President Bush made clear just what's at stake if the donkeys retook the House and Rangel comes to chair that critical panel.
"A vote to send a Democrat to Congress is a vote to make the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee a man who has suggested cutting off funds for our troops on the battlefield," Bush said.
The prez was referring to Rangel's threat to de-fund the Iraq war. Long a foe of the Iraq campaign, Rangel has said, mischievously: "You've got to be able to pay for the war, don't you?"
His meaning couldn't be clearer: With Rangel as the House's budget-legislation gatekeeper, Iraq funds could suddenly dry up, forcing Bush to run a cash-strapped war. And leaving the troops hanging.
Maybe the Dems hate the president, the veep and the troops . . .
Meanwhile, Rangel's record suggests that Cheney and Bush are also right as rain in predicting that he'll raise taxes if the Dems take the House and he becomes chairman.
That suggestion was what made the congressman go ballistic.
Truth hurts, apparently.
In fact, Rangel has spent years opposing tax cuts - and backing hikes. Recently, he said he couldn't think of a single Bush tax cut he'd be willing to extend.
With a tight election at hand, Rangel was singing a different tune. "It's quite possible that I might want to extend the tax cuts," he told The NY Post.
Yeah, right. Let's go to the videotape.
Rangel has voted:
* Against cuts in estate taxes.
* Against repealing phone taxes.
* Against $137 billion in corporate tax cuts in '04.
* Against $330 billion in cuts in '03.
* Against Bush's plan to slice taxes by $1.35 trillion over 10 years in '01.
* Against $792 billion in trims over 10 years in '97.
* Against a five-year plan to cut $189 billion in '95.
But Rangel made sure to vote in favor of President Clinton's tax hikes in '93.
And he's supported "targeted" tax breaks (i.e., disguised spending measures) for favored groups, like those who invest in "distressed" areas or who spend money on child care.
Yeah, Rangel will extend Bush's tax cuts - for five minutes, maybe.
Even though not extending them could jeopardize the economic recovery.
