Kerry Calls for Repeal of Tax Cuts for Wealthiest Americans

by David Tamasi

WASHINGTON - After playing defense for the last several months, Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, is going on the offensive.

Kerry, along with Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware, is poised to introduce an amendment that would repeal tax cuts on the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans to cover President Bush's request for $87 billion for war and reconstruction costs in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Kerry spokesman Tony Wyche.

The amendment would link two key White House issues - but not in a way the president would prefer.

Democrats in Congress have said that the country can't afford to pay for the war in Iraq, for homeland security and for domestic spending while maintaining all of Bush's tax cuts.

"We are still working on the finer details of the legislation," Wyche said. At issue is whether the tax cuts would be canceled for one year or for a longer period. The most recent tax cuts Congress enacted are set to expire after five years. The wealthiest 1 percent are those with incomes of $330,000 or more annually.

Kerry's campaign struggled over the summer as the presidential candidate attempted to defend his vote for the war in Iraq to the left-leaning Democrats who dominate the primaries. During that period, Kerry ceded his status as the putative front-runner to former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, whose anti-war message resonated with party activists.

Kerry has sought to revitalize his campaign in recent days by aggressively criticizing Dean on a variety of issues. Although Dean also has called for a repeal of tax cuts, Kerry said his competitor would go too far by rolling back all the cuts Congress enacted during Bush's presidency, not just those for the rich.

"Unfortunately, some in my party, including Howard Dean, want to repeal the tax cuts Democrats gave middle-class families," Kerry said in a speech Monday in Iowa.

With Republicans holding a slim majority in the Senate, Kerry's amendment appears headed for defeat, according to Stuart Rothenberg, an independent political analyst.

"I don't think that a lot of Republican senators will go along with this," Rothenberg said. "Their fate is tied to the success of George W. Bush in 2004, and they are not going to run counter to what is the President's signature issue."

While Rothenberg was dismissive of the amendment's chance of passage, he said it was a good political move for Kerry. "

Anything that positions Kerry as a major opponent of the President is a political plus for the senator," he said. "[Democratic] Caucus attendees and primary voters want to beat up on the President, and if Kerry is leading the fight on Capitol Hill, that is where he wants to be."

The President's $87 billion request is expected to be sent to Capitol Hill by the end of the week.