Bush for tax cuts, except when he's not

Bush promised in his State of the Union address last week that his budget plan would result in a surplus for 2012. However, the budget plan he delivered to Congress this week calls for no further funding of Iraq and Afghanistan operations after the summer of 2009 (which clearly is not the Administration’s position, or else they are doing major double talk; funding of Iraq and Afghanistan is likely to continue beyond that even under a President Clinton or Obama). Bush's budget also assumes a return of the Alternative Minimum Tax after 2008, which would result in higher taxes for many middle-income and upper-middle-income families. Bush is on record opposing a return of the Alternative Minimum Tax without a “fix” to prevent it from hitting middle class families. However, he is willing to briefly support things he otherwise opposes, but only for the purpose of adding up budget numbers to say that America will get to a “surplus.” Talk about intellectual dishonesty. Of course, being intellectual is not something this President is known for, although this Administration’s record for dishonesty is well known.