September 18, 2006
House Race Hotline Update: The Other T Word
Taxes have become the central issue in the latest batch of NRCC attack ads, overshadowing terrorism, immigration and Nancy Pelosi -- at least for now. The strategy isn't too surprising in the Dem-leaning Philly burbs (PA 06/PA 07), where the president's foreign policy isn't a winning issue. But in AZ 08, the tax attack against ex-state Sen. Gabrielle Giffords (D) is notable in a race where immigration is (by far) the most important issue among GOPers. The ad charges that Giffords "repeatedly voted against tax cuts" in the state legislature, and calls her a "hypocrite" on the issue.
Meanwhile, the Philly ads remind ancestral, suburban GOP voters why they've voted for the party in the past by raising the specter of higher taxes. They attack PA 06 Dem Lois Murphy for opposing tax breaks and PA 07 Dem Joe Sestak of "bringing back the death tax." We'll see whether these attacks stick. But it's clear that the tried-and-tested "higher taxes" attack line will once again be front-and-center in the GOP playbook this fall. Some things never change. [JOSH KRAUSHAAR] 
Posted at 03:03 PM
Comments
Post a comment
The Watergate · 600 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-739-8400 · fax 202-833-8069
NationalJournal.com is an Atlantic Media publication.
