Abolish the "Republican Paris Hilton Tax Break" NOW!

[CoffeeCat]

Republicans are always coming up with campy slogans and names for inane programs. The marketing gimmicks
that surround their radical ideas often convince the public that really awful ideas are fabulous.

Let's start with the Republicans re-naming the inheritance tax, "The Death Tax."

Most reasonable Americans used to believe that if a millionaire leaves a fortune to an heir--that
paying taxes on that multi-million-dollar gift is reasonable. Then comes Rove's "Death Tax" PR campaign.
Suddenly, the general public is convinced that they are being taxed for dying--cries of unfairness from
fearful farmers and small-business owners can be heard across the fruited plane.

Really, the Republicans just wanted to curry favor with the yacht-owner crowd. However, they needed the general
public to support this legislation---and the "Death Tax" PR campaign brought on board average Americans--who
were convinced that the greedy government would penalize them--just for dying.

I propose this. We know that the Republicans will use outrageous scare tactics to convince Americans that
the Dems will raise their taxes--if they take over the House and Senate this November.

How about a campy slogan of our own?

Dems should beat the Republicans out of the gate, and launch a PR effort that re-positions the "Death Tax" as the
"Republican Paris Hilton Tax Break." Everyone knows who Paris Hilton is. Everyone identifies her with outrageous wealth, inheritance
and undeserved excess. She represents the result of the Republican tax break--perfectly.

When Republicans start up with their, "Dems will raise your taxes!" fearmongering the Democrats can say, "Is it
fair that multi-million-dollar heiresses like Paris Hilton are exempt from paying taxes, while hard-working, average
Americans see so much of their paychecks going to taxes? We think it's outrageous! We don't want to raise taxes on middle-class Americans,
we want to abolish the "Republican Paris Hilton Tax Break" which legalizes tax evasion for millionaires--and places a greater
burden on the middle class and on our soaring national debt."

Dems could further explain that the "Republican Paris Hilton Tax Break" also ensures that when Paris Hilton leaves hundreds of millions
to her heirs--that those dollars will also be TAX FREE, COURTESY OF THE CURRENT REPUBLICAN CONGRESS, "I ask you America...can we afford
to give Paris Hilton and her heiress children a free ride when middle America is suffering and our national debt soars to unprecedented levels?
The Republicans think so. The Dems do not agree."

Abolish the "Republican Paris Hilton Tax Break" NOW!

[I_Make_Mistakes]

1. I think we have a winner folks! The Repubs are always making

hay with things, so can WE.

[ccpup]

2. Why Paris Hilton?

Why not megamillionaire Dick Cheney or the Halliburton Tax Break or the Bush Family Tax Break? If you spell out exactly how much the above stand to "save", I think it might resonate a bit more with the American People plus forever tie it to the Repuglican Party.

Just my two cents.

[yurbud]

3. Dick Cheney has actually done things that resemble work

Paris Hilton is the living stereotype of the idle rich. In fact, she's worse than the stereotype because most of us don't imagine the idle rich doing bad porn and dressing like $3 hookers.

[bananarepublican]

4. Bingo! Counter Newt Gingrich's list of labels for Democrats!

Instead of Paris Hilton though... how about the "Ritchie Rich" tax? Or, tapping another stream of thought... the "fund health care" tax.

The original post outlines a great idea. Let's brainstorm and refine it. Almost any alternative is better than what's actually passing for debate these days.

[Cosmocat]

5. Yeah ...

It is WAY too late ...

Saw a bit yesterday on PA public radio, some kind of sit down chat with a guy and Santorum, and this was his biggest red herring, with the dude doing the interview calling it the "death tax" half a dozen times, and Santorum saying half a dozen times how important it was to roll this thing back to "save farms and small businesses" ...

I know better cause I know BS when I hear it, and I look into it, and I know that this thing does next to nothing for "small businesses and small farms" ... BUT, it is VERY appealing, VERY easy for those 30 percent in the base to swallow whole, and the 30 percent in the middle who don't pay attention to buy ...

This battle, in the short term, is long lost ...

[CoffeeCat]

6. The sad truth is...

...I agree with you.

The Reps executed a massive campaign on this issue. Every talk radio program featured
discussion on "The Death Tax" and there was a major, concerted marketing effort to convince
America that this would help small businesses and farms.

Rove isn't a genius. He's just using a marketing/PR model in the political arena.

Anyone can do it.

Which is why I'm sitting here wondering--why in the hell the Dems don't do this.

It's pretty sad that a stay-at-home, know-nothing mom like myself--can craft an
idea that the Dems could use to fight back against the Republican machine---while
the Dems do nothing...NOTHING!

I'm so sick and tired of hearing NOTHING from my party--the party that should be kicking
ass and attacking the Republican agenda as INDEFENSIBLE! We have the truth on our side,
and we do NOTHING. Geez, people...come out like Gingrich and Co. did with their "Contract
on America." Have a plan. Put it out there! Go on offense. Set the frickin agenda and
get up off of your knees!!

Where is the Dem plan going into November? How do we stand on Iraq? Taxes for the wealthy? The
soaring deficit? The infringement on our civil rights? How Katrina was botched? Our lowered
standing in the international arena? Outsourcing of US jobs? Our failed health care system?

Write a DAMN PLAN Democrats! We're not paying you to stand around!!!

(sorry about the rant. it's just so hard sometimes)