Can Republicans Avoid the Romney Tax Trap?
But Mr. Carson has been open about the fact that his plan would raise taxes on some lower earners. He said on “Fox News Sunday” this month that it was “condescending” to argue poor people could not afford to pay the same tax rate as rich people.
.. Senator Marco Rubio has endorsed a plan that tosses aside any commitment to revenue neutrality. It would reduce revenue by trillions of dollars over a decade by cutting rates, abolishing taxes on capital gains and dividends and creating a new tax preference for business owners. Mr. Rubio told reporters in March, “I’ve never believed that tax reform by itself should pay for itself.”
.. Given his family history with “Read my lips, no new taxes,” it’s no surprise Mr. Bush would be hesitant about tax promises. The question is whetherG.O.P. primary voters, used to promises of deep tax cuts, yet desirous of higher military spending and wary of old-age entitlement cuts, will allow a candidate to dance around their unreasonable expectations — or whether they will push their nominee into promises that prove unpopular in a general election.