Legal Commentary

"Job Killing" Taxes On the Wealthy? Tell It To Bill Clinton

By Big Tent Democrat

Like Ezra Klein, I have taken to watching White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' daily briefings. Before I wondered if his style really worked in that slot (Gibbs was very very good during the campaign.) I must admit he is really coming into his own now. Anyway, Ezra spotted this exchange:

Q On jobs, which is the big complaint up on Capitol Hill right now from Republicans, that this plan is a job killer, I mean, the $787 billion plan was all about jobs more than anything else, and now you've got a plan in place that -- how can you possibly tax people making over $250,000 something like $667 billion over the next 10 years and not have a downward effect on jobs?

MR. GIBBS: Well, Chip, how did it work in 1994 and 1995 and 1996 and 1997?

Great answer. And a great corollary would be how did cutting taxes during the Bush years work out for the economy? Yes, Bill Clinton did some good things. Glad to see Gibbs is not afraid to say so.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 27, 2009 (boomark / email).