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State governments also act as a "farm club" for the national level GOP. Yet it becomes more difficult to send Republican governors to the U.S. Senate -- or even the White House -- if they have raised taxes. Democrats can potentially neutralize the traditional advantage the GOP has on taxes if a Republican candidate made significant tax increases as governor.

Worse, if such leaders do make it to Washington, the consequences for the GOP range from bad to disastrous. We've recently seen what green eyeshade Republicans like George Voinovich and Olympia Snowe can do to a tax cut. And if a future GOP President decides to propose a major tax increase, well, those on the right remember vividly how that creates massive dissension within the Republican Party.

Well, most on the right remember. The Times article notes that Governor Riley's tax proposal is visiting chaos on Alabama politics, "with Democrats grinning from the sidelines and conservative Republicans, who thought they knew him, ducking for cover." Perhaps Governor Riley needs a trip to Reagan's woodshed.

topics:
Taxes, Education, Business, Law, Conservatism, Alaska