Wiseacre
Retired USAF Chief
I'm okay with this; some might say he's flip flopping, but times and conditions change and so should the positions our leaders take when necessary. I would differ somewhat though with what he's saying in that I would not raise taxes until the economy gets stronger. I would reform our tax code but make it revenue neutral until such time as GDP growth is sustained above a certain benchmark, say 3.5%.
" As a conservative Republican, Lindsey Graham has never had a problem promising not to raise taxes. Like almost every other Republican member of Congress, he has signed the anti-tax pledge put forth by Grover Norquist's group Americans for Tax Reform.
But now Graham says the debt crisis is so severe that the tax pledge which says no tax loopholes can be eliminated unless every dollar raised by closing loopholes goes to tax cuts -- has got to go.
"When you eliminate a deduction, it's okay with me to use some of that money to get us out of debt. That's where I disagree with the pledge," said Graham.
The Americans for Tax Reform pledge commits signers to "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."
Graham said eliminating some deductions should free up money to lower tax rates but also to pay down U.S. debt. "
Top conservative says read my lips: Don
" As a conservative Republican, Lindsey Graham has never had a problem promising not to raise taxes. Like almost every other Republican member of Congress, he has signed the anti-tax pledge put forth by Grover Norquist's group Americans for Tax Reform.
But now Graham says the debt crisis is so severe that the tax pledge which says no tax loopholes can be eliminated unless every dollar raised by closing loopholes goes to tax cuts -- has got to go.
"When you eliminate a deduction, it's okay with me to use some of that money to get us out of debt. That's where I disagree with the pledge," said Graham.
The Americans for Tax Reform pledge commits signers to "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."
Graham said eliminating some deductions should free up money to lower tax rates but also to pay down U.S. debt. "
Top conservative says read my lips: Don