Kerry vows battle against 'economy of special privilege'

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry promised Wednesday to stand up for hardworking people against an "economy of special privilege" as he fine-tuned the arguments he will take to voters before the Iowa caucuses on Monday.

Kerry sought to distance himself from his Democratic rivals on taxes, contending the last thing middle-class taxpayers need is the higher taxes they would pay if all of President Bush's tax cut were eliminated.

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early all surveys show a large number of undecided voters, with even more people willing to change their minds in the closing days, lending a sense of uncertainty to the race.

Kerry used his speech to underscore a core campaign theme that his history as a Vietnam War hero gives him credibility to challenge Bush on issues of national security.

At the heart of the Kerry package is a disagreement he and others have waged with Gephardt and Dean over taxes. Critics argue that Gephardt and Dean favor increases in middle-class taxes by proposing to repeal Bush's tax cuts.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/14/politics1350EST0624.DTL

[poskonig]

1. Kerry's expertise on the economy is appreciated.

Tax fairness not only makes sense economically, it makes sense strategically in the general election.

[adadem]

2. Kerry certainly

is a fighter. It takes to true progressive to have the vision to address this in the way he has.