Tina Smith: “Let me also say in regard to the tax initiative that the Senator brought up a few moments ago, this again goes to the…”

“Let me also say in regard to the tax initiative that the Senator brought up a few moments ago, this again goes to the heart and soul of the differences between our two parties. George Bush said recently on national television that it might be nice if the American people just gave--it has not happened since 1952-- one party, in this case the Republican Party, the opportunity to govern. The Democrats have had that opportunity once under Clinton, under Carter, to do it, and we did not see the debt go down. We did not see deficits diminish. On the contrary, we saw the opposite. Give us a shot at it. If we do not do well, throw us out. That is fair. Give us a shot. That is what President Bush said. There is such a dramatic difference. How many times have we heard the debate from our friends on the other side that somehow growth is bad, making a profit is evil, that there is something wrong with that; and yet at the same time this debate occurs we see dollars being taken away, almost stolen, from the families of America. So we promote big government with the dollars taken from our families and at the same time denying them the opportunity to do the things that they would like to do for themselves, including education, getting a job, and being able to be productive in society. There are no jobs, as the Senator pointed out, if there is no growth in America and if there is no opportunity for businesses to create those jobs. Government should not be in the business of creating jobs.”