SO WHAT'S NEW? DEMOCRATS DISTORT BUSH TAX-CUT PLAN

Everyone understands we need substantial tax cuts as part of the policy mix to boost the ailing economy. Unfortunately, congressional Democrats are too busy playing politics.

Congressman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., delivered the Democratic response to President Bush's radio address this past weekend. Menendez presented a distorted history lesson:

"Let's remember 1993 when the last President Bush had just left office: We were plagued by sagging financial markets, high unemployment and decreasing consumer confidence. America was in crisis."

During the fourth quarter of 1992 -- precisely the time Clinton was slandering the Bush economy -- the economy grew at an annualized rate of 5.4 percent. Not only was the economy not in crisis, it was booming. Menendez didn't stop there.

"The answer we Democrats proposed was to do what you do with your family's budget: deciding what's important, forgoing what's not, leaving room for savings, making responsible choices. So we tightened our financial belt, while still investing in the things that make our economy grow and our quality of life improve."

I wonder whether it was President Clinton's multibillion-dollar economic stimulus package or Hillarycare that the congressman considers "belt-tightening."

Next, Menendez proceeded to the class-warfare argument, saying Bush's tax plan would primarily benefit the rich. This flagrantly ignores the fact that the Bush tax plan would give the highest income earners the least percentage reduction in tax rates.

Then Menendez treated us to a dose of racial warfare. "As the highest-ranking Hispanic in Congress, I can tell you that many Hispanic families will get little from the Bush plan." Bush's plan is racially colorblind, and these gratuitous references to race are offensive and divisive.

In his final misrepresentation, Menendez asserted that Bush would raid the Social Security and Medicare surpluses. He knows that it would do no such thing.

Instead of helping Republicans turn this economy around, Democrats are spending their energy blaming Bush for the economic downturn that began during Clinton's tenure.

Listen, congressional Democrats, if you want to propagate these falsehoods, could you at least wait until after we've addressed the serious problem we're now facing?

~David Limbaugh is a Cape Girardeau lawyer, author and nationally syndicated columnist.