Let the Deomcrats raise taxes

Jim Pinkerton:

President Bush is willing to raise taxes. That reality was a big surprise to me 16 years ago, in 1990, when I was working in the White House. It's less of a surprise to me in 2006, when I am on the outside - because, after a while, you learn to identify the warning signs.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush broke his word on taxes, and he broke his own presidency. In 2006, his son, President George W. Bush, seems poised to destroy what little remains of his presidency.

In both cases, both Bushes have been willing to talk about "process" and "common ground." But, when it comes to taxes, the opposing Democrats know two things: First, the Republicans have a winning issue on taxes - specifically, when they promise not to raise taxes. Second, if taxes are indeed to be raised, the Democrats want the Republicans to go first and say that taxes are "on the table." In other words, Democrats want Republicans to take the blame.

So here's the "on the table" language, right on the front page of yesterday's Washington Post: "Signaling a new flexibility on issues in the wake of the Democrats' wins, Bush said he is willing to discuss Democratic ideas for solving the Social Security problem, including tax increases." The president is quoted as adding, "I don't see how you can move forward without people feeling comfortable about putting ideas on the table."

Those are the magic words the Democrats were waiting to hear. As Post reporter Michael Fletcher explains, Bush's "new flexibility" is "part of a larger White House plan to renew the effort to tame the rising costs of government entitlement programs as the nation's population ages." And so, the Post reporter added, the administration is willing to consider "higher payroll taxes."

The Post, of course, has never met a tax increase it didn't like, and the Powertown paper is not above trying to cajole Republicans into generating more revenue for its Beltway readership. But a look at the transcript confirms the Post's interpretation. Asked whether tax increases are on the table, Bush answered that the Democrats "can come to the table and talk about them."

In D.C., that's code for opening up a discussion that leads, inevitably, to a tax increase. I know, because I was there the last time this happened.

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There is zero upside to Republicans for raising taxes. Zero. They will get blamed for both braking their word and for raising taxes. The Democrats will join in hooting them down for raising taxes. There should not be one Republican vote in favor of this measure. None. They will get no credit for "saving social security."

Democrats will still demagogue on that issue what ever the Republicans do. Make them supply all the votes on the issue and then the President should veto it. In his veto message he should indicate that any measure that does not include Social Security savings accounts is not acceptable. Unless the Democrats agree to something that can really help people and avoid reduced benefits there is no benefit in increasing the investment in their ponzi scheme.