GOP’s Best Pro-Growth Candidate?
http://www.opinionjournal…w/?id=110009872
The Wall Street Journal today in the print edition (p. A14) in the Op/Ed section is an article by Kimberly Strassel. In it she asks the rhetorical question, “Who is the real, Reagan deal?” for supply side economics.
The article is very good and covers the top three well. [If the link below does not work, just do a search on "Kimberly A. Strassel" and go to today's "Opinion Journal" -- it is free. Since mine comes up through a subscription, it may not allow you to link through below.]
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY:
“The guy with the momentum is former entrepreneur and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. He’s signed an anti-tax pledge, bemoaned excessive regulation, called for cheaper energy with domestic drilling, and laid out (in detailed Power Point presentations) the coming fiscal disasters that are Social Security and Medicare. He took another plunge yesterday, unveiling a broad-strokes tax agenda.
. . . he laid out a marker for the field, calling for lower marginal tax rates, a more competitive corporate tax and the end of the death tax. This isn’t necessarily a surprise, given Mr. Romney’s economic team is largely made up of the Bush tax-cut brain trust, including former Council of Economic Advisers chief Glenn Hubbard, his successor, Greg Mankiw, and Brian Reardon. Mr. Romney also scored a coup with economist John Cogan, who knows budgets inside-out, and is a tax-cutter to boot.
What attracted many of these economists to the Romney team was the former governor’s success, in a liberal state, of beating back big-tax proposals and instead choosing to erase deficits by hacking away at spending. Mr. Romney’s challenge will now be in convincing economic conservatives that his tax plan, and other pro-growth talk, is more than just election rhetoric. In particular, he’ll need to do some explaining about his Massachusetts health-care plan, which Mr. Romney touted as a market-based reform, but was more about new government regulation.”
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN:
“What’s missing is a serious tax-cutter. This may be understandable, given Mr. McCain has never shown much evidence he believes in supply-side economics. He was one of three Republicans to oppose the 2003 Bush tax cuts, and did so with class-warfare language to make Ted Kennedy proud. He’s also voiced his openness to Social Security tax hikes, and his opposition to getting rid of the death tax. Mr. McCain’s tack, in 2000 and now, is that the road to smaller government runs through spending cuts.”
MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI:
” . . . the former mayor will need something to convince conservatives he’s pro-growth genuine.”
To read the entire Op/Ed piece,
Click —–> TAX TALK, by Potomac Watch Editorial Board member, Kimberly A. Strassel
~ RHR
