afternoon.

That ends these men’s attempts to play tricks with the Iraq supplemental. Still, Obey did talk tough while it lasted:

“If you don’t like the cost, then shut down the war,” Obey said in a news conference.

Obey also told reporters President Bush will not get supplemental money for the Iraq war until he agrees to change course.

Bush has sent a request for a $190 billion supplemental spending bill.

“As chairman of the Appropriations Committee I have absolutely no intention of reporting out of committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo,” Obey told reporters.

Obey’s talking tough but he’ll get rolled when President Bush weighs in. FDR said that “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Generations later, Obey is modifying that statement to say “All we have to offer is bluster itself.” For all their tough talk, they’re really easy to roll. The word in Washington is that President Bush will get what he wants when he wants it. I see nothing to contradict that.

Technorati Tags: David Obey, John Murtha, Jim McGovern, Tax Increases, Nancy Pelosi, Iraq War, President Bush

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 6:48 am and is filed under Author: Gary Gross, Election 2008, Iraq, Military, Pelosi, Taxes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.