Kerry, Dean tilt over tax issues
by David R. Guarino Boston Herald
Thursday, July 31, 2003
DOVER, N.H. - It was a political free-fire zone on the presidential trail yesterday as Democrats John F. Kerry and Howard Dean exchanged fighting words heard from New Hampshire to Iowa.
Kerry, the Bay State senator, was in New Hampshire when he slammed Dean's economic policies without mentioning the former Vermont governor - his top rival - by name.
Kerry chided opponents who want to ``take away a tax credit for families struggling to raise their children or bring back a tax penalty for married couples who are starting out or penalize teachers and waitresses by raising taxes on the middle class.''
Only Dean and U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri want to roll back President Bush's 2001 tax cut plan, including the child credit and abolition of the marriage penalty.
``Real Democrats are straight about who they'll fight for. Real Democrats don't walk away from the middle class,'' Kerry said.
Kerry aides made sure reporters had the remarks in hand before a ``major'' Dean campaign address to union workers in Iowa.
The combative Dean shot back that Kerry is a pie-in-the-sky candidate offering health care and tax cuts to all despite economic realities.
``Real Democrats don't make promises they can't keep,'' Dean told the Associated Press.
``Working Americans have a choice. They can have the president's tax cuts or they can have health care that can't be taken away. They can't have both,'' he said.
A statement later released by Dean said he'll stand up to Bush, ``even when the polls that day say it might be unpopular.'' Gephardt too called the Kerry critique unfair since his health plan would save Americans money.
``Most people would end up with more money in their pocket if they pay less for health care - it ends up being a health care tax cut,'' said Gephardt New Hampshire spokeswoman Kathy Roeder.
Kerry made his remarks at a ``fresh air'' forum in this picturesque seaside town. While Dean and Gephardt favor full repeals of Bush's $1.6 trillion tax-cut plan, Kerry wants to preserve the child tax credit, the repeal of the marriage penalty and other, smaller credits.
Dean and Kerry have been running first and second in most New Hampshire and Iowa surveys, including a Boston Herald poll this week that put Dean slightly ahead of Kerry among likely primary voters.
Republicans charged that Kerry is folding under pressure from Dean's surge and charged he's changed his position on the Bush tax cuts - which the GOP said Kerry previously vowed not to roll back.
``The pressure from Howard Dean has created a serious identity crisis for John Kerry,'' said Massachusetts GOP Executive Director Dominick Ianno.
Kerry spokeswoman Kelley Benander said Kerry's stance that portions of the tax plan should be rolled back is consistent.
``Howard Dean needs to be straight and explain that he intends to increase the unfair tax burden on families to pay for his plan,'' she said.
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