US can't pay for war and cut tax

New York Times
Editorial, March 26

"It surely is no coincidence that George Bush's opening $75bn price tag on the Iraq invasion arrived on Capitol Hill yesterday just as Senate moderates finally mustered the gumption to dig in their heels and slice his latest tax-cut plan in half. The revolt by a few key Republicans served notice that their limits of embarrassment had been reached. They were, in the end, not willing to make tax breaks for the wealthy a priority during what is supposed to be a time of national sacrifice ...

"The president's war budget is $75 billion and counting, according to the supplemental request, which is at best the first down payment on the war ... There is no doubt that Congress will approve the request ... Paying for the war is an issue of national honour, but so is the Senate's current attempt to stand against fiscal insanity."

Wall Street Journal
Editorial, March 26

"The Senate dealt America's wartime economy a blow by voting to chop President Bush's tax-cut proposal by more than half, to a maximum of $350bn over 10 years. The excuse ... was that America can't pay for a war and cut taxes at the same time. We've heard some whoppers out of Washington, but this one deserves its place in history ... Yes, we know, there is the 'deficit'. But anyone who believes that shrinking the tax cut will reduce the deficit hasn't been paying attention ... Far from financing the war, the money stolen from the tax cut will simply pay for more domestic spending ...The best way - the only way - to finance war is with a growing economy."

Robert Kuttner
Boston Globe, March 26

"Thanks to the distractions of war, bizarre budget resolutions are swiftly moving through Congress and will be law by mid-April. For the first time in the US, we are rushing through an immense tax cut in the midst of a war that the president admits will cost at least $74.7bn just in its first phase. The consequence of this ... is massive cuts in popular outlays ... The message, evidently, is God bless our troops when they are dodging bullets but God help them when they come home ...

"While young men and women risk their lives in a war whose rationale remains to be proven, the larger Bush programme diverts money from services ... to give tax breaks to multimillionaires."

Salt Lake Tribune
Editorial, March 26

"The White House and Republican leaders of Congress are clearly abusing the natural patriotic urge to support a wartime president in order to win approval of an overall budget plan that will not only hamper the long-term success of Operation Iraqi Freedom, but also place the weight of massive federal deficits upon the shoulders of the generation that is fighting this war ...

"It seems incredible to think that Mr Bush and his allies in Congress don't realise that there is a war on, and that war requires sacrifice, even from the rich."

Washington Post
Editorial, March 26

"While this country is fighting a war of unknown duration, while overall tax revenue is down thanks to recession, while hundreds of thousands of people risk losing their health insurance because of state fiscal crisis and proposed Medicaid cuts, it is irresponsible of Congress even to consider passing a tax cut worth $350bn ... over 10 years, thereby creating a vast budget deficit for the next decade and possibly beyond ...

"Once again, a few moderate senators hold a tremendous amount of power in their hands. We hope that they will, at the very least, prevent congressional Republicans from chipping away at the cap ... We would much prefer that they vote with theirconsciences, do what's right for the country and take every opportunity to vote against this ill-conceived tax cut altogether."