FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 27, 2011

Candidate Kaine vs Chairman Kaine and the President on Tax Hikes

Henrico, VA – In an interview  yesterday with NBC News 12, Chairman Kaine defended his support for job-crushing tax hikes on Virginia families and businesses while unemployment remains stuck above 9 percent and the economy is at a stand-still, even though President Obama said in 2009 that “the last thing you want to do is raise taxes in the middle of a recession.”

Obama: “The last thing you want to do is raise taxes in the middle of a recession … because that would just … take more demand out of the economy and put businesses in a further hole.”  (NBC, 8/5/09)

But despite high unemployment and zero jobs created in August, President Obama and Chairman Kaine are now supporting massive tax hikes to fund another government spending binge – a second nearly $450 billion stimulus.

But other Democrats aren’t going along with President Obama and Chairman Kaine’s job-crushing tax hikes …

• Sen. Ben Nelson: “Nebraska Dem Ben Nelson tonight said talk of raising revenues, raising taxes ‘not helpful at the moment’, ‘we’ve got to cut the spending’” (NBC’s Libby Leist Tweet, 9/19/2011)

• Sen. Jim Webb: “‘Terrible,’ Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) told POLITICO when asked about the president’s ideas for how to pay for the $450 billion price tag. ‘We shouldn’t increase taxes on ordinary income. … There are other ways to get there.’” (“Hill Dems Pick Apart Obama Jobs Plan,” Politico, 9/14/11)

• Sen. Joe Manchin: “Manchin said he is ‘greatly concerned’ about the recommendations for raising tax rates on small businesses in a recession.” (Register-Herald, 9/24/11)

And now Chairman Kaine is using Washington rhetoric to try to hide his support for massive tax hikes in a weak economy, telling Virginians that allowing the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to expire shouldn’t count as a tax increase.

Chairman Kaine: “Letting the Bush tax cuts expire … that’s not a tax increase.” (NBC News 12, 9/26/11)

But that isn’t what Chairman Kaine said last year as head of the Democratic National Committee when he praised President Obama for extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, saying “millions of hard working Americans can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their taxes will not increase next year.” (Chairman Tim Kaine, “House Passes Middle-Class Tax Cut Bill And Sends It To President Obama,” Press Release, 12/17/10)

So during his time at the Democratic National Committee, Chairman Kaine stood with President Obama and called the failure to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts a tax increase on millions of hard working families, but now he’s denying that they should be considered tax hikes at all? 

Chairman Kaine isn’t being up front with Virginia voters because he can’t defend his support for massive, job-crushing tax increases at a time when Americans are facing more than 9 percent unemployment and a stagnant economy that created zero jobs in August.

“As the President’s hand-picked Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Kaine is clearly feeling the weight of advocating for the President’s failed agenda over the last three years,” said Bill Riggs, Allen campaign spokesman. “It was Tim Kaine who championed President Obama’s first $800 billion failed stimulus, saying it would ‘jump start the economy.’  Since then we’ve lost 1.7 million jobs and seen 30 months of unemployment over 8 percent. If more Washington spending and massive tax hikes improved the economy, Americans wouldn’t be facing unemployment stuck above 9 percent.  New tax increases will not help to create jobs, they will only hurt job creating businesses.  Chairman Kaine should know this all too well, as Governor he tried to raise taxes $4 billion even while Virginia lost over 100,000 jobs – sadly, some people never learn.”

Chairman Kaine Praised President Obama For Bipartisan Compromise To Extend Bush Tax Cuts, Saying Millions Of “Americans Can Breathe A Sigh Of Relief Knowing Their Taxes Will Not Increase”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 21, 2011

$1.5 Trillion In Tax Hikes Is A “Balanced Approach?”

Henrico, VA – Chairman Kaine says he supports “a balanced approach” to reducing the deficit, but what President Obama considers “balanced” includes $1.5 trillion in job-crushing tax hikes. 

In fact, many news outlets are describing the President’s proposal as more of a partisan campaign plan than a serious attempt to pass legislation.  So it’s not surprising that we’d see the same Washington style political “two step” that Chairman Kaine has mastered from his time as the head of the Democratic National Committee.

