Bush's Response.

In response to Kerry's acceptance speech claim that he will only raise taxes on the top 2%, Bush had this to say:

Bush argued that Kerry will raise taxes on the middle class. Although the
senator from Massachusetts has repeatedly insisted he will roll back Bush's tax
cut only for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans, Bush insisted, "you know who
'the rich' is. They got accountants. It means you pay."

This is absolutely nuts! First, it assumes that the rich are not now using those tax loopholes if it's going to make any sense at all. But anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that this is not the case. What are we supposed to believe? That the rich are not currently using these loopholes, but come Kerry they will? I don't think so (even Bush doesn't suggest this; he says 'they have accountants', not 'they're going to get accountants'). What the President has just told us, then, is that the lower and middle classes are shouldering most of the tax burden now. Second, it's irrelevant. The Kerry tax plan is aimed at percentages, not solid numbers. That means that taxes are going to be raised on those in the top 2% of taxable income-- that is, post-deduction. Third, it misses the point. If the rich are able to use tax loopholes to dodge their tax burden, then I don't think that's a reason to reject the Kerry plan, because it occurs now. It is a reason, however, to talk about closing these loopholes so that we can reduce that tax burden of working folks. Surprisingly, Bush didn't have much to say on this point.

This just indicates a ton of contempt for the American public, in my assessment, because it's so stupid, but they don't expect people to see through it. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that they may not be to far off in their assessment of the American public.