Republican Virginia Senate candidate George Allen said on Thursday that Tim Kaine’s debate statement on taxing every American underscored the Democrat’s desire to impose higher taxes on struggling, working-class Virginia residents.
“It’s typical of Tim Kaine. His record is always one looking to raise taxes,” Allen told Politico after the hourlong debate in McLean. He noted that most Americans already pay payroll and sales taxes.
“When he was governor, he tried to raise taxes on people earning as little as $17,000 a year,” Allen said. “He wanted to raise taxes on buying used cars.
“So for him to say he wants everyone to be paying federal income taxes is typical of that approach,” Allen added.
During the debate, Kaine said: “I would be open to a proposal that would have some minimum tax level for everyone. But I do insist, many of the 47 percent that Gov. Romney was going after pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than he does.”
Kaine’s comments were referencing GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s remark that the 47 percent of Americans who don’t pay federal taxes are dependent on government and see themselves as “victims.”
More than 1 million Virginians don’t pay any federal income taxes, said debate moderator David Gregory of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Politico reports.
Kaine refused to back off his tax comments after the debate, Politico reports, saying it shouldn’t be newsworthy that he wants to enter the Senate from a “position of openness and dialogue.”
“I do not believe you start with: ‘I pledge allegiance to [anti-tax advocate] Grover Norquist. No taxes. Never,” he said, according to Politico. “We can’t have $1 of revenue even for $10 of cuts. We can’t find any savings on the defense side.
“You don’t start with the non-negotiables and the pledges. The pledge is your oath of office."
The race between the two former governors and senators, to succeed the retiring Democratic Sen. Jim Webb, has been deadlocked for 18 months, Politico reports.
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