It’s stuff like this that really makes me like Chap Petersen. What President Obama SHOULD have said with regard to the Bush tax cuts.
Ladies & Gentlemen:
It would be very easy for me to break my campaign pledge and continue the Bush tax cuts at the highest rates. It would be easy for me because the U.S. Treasury can always print more dollar bills to cover the historic deficits created by these corrupt fiscal policies.
But you elected me to make tough choices. Choices which will close the deficit gap and restore a ‘pay as you go’ mentality to Washington, D.C. You also elected me to show that this is a democracy — that the wealthiest people should not enjoy a windfall from the repeal of inheritance taxes, while working people see their own tax burden increase.
As a Democrat, I distrust the aggregation of wealth and power in the hands of a few people. Even my friends.
And if my honesty costs me a couple contributions in my next re-election, then that’s too damn bad.
In the meantime, I am going to restore some honesty in this budget. And I’m not going to make it a tool for benefitting a small percentage of Americans.”
Great stuff.
h/t: Not Larry Sabato