More Facts About Taxes

For my post today, I'll just share this piece from Salon. Straight from the mouth of McCain's economic advisor...

It seems that Douglas Holtz-Eakin, John McCain's chief economic advisor, has exposed yet another hole in the Straight Talk Express. Time's Joe Klein reports that in a forthcoming book by Fortune columnist Matt Miller, Holtz-Eakin admits that the next president will have to raise taxes. "If you do nothing on the spending side, you're going to have to raise taxes whether you're a Republican, a Democrat or a Martian," Holtz-Eakin tells Miller.

So why does McCain keep voicing his opposition to tax hikes, and hitting Barack Obama for supposedly wanting them? Holtz-Eakin had an idea about that too. When Miller asked him why Republicans continue to push tax cuts, Holtz-Eakin replied, "It's the brand ... and you don't dilute the brand."

Holtz-Eakin has also previously acknowledged, to Time's Michael Scherer, that Obama's tax plan will lower taxes over 10 years.

My favorite line - the one that lends some insight into the Republican phenomenon:

"It's the brand ... and you don't dilute the brand."

One doesn't have to spend 10 years in marketing, as I have, to understand the truth in that statement. We're savvy consumers. We know when we're being taken in or pandered to, at least when it comes to companies that want our money.

But this isn't Coke vs. Pepsi or Crest vs. Colgate. Elections are different. Make a choice, but base it on facts and reasons not propaganda and branding.