TailOverTeaKettle.com

Well it sure seems to me that Monday night was the most interesting one for the DNC. John Edwards might as well have been a robot with the style in which his speech was delivered. Ted Kennedy, Sharpton, and the others were predictable, but none too exciting. There was much more play on Teresa Kerry’s telling the reporter to "shove it" rather than her speech, which was somewhere out in left field. I wonder if any of the delegates actually figured out what she was talking about? I still can’t figure out why Ron Reagan was there, other than to make hay with his last name… but it didn’t seem to fit in any other particular theme.

But Monday night (Loser’s Night) seemed to have the most excitement. Al Gore’s head didn’t explode as I thought, but he has riden the ‘every vote must be counted in every state’ horse just about as far as he can. Jimmy Carter was dusted off, someone the Democrats previously wouldn’t let anywhere near a convention because of the dramatic way he lost. His speech, as well as his hob-nobbing with Michael Moore, show that for some reason, he has gone around the bend sometime in the last couple years. At least he didn’t endorse Howard Dean in the primaries, however.

Tuesday was the Clinton & Clinton show. Bill showed once again just how loved he is within the Democratic Party. His speech was mostly factually abscent, but skillfully delivered. (I wonder if all of the references to Gore did actually make Al’s head explode?!?). But I thought one of the most interesting parts was his interpretation of the Bush tax cuts (see Fox News : Transcript: Clinton Praises Kerry:

For the first time when America was in a war footing in our whole history, they gave two huge tax cuts, nearly half of which went to the top 1 percent of us. Now, I’m in that group for the first time in my life. And you might remember that when I was in office, on occasion, the Republicans were kind of mean to me. But as soon as I got out and made money, I became part of the most important group in the world to them. It was amazing. I never thought I’d be so well cared for by the president and the Republicans in Congress. I almost sent them a thank you note for my tax cuts until I realized that the rest of you were paying the bill for it. And then I thought better of it.

What a charming idea. Boy, I am a millionare now from my sweetheart speaking and book deals, and because I am now quite wealthy the Republicans want to make sure I get a tax break I don’t really need. What a man of the people!

I first heard this kind of talk when Jerry Springer (he of the broken chair over the head of my baby’s daddy fame) was considering whether or not to make a run for the Senate from Ohio. He made the rounds of the talk shows saying that it was ridiculous for him to get a tax break because he had more money than he needed and he could buy anything he wanted, so giving him more money was a waste. This all probably sounds so good to those who have had the embers of class warfare fanned by various people.

So Clinton’s remarks are interesting:

• The Bush tax cuts were first passed in May 2001. As I recall, this was before America was on a ‘war footing’, as Clinton suggested. He is correct that there have been subsequent actions, but that’s because none of the tax relief was made permanent, and must be renewed.
• The ‘internet bubble’ had already started to burst at the end of Clinton’s term, and the stock market was on it’s slide back to reality from the comically lofty heights of the late 90’s, when new-tech companies valuations were way out of whack with their ability to produce profits for their investors.
• "But as soon as I got out and made money, I became part of the most important group in the world to them." What in the world is he talking about? He was not impeached for his tax bracket (which by the way was just as high before entering the office of President), it was for lying under oath. I know that point is lost on every Clinton supporter, but it’s strange. What the Republicans did for Clinton was the same thing that they did for all people who actually paid taxes - give them tax relief.
• I know that it sounds good to say that we should tax the most wealthy the most because they can most afford it… but the Democrats forget to tell you that the reason that the top brackets receive the most relief is… they already pay the most taxes You can not give tax relief to someone who doesn’t pay taxes! If you gave them more money back than they put in, it’s an entitlement - not a refund. We already have these, and all the Republicans did was not add more. Not sure how "rest of (us) were paying the bill for it" exactly, but why let facts get in the way of a good story. See also, Michael Moore.
• It’s interesting for Clinton to claim that he got a tax break that he didn’t deserve. Remember, he’s the one famous for claiming an itemized deduction of $2 for each pair of used underwear he supposedly donated to charity (see USA Today : Don’t be more charitable than the IRS likes). I guess he didn’t believe he was paying too little in taxes then! (Or maybe that was his accountant’s doing, an evil closet Republican)
• I wonder just what he did with his ill-gotten money? Did he invest it or use it to purchase something? If so, he stimulated the economy, which was the whole point of the tax breaks (oh - trapped by those evil Republicans and their capitalist ways). Did he cut a check to the Treasury Department and say "just throw this back into the mix, I want to make sure some of those after-school programs get funded."? Did he donate it to charity? Mr. Clinton - what did you do?

I for one am glad that Bill Clinton is just like the rest of us.