Run Rudy Run, Edwards Has Proposed a New Tax Hike

Rudy Giuliani has announced he is going to file a satement of candidacy with the FEC. Up to this point Rudy has been a bit unclear about intentions to run or not. But this is a sign he is getting serious. Giuliani was in his final months as New York City mayor when 9/11 happened. Within hours of the attack, the mayor was visiting the site. He was a former U.S. attorney, leading campaigns against organized crime and corruption. He spent two years as the Justice Department’s No. 3 official, overseeing all U.S. attorneys, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service. Giuliani is a Brooklyn native and was first elected New York’s mayor in 1993. He was known for battling crime using sometimes controversial methods while mayor. Giuliani dropped his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2000 while battling prostate cancer and a divorce. Some say he is to left on some social issues to get elected and he has been through two divorces. In other news John Edwards has said he will raise taxes on those that make over 200 thousand a year to help finance health care. His proposals on health care could cost up to 120 Billion a year, and would require the tax hikes. “You cannot have universal health care without a revenue stream,” according to Edwards. On Meet The Press Edwards said, “We ask employers to play a bigger role, which means they either have to have coverage, or they have to buy into what we’re calling health markets. We’re going to create health markets all across the country which will help provide some of these efficiencies. One of the choices, by the way, available in these health markets is the government plan. So people who like the idea of a single-payer insurer health plan, that is actually one of the alternatives that people can choose. They’ll be allowed to choose. We expand SCHIP; we expand Medicaid. The bottom line is we’re asking everybody to share in the responsibility of making health care work in this country. Employers, those who are in the medical insurance business, employees, the American people—everyone will have to contribute in order to make this work.” Obama’s campaign doesn’t have the typical feel of a campaign. During the DNC winter meetings he was the only candidate not to have walk on or walk off music. There also was no one around handing out bumper stickers, and posters. “Our campaign will never be the most rigid, structured, top-down, corporate-type campaign in this nomination battle,” said senior Obama adviser Robert Gibbs. “There are plenty of other people that can do ‘politics as usual’ far better than we can. But I hope we have a campaign whose support continues to expand even faster than you can put a fence around it.” Obama’s also doesn’t accept contributions from federal lobbyists or political action committees, which will make it hard to come up with as much money as Edwards or Hillary. According to recent polls Hillary is far ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire with Obama and Edwards in a dead heat second. Giuliani leads in Iowa, while McCain is ahead in New Hampshire. Gingrich and Romney are also pretty strong in both states. One last thing I saw today. In Roll Call it is reported that ex-Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), the also ex-Secretary of State of Florida, the Bushite that stopped the hand count in Florida, was in Washington handing out business cards.
Alan Cosgrove