Norm Leahy at Bearing Drift caught an incredible gaffe by Democrat Tim Kaine during today’s U.S. Senate debate and immediately asked, “Did Tim Kaine just lose the election?”
During the debate, Kaine said he wanted “minimum tax level for everyone.”
Translation: Tim Kaine wants to raise your taxes.
David Weigel at Slate, who has the exchange between moderator David Gregory and Kaine, was incredulous, writing, “In 2012, Democrats have a pretty cheap and simple tax message. Let the Bush tax cuts on top rates expire. Tax reform? Sure, eventually. But trust us, we only want to tax the rich — as, according to polls, all of you voters do.”
ChiKAINEry blog dryly noted, “Timmy’s no-pocket-goes-unpicked initiative conjures a vision of Uncle Sam in every wallet. If Kaine’s vision wins, your pay check loses.”
Eyebrows (not Kaine’s famous one) were raised when he tried as Governor to increase taxes on Virginians making as little as $17,000 a year. He lost. Now he seems open to taxing everyone no matter what income level.
Was today’s comment some new position he was awkwardly rolling out?
The blunder (or new position on taxes) was picked up by the Drudge Report who headlined it with a photo of Kaine and President Barack Obama with arms around each other and titled, “VA Dem: Minimum tax for everyone.”
Slate ended by writing, “One of the most obvious unforced errors I’ve ever seen.”