• POLITICO: “Obama has crafted a plan that reads more like a blueprint for shoring up his restless Democratic base than a vehicle for reaching across the aisle in search of bipartisan compromise.” (Politico, 9/18/11)

• The New York Times: “When the president unveiled the second half of his stimulus it became clear that this package has nothing to do with helping people right away or averting a double dip. This is a campaign marker, not a jobs bill.” (New York Times, 9/20/11)

Just weeks after standing shoulder to shoulder with President Obama in Richmond to support his new nearly $450 billion stimulus, Chairman Kaine is trying to “balance” between silence as a candidate and the vocal support he offered time and time again as the hand-picked Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

• Times Dispatch: “As part of a plan to cut deficits by $3.6 trillion over 10 years, President Barack Obama on Monday proposed including $1.5 trillion in tax increases on high earners.”
  • Kaine: “Kaine campaign spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine responded that Kaine was supportive of increased revenues from high earners through tax code reform so long as they are balanced by spending cuts.”  (Times Dispatch, 9/21/11)

Despite his hollow political posturing, Virginians know that Chairman Kaine has a long track record of pushing for higher taxes in a weak economy; as Governor he proposed $4 billion in tax hikes while Virginia lost more than 100,000 jobs.  And during the past two and a half years, Chairman Kaine has championed every major initiative of this White House, supporting the first $800 billion failed stimulus, the $1.5 trillion healthcare monstrosity and even the big labor union protests in Wisconsin that forced schools to shut down. 

“Two weeks after standing shoulder to shoulder with President Obama in support of his second nearly $450 billion stimulus, Chairman Kaine is clearly trying to balance his loyal support for the President with his political strategy as a candidate,” said Bill Riggs, Allen campaign spokesman.  “Chairman Kaine has stood time and time again with President Obama in support of policies that have hurt Virginia families and businesses.  It’s clear that Chairman Kaine wants to be Senator for the Washington liberals and President Obama.  George Allen will be Senator for the voices and people of Virginia.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 19, 2011

Chairman Kaine’s “Same Old Spending Plan”

Henrico, VA – Less than two weeks ago Chairman Kaine applauded President Obama’s speech to Congress and stood with the President in Richmond in an effort to rally support for his nearly $450 billion stimulus.  But now that it’s clear that this is just another spending package paid for by the same recycled tax hikes this Administration has been advocating since the President was elected, even many Democrats are criticizing the approach. 

And Sunday, the Virginian-Pilot called President Obama’s second stimulus the “same old spending plan” and “another nakedly political proposal by a president who has missed too many chances to provide leadership.”

• Virginian-Pilot: “Instead of employing the so-called “balanced approach” to deficit reduction that he has touted throughout the past year, the president’s proposal relied on tax increases alone. Worse, Obama proposed a series of well-worn measures that Congress has rejected over and over again. …

The plan was dead before it reached the other end of the Mall.

If the president’s proposal was a political feint, it would be bad enough – divisive and a waste of everyone’s time. If it was a serious effort at creating jobs, the president would be better off leaving that to somebody else.” (Virginian-Pilot, 9/18/11)

After 30 consecutive months of unemployment above 8% and 1.7 million jobs lost since the stimulus passed, it took zero jobs created in August for Chairman Kaine to finally recognize and say in his words, “we need a job creation strategy.” 

But instead of working on a plan of his own, Chairman Kaine seems to be deciding once again to stand with President Obama and support the same failed policies that left Americans with over 9% unemployment and month after month of weak job growth. 

“These are the same failed tax and spend policies that Chairman Kaine has been advocating his entire career. As Governor he proposed more than $4 billion in tax hikes while Virginia lost more than 100,000 jobs and as head of the DNC he said the first $800 billion failed stimulus would ‘jump start the economy,’” said Bill Riggs, Allen campaign spokesman.  “Now, after finally realizing ‘we need a job creation strategy,’ Chairman Kaine is once again lending his rubber-stamp support to another nearly $450 billion stimulus and job-crushing tax hikes. George Allen is the only candidate in this race with a plan to reinvigorate the economy and create more than a million new jobs.” 

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