Friday, August 10, 2007

Unraveling Senator Dodd’s spin room spin on Taxes

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s where you would raise taxes? [For those with incomes] of 200,000-- 250,000?

Senator Dodd: Probably around there, Yeah.
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Senator Chris Dodd, the senior senator from Connecticut, was elected to the U.S. House in the Watergate year of 1974; moved into the Senate in 1980; and was said to have considered running for President in 2004, but instead endorsed his junior colleague, Senator Lieberman.

The 63 year old Dodd joined the Democratic Presidential Primary this year, but appears to be auditioning, with Senator Biden, for a Secretary of State post in a Clinton Administration, and along those lines, seemed to be going after Senator Obama on Hillary’s behalf in the AFL-CIO debate in Chicago.

On taxes, Senator Dodd, unlike Gov. Richardson, is no follower of JFK on taxes.[See Richardson, a Democrat Tax Cutter] [BTW, the Public Affairs fifteen minute interview with Gov. Richardson is airing on cable next week throughout the state of Illinois and streaming on the Illinois Channel, during the last fifteen minutes of its two hour block of programming]. Take a listen to Senator Dodd:
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Jeff Berkowitz: Senator Dodd, any reason why you think you didn’t talk [at the AFL-CIO Chicago debate] about taxes, at all, the Bush tax cuts?

Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd: They do the best they can and obviously a big issue, as well, tax policy and what happens—

Jeff Berkowitz: What would you say on the Bush tax cuts? Would you repeal them all?

Senator Dodd: No, I think, you know, tax policy has to be pro-growth. Good jobs get created out of it. It has got to be fair. A lot of their tax policy is not responsible. But, I want to make sure we make it possible for people to be able to save, which we don’t do in this country, here; to be able to retire with dignity and have pensions and retirement accounts that are going to vest properly and—

Jeff Berkowitz: Would you repeal all the Bush tax cuts?

Senator Dodd: Yeah, I think I would—the ones that I know about anyway and certainly do a different job on the estate tax than he is doing.

Jeff Berkowitz: Would that be a tax increase for those with incomes over—

Senator Dodd: I don’t think so.

Jeff Berkowitz: If you repeal the tax cuts, then—

Senator Dodd: They call them a tax increase; I don"t

Jeff Berkowitz: One of your competitors, Bill Richardson, says he wouldn’t repeal the tax cuts for those earning 150,000, but for $200,000 he would—

Senator Dodd: The top income [earners], yes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Where would you draw the line?

Senator Dodd: The top one percent of income earners
.

Jeff Berkowitz: What does that mean to you, $300,000 and above?

Senator Dodd: I think the number is around $250,000 or $200,000.

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s where you would raise taxes? 200,000-- 250,000?

Senator Dodd: Probably around there, Yeah.
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Senator Chris Dodd, Democratic Primary Candidate for President, interviewed in the “Spin Room,” at the home for the Chicago Bears, Soldier Field, after Tuesday night’s AFL-CIO sponsored debate among seven of the Democratic Presidential Candidates.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Richardson, Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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