Do Klobuchar and Walz scare Bush ?

George Bush is a complex man. From the questions that were asked at Friday’s a press conference, Bush must have felt tortured. He was at times combative, at times a smart aleck, at times assertive but at his best when he use fear-mongering.

From Friday September 16th press conference :
Q Thank you, sir. Polls show that many people are still more focused on domestic issues, like the economy, than on the international issues in deciding how to vote in November. And I'd just like to ask you if you could contrast what you think will happen on the economy if Republicans retain control of Congress versus what happens on the economy if Democrats take over?
THE PRESIDENT: [snip]
And so I shouldn't answer your hypothetical, but I will. I believe if the Democrats had the capacity to, they would raise taxes on the working people. That's what I believe. They'll call it tax on the rich, but that's not the way it works in Washington, see. [snip]
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/09/20060915-2.html

This is an argument that has a big flaw but also effectively scares voters away from Democrats. The Congress cannot effect tax law changes unless the President approves the change. Bush found his veto pen when the Stem Cell bill reached his desk, and there is no doubt that he would veto any tax bill that did not meet his requirements.

In fact, the Democrats have a greater incentive to demonstrate fiscal responsibility. With the 2008 Presidential election at stake, the Dems will want to prove to the voters that the Clinton-era of fiscal management of pay-as-you-go budgeting works better than the Republican’s tax-cut and spend policy.

Why is it that pro-growth tax policy sounds so righteous and yet is just code-speak for tax subsidies? Damn the deficit, if it means helping big business. Gil Gutknecht’s June 30th eline trumpeted the importance of passage in the House of H.R. 4761 which concerns itself with allowing drilling for oil on Outer Continental Shelf. Those of us that are concerned about our fiscal future heard a different trumpet and that one was expressed on June 29th, when the White House issued a statement on that bill. “The Administration strongly opposes the bill’s revenue-sharing provisions because of their adverse long-term consequences on the Federal deficit . The Administration’s preliminary estimate is that the revenue-sharing provisions of H.R. 4761 would reduce Federal Receipts by several hundred billion dollars over 60 years.”

America’s fiscal future is not at risk with Democrats in Congress. It is at risk with individuals that use fear-mongering to mask the real issues. Bush has been consistent in that he views his Presidential legacy issue as Social Security Reform. “Reform” is another euphemism for changing a program in ways that may not help you. Although, Social Security funding may have some problems in future decades, it is not the imminent problem as the health care policy. Why is Ford Motor offering incentives for employees to terminate employment? What is the issue at the heart of the airlines solvency issue? What is the fastest growing expense to any business that provides health coverage for their employees? The answer is health care. We need a Congress that will fundamentally change health care. That needs to be the top issue of the next Congress.
During this fall’s debates, ask the candidates which program do you want to see fixed first – Social Security or Health Care. If they say Social Security, they are being honest and will “Reform” it under Bush. If they say Health Care, they will make a more prosperous America.