Richard Darman, Tax Architect for Reagan, Bush, Dies

[The Straight Story]

Richard Darman, Tax Architect for Reagan, Bush, Dies (Update1)

By Laurence Arnold and Kristin Jensen
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Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Richard Darman, an influential adviser to Republican presidents who had a hand in Ronald Reagan's landmark 1981 tax cuts and the 1990 increases that marked George H.W. Bush's retreat from his ``no new taxes'' pledge, has died. He was 64.

Darman died at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington today after battling acute leukemia for several months, said John Williams, a spokesman for James A. Baker III, a friend of Darman's from the Reagan administration. Darman was a Virginia resident.

Darman was a central figure in White House policy making during the 12 uninterrupted years of Republican reign from 1981 to 1993. He called himself ``a creature of the center'' and advocated deficit reduction and spending restraint as top priorities even when surrounded by fervent tax-cutters.

``I never really became a Reagan revolutionary, in the indiscriminately anti-government sense of those who used the phrase,'' Darman wrote in his 1996 memoir, ``Who's In Control?: Polar Politics and the Sensible Center.'' He also said the ``full Reagan revolution sought by hard-right conservatives'' had largely failed.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aI4nbB5CLceo&refer=home

[Warpy]

1. Pity the media ignored his voice

We know the Reagan revolution has failed, but people are still able to leverage enough debt to keep going for a few more months. When they can no longer leverage debt, perhaps things will change.

Remember, government is reactive, not proactive. We can see the collapse coming but we can't expect anyone to do anything about it while so many are under the illusion that since the TV is still working and the roof doesn't leak, everything's OK.

[N4457S]

2. God, I Didn't Realize...

...he was in poor health.

[TankLV]

3. the world is now a better place...one repuke death at a time...

[gratuitous]

4. Post hoc rationalizations aside, Mr. Darman

Ah, I was going to say, "Satan's waitin," but screw it.