Daily Howler - April 12, 2005

CAMELOT LOST! Kennedy said he wouldn’t check with the pope. But Novak scolds solons who won’t: // link // print // previous // next //
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2005

AS A MATTER OF FACT, YES—THEY’LL BE PUNISHED: In this morning’s lead editorial, the Washington Post provides describes the cost of killing the estate tax for good. But in their closing paragraph, the eds indulge in some clueless self-contradiction:
WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL (4/12/05): The estate tax is a tough vote for some lawmakers in part because of the enormous amount of misinformation surrounding it. House members who fear that a vote for the more responsible Pomeroy alternative will be used against them should ask themselves two questions: Will my constituents really punish me for a vote to exempt 99.7 percent of estates from taxation? And how can I justify adding to the deficit, or cutting other programs, to underwrite a costly tax break for the extremely rich? In that first sentence, the editors note the load of disinformation surrounding the fearful “death tax.” But right after that, they seem to suggest that it’s silly for members of Congress to think they’ll be punished for retaining the tax. “Will my constituents really punish me for a vote to exempt 99.7 percent of estates from taxation?” they ask. But duh! The answer to that question is yes, precisely because of the disinformation the press lets the pseudo-right spread.