THE PRESIDENT: In terms of the economy, look, I inherited a recession, I am ending on a recession. In the meantime, there were 52 months of uninterrupted job growth. And I defended tax cuts when I campaigned, I helped implement tax cuts when I was president, and I will defend them after my presidency as the right course of action. And there's a fundamental philosophical debate about tax cuts. Who best can spend your money, the government or you? And I have always sided with the people on that issue. ...
A tax cut is really one of the anecdotes to coming out of an economic illness.
-- The Edge With Paula Zahn, Sept. 18, 2000
The Bush tax cuts benefit all Americans but reserve the greatest percentage for the lowest income families.
- George W. Bush
BUSH: Most of the tax cuts went to low- and middle-income Americans. And now the tax code is more fair.
BUSH: 20% of the upper-income people pay about 80% of the taxes in America today because of how we structured the tax cuts.
Q. So, Governor, is this no new taxes so help me God? A: This is not only no new taxes. This is tax cuts so help me God. There is a mindset in Washington that says if we have extra money let?s create more federal government. That?s not the way I think.. Rather than create more government, I think we ought to pass money back to the working people in America.
?My plan not only makes the system more fair, but it says if you?re a family of four making $50,000, you get a 50 percent cut in income taxes.? Tax relief, Bush continued, would promote further economic growth nationwide, resulting in a renewed federal government ability to pay down the national debt.
BUSH: In human terms, [a couple earning] $42,000 a year in income, under [McCain?s] plan, will receive a $200 tax cut. Under the plan that I proposed, they receive an $1,852 tax cut. The fundamental difference is that the additional $1,600 will go to Washington under your idea. And under my idea it goes into people?s pockets. There is enough money to take care of Social Security. There?s enough money to meet the basic needs of our government and there is enough money to give the American people a substantial tax cut.
Bush praised Republicans in Congress for passing a $792 billion tax cut bill. ?Prosperity is not a given,? Bush said, ?I?m for the tax cut, once we meet our basic needs, because I want our economy to continue to grow.?
Someone needs to tell the President he did not implement tax cuts.
Did you miss the whole point of SWGB's post? He IS willing to make painful choices.
) grow, most back Obama's plan to deficit spend almost one trillion dollars. At this time next year, our budget deficit could easily be two trillion dollars and our debt equal to our 2007 GDP, or approximately 14 trillion dollars. 
