Vilsack takes Bush to task over middle class

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By Charlotte Eby | Tuesday, January 23, 2007 3:04 AM CST | () comments

DES MOINES -- Democratic presidential contender Tom Vilsack accused President Bush today of waging war on the country’s middle class with a proposed tax on health insurance benefits

On a conference call with reporters, Iowa’s former governor offered up a “pre-buttal” to President Bush’s State of the Union Address, set to be delivered Tuesday night.

Bush reportedly will propose a plan that would tax workers with higher-priced health care plans and provide a deep tax deduction for those who purchase plans on their own. The plan is an attempt to reduce the millions of Americans without coverage.

Rather than taxing the middle class, Vilsack said, Bush should find money to expand health care coverage by rethinking the idea of making tax cuts for the wealthy permanent.

“It’s the wrong policy, and I sincerely hope the Democratic Congress rejects it in hand,” Vilsack said.

He said money also would be better spent on health care coverage than spent on an escalation of the war in Iraq.

“I think it’s a terribly unfortunate circumstance that we’re now faced with having to raise taxes on middle class families in America while we spend billions in Iraq,” Vilsack said.

Just two days after Democratic U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton announced she was forming an exploratory committee, Vilsack said he does not think he will be overlooked with the better-known Democrats, including Clinton and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, joining the race.

Vilsack said he takes comfort in the history of his party’s nominating process that he’ll get his shot. And he said he expects to make his record as governor of Iowa well-known throughout the country.

“There is a preference at the end of all of this for those who have governed,” Vilsack said. “There is a preference for those who have been able to make judgments and decisions that have improved the lives of citizens.”

Charlotte Eby can be reached at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.