Iowa Dem Tom Vilsack: Tees Off On Bush Tax

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Iowa's former Democratic governor, Tom Vilsack, moved fast today to generate some attention for his longshot presidential campaign by accusing President George Bush of targeting the nation's middle class with a tax hike on medical insurance benefits. ''I think it's a terribly unfortunate circumstance that we're now faced with having to raise taxes on middle class families in America while we spend billions in Iraq," Vilsack said in a conference call with reporters.

Vilsack said Bush should move to raise income taxes on the wealthy to fund health care. Some Ohio conservatives already are attacking Bush for suggesting a plan that would raise taxes on workers with employer-funded health care benefits. Bush will make the details clearer during his State of the Union address tomorrow. But Vilsack said he's heard enough. 'It's the wrong policy and I sincerely hope the Democratic Congress rejects it out of hand,'' he said.

There's a good account of Vilsack's broadside in the Quad City Times, a daily newspaper in his home state. The story by reporter Charlotte Eby is HERE. The reaction at TDB: A bit surprised that Ohio's Democrats haven't jumped on the President with both feet. How often do Dems gets a chance to hammer Republicans for raising taxes?