The American Spectator

Nothing like Tax Day for the Club for Growth to resume its wars on John McCain’s tax policies. Most telling is the Club’s insisting that McCain’s acknowledge the error of his ways. Dream on! Here’s the Club’s just released press release:

McCain Economic Speech Falls Short

Washington - The Club for Growth expressed disappointment with John McCain’s failure to embrace a pro-growth platform for cutting taxes in his economic speech today. “While Senator McCain deserves credit for his support for free trade, limited spending, and extending the Bush tax cuts, his record of opposing tax cuts speaks louder than his words today,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey.

“On paper, Senator McCain’s speech reads like a stereotypical Republican stump speech,” Mr. Toomey continued. “But when one considers his record of ardently opposing tax cuts, his consistent support for double taxation in the form of the Death Tax, and his historical ambivalence towards free market policies, platitudes and stump speeches are not persuasive. If Senator McCain wants to convince us that he is serious about charting a new, pro-growth course, he will need to take serious and specific steps in the direction of economic freedom.” These include:

• First, Senator McCain needs to admit that his vociferous opposition to the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts was a mistake. He needs to concede that these tax cuts have played a central role in the economic prosperity and diminishing budget deficits our country has experienced over the past couple of years.

• Second, Senator McCain needs to demonstrate his commitment to oppose any tax increase by signing a pledge that rules out tax hikes, especially in light of his willingness to raise Social Security taxes in the past. Renouncing this position and signing the Americans for Tax Reform pledge would be a good start.

• Third, Senator McCain needs to propose a serious and detailed platform for pro-growth tax cuts that includes cutting the high, anti-competitive tax on corporate income, eliminating the Death Tax, and significantly reducing marginal tax rates across the board.