Bush and Pelosi

As you may recall, the latest expansion of the child tax credit excluded low income families who pay little or no income taxes (although they pay payroll taxes). The Senate tried to extend the credit to all families, but the House blocked it. Bush is giving lip service to the Senate plan, but not pushing House Republicans to do anything. Here’s Bush in the swing-state Pennsylvania trying to explain his deficit:

“We’ve got a deficit, as well, because I’m spending the money necessary to win the war…My attitude is when we put our troops in harm’s way, they deserve the best.”

On Bush’s first point, see this post (and here). On the second point, let’s check in with Nancy Pelosi:

“Mr. President: Be honest. Twelve million children, including 250,000 children of active-duty military families, are not getting these checks. They want to know what you are going to do about it besides pose for pretty pictures. They want you to get the House Republicans to expand the child tax credit now.”

Look for House Republicans to fold on this sometime today. Although I think that if they could swing it, the Republicans would only extend the child tax credits in Michigan and Pennsylvania, two states Bush narrowly lost in 2000. I will at least give Bush credit for finally being honest and saying that the economy was “sliding into recession”, rather than “in a recession”, when he took office (not that he was able to stop the slide).

AB