Biden Links Tax on Wealthy to Patriotism

From Boston.com:

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden acknowledged yesterday the wealthy would pay more taxes if he and Sen. Barack Obama are in the White House, but he put an interesting spin on it.

"It's time to be patriotic… time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut," Biden said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Republican Sen. John McCain pounced on the remark. "Raising taxes in a tough economy isn't patriotic," he said in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "It's not a badge of honor. It's just dumb policy."

Trying to find the right tone on the Wall Street crisis, McCain also went for the tried and true in a new TV ad yesterday: Warn voters that his Democratic opponent is a tax-and-spend liberal. The ad warns of huge spending increases, pork-barrel projects, and "painful taxes." "Can your family afford that?" the announcer concludes.

Obama's proposals, however, would lower the tax bill for the vast majority of taxpayers, and by letting President Bush's tax cuts lapse would raise income taxes on those earning $250,000 or more a year.