Kerry Mocks 'Shop-Worn' Bush Slogan, Offers Tax Cut

[Nambe]

CARSON, Calif. (Reuters)

Democrat John Kerry on Thursday derided President Bush's claim that the U.S. economy had turned the corner and pledged to honor America's "moral code" with a $400 billion tax cut for the middle class.

Kerry, who will face the Republican incumbent in the Nov. 2 White House election, said he would tell voters the truth, not sell them "shop-worn slogans" and tax cuts for the wealthy.

"When we've had four years of disappearing manufacturing jobs that have put millions out of work, the Americans I've met don't think we've turned the corner," the Massachusetts senator said. "When we've had four years of falling wages, rising health care costs and a shrinking middle-class, the Americans I've met don't think we've turned the corner." ..

Portraying himself as a champion of the middle class, Kerry proposed more than $400 billion in new tax cuts for average Americans, including tax breaks for health care and college tuition, as well as an increased child tax credit. ..

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[Bogus W Potus]

1. We don't have enough money for tax cuts

What is this obsession with TAX CUTS?

Our tax rates are lower than almost every other's industrialized countries' tax rates.

We should put the surplus, if there is one, into shoring up our crumbling Medicare and Social Security systems. We need to keep our promises to the people who paid into these systems for years, and we also need to fully fund the Veterans Administration.

[LauraK]

2. He has a plan. But for now....

I'm not opposed to him lying his butt off like damson is just to win the election. Like any good polititian, he can blame it on the repugs later. Just Get bush Out.

[2Design]

6. ROFL

[Nocturnes]

3. Not quite

Almost, but no cigar. I originally come from New Zealand. Socialised health to beat the band. Great education. Taxation only on a federal level. Rates are better than here. We save by not having an enormous military machine (but keep up all our UN commitments). And a very good welfare system.

The trick would be making the first, say, $12,000 tax free. Get the money back to those who really need it (I cannot remember the tax free threshold in NZ but there is one)

[maxsolomon]

4. cut the military? are you insane?

your use of simple logic exposes you as a freedom hater.

[Bogus W Potus]

5. Cutting the military budget is not what we should do

We should shift the money from weapons systems into better housing and pay and medical care for our troops. They aren't paid enough. 13k for defending the country? Pretty shitty in my opinion.

[xchrom]

7. there's plenty of pentagon money

to cut and pay the troops plenty.
our military is far exceeds every one elses on the planet by a couple of times -- it's going to break us like it did the soviet union.

[sandnsea]

8. A couple times?

Try $400 billion to Russia, at #2, $65 billion. Our military budget is absolutely insane. I've never met a person, Republican or Democrat, who didn't want to cut the military budget. Until it comes time to elect a President who will actually do it. :crazy:

http://www.cdi.org/budget/2004/world-military-spending.cfm

[Kolesar]

9. I think our war budget is half of the world's entire war budget ... eom

[Barkley]

11. Cut military budget?!?!?! But we NEED missile defense

even it doesn't work!

Why do we spend so much "defending" Japan and Germany. Japan spends 1.5% of their GDP on military and they have national health care.

Are we spending this money to keep them from re-establishing their militaries?

Does Israel have a national health care system? How much do they get in foreign aid annually from the US?

We spend over $250 billion annually paying interest alone on the national debt ($7 trillion)-- that's insane.

[Bandit]

10. We spend more on interest on the debt than we do on Defense Budget

If we just paid off our debt instead of adding to it we could do wonders. Right now at the lowest interest rates in a half century we are still paying over four hundred billion a year in interest. If restes were to go up to say eight percent we would be paying twice as much. That is not an unlikely scenerio. The Deficit should be the number one issue but no we have to fight over gays getting married. What a rat's ass that one is.

[dumpster_baby]

13. welcome to America, home of the brainwashed masses

being taken advantage of by the corporations and the top of the food chain...

[movonne]

12. I think he was saying about the tax cuts to the wealthy...If we could

change the tax cuts and give more to the middle class and take more from the wealthy...If we did that we would have enough for Medicare, SS and the Vet. Ad. That is what Clinton did and see what happen!!!

[bpilgrim]

14. he's start'n to sound like the chimp

ah, whatever works, eh :shrug:

peace

[Bogus W Potus]

15. Except there's an obvious difference

Kerry's "tax cut" is geared towards people who actually work for a living.