How long is Karl Rove going to stand for this? Isn't the honorable rep from Sugarland, TX putting the lie to the "compassionate conservative" face of Bush GOP? "The Exterminator" is having none of it, and will not allow a Democratic measure to restore $3.5 billion in child tax credits to the poor (cut during last minute Senate/House Republican negotiations) unless they in turn allow the estate tax to be permanently repealed. $3.5 billion in a $350 billion "leave no tax accountant behind" tax cut. What will the soccor moms, hispanics, faith-based types, etc., that Rove is striving to appeal to react to this blatant act of nastiness? I figured there would at least some breast beating at the White House, since they have repeatedly lied about who will receive what from this budget busting monstrosity.

But then I realized that this is all part of the long-running Bush campaign to "reform" the tax code by eliminating the progressive income tax and replace it with a rise on regressive consumption taxes, along with rises in social security and medicaid taxes. Why? Because it is true when honest defenders of the tax cut say that the wealthiest Americans pay the most in taxes. So, they say, the rich should receive the biggest tax cuts. But with consumption and payroll taxes, the working poor and middle class pay disproportionately more than the rich.

The fact is, the only domestic policy the Bush administration has is tax cutting -- but tax cuts don't play well with the voters, the majority of whom aren't really upset by their tax bill as rates are relatively low after the (deficit-creating) cuts of the Reagan years. So how do you get these "Lucky Duckies" upset about taxes. Kill them with state, local, and payroll taxes. Bleed 'em till they howl and share the pain their masters have been feeling for years.