The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : McEconomics

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McCain is doing his best to improve his tax cutting bona fides with fiscal conservatives. Phil Gramm is a co-chair on the campaign and last night in the debate he mentioned that Jack Kemp will endorse him. I just received the press release with this from Kemp: "I am proud to support John McCain for president. John McCain is the only candidate who can be trusted to cut taxes, eliminate wasteful spending and enact conservative pro-growth policies to expand the economy. John McCain is the best choice to lead America to a more prosperous and secure future."

This is intended of course to help in no tax NH, but also I suspect it is part of an effort to reach out to the GOP base and avoid that civil war James ( and frankly many of us) are concerned about. If it comes to a Huckabee vs. McCain battle, McCain will point to those praising him -- Gramm, Kemp and the Wall St. Journal -- as evidence that he will keep faith with economic conservatives. (An interview with his top economic advisor is here, providing a rather robust defense of his economic views.) Perhaps lacking as much focus, McCain also has a health care plan that focuses on cost containment and free market principles. He has also been a resolute free trader. McCain, lacking the millionaire profile of Romney, makes a less juicy target for Huckabee's populist barbs. Coupled with his foreign policy credentials, his economic positions will set up a fairly clear contrast between him and Huckabee. UPDATE: As a bonus he gets a nice hand from Larry Kudlow.

topics:
Taxes, Trade, Health Care, John McCain