- News>
- World
Bush raps Kerry on taxes at first big rally
Orlando, Mar 21: US President George W. Bush accused democratic rival John Kerry of planning to raise taxes on the middle class as he sought to energize supporters in the pivotal election state of Florida.
Orlando, Mar 21: US President George W. Bush accused democratic rival John Kerry of planning to raise taxes on the middle class as he sought to energize supporters in the pivotal election state of Florida.
Bush, staging his biggest campaign event so far, shifted from the topic of national security to the economy, an issue on which many Democrats see him as vulnerable given steep job losses and a growing budget deficit under his watch.
The President disputed Kerry's pledge to keep taxes low for the middle class while rolling back Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy to pay for broader health-care coverage.
''It's pretty clear how he's going to fill the tax gap,'' Bush told a rally of 13,000 supporters in Orlando, Florida. ''He's going to tax all of you. fortunately, you're not going to give him that chance.''
Bush pointed to recent strong Gross Domestic Product growth and insisted the economy was improving. He tried to paint the four-term democratic senator from Massachusetts as someone who would harm the economy by raising taxes.
''Today, George Bush proved to the american people that he is incapable of solving our economic problems for the simple reason that he doesn't even see them,'' Kerry said in a written statement in response to the President.
''The President refused to acknowledge the more than 3 million jobs lost on his watch or the impact of his failed policies on the middle class,'' he said.
''The Bush economic policies have failed. It's time for America to move in a new direction,'' Kerry said in his statement. The senator, who wraps up a week-long vacation on Wednesday, plans to focus on jobs at an appearance next week.
Bureau Report