Novak on Bush and Tax Cuts

Novak's column on the tax-cut negotiations is a must read:

George W. Bush had again laid down the law to GOP satraps. Just as he insisted that the post-2002 election session of Congress finish homeland security legislation, the president now demanded a completed tax bill on his desk before the Memorial Day break. What's more, he dictated the bill's final details--vetoing the Senate's quest for added revenue by taxing American businessmen overseas, approving the Senate's subsidy for state and local governments.

This capped a virtuoso performance by Bush. With the end of the Iraq War, the president's tax-cut tour reversed public opinion polls and won over key senators. Nevertheless, while both Senate and House versions gave Bush most of what he wanted, a long difficult struggle impended

The President being able to manage two major tax-cut packages in his first term is a pretty impressive feat, legislation-wise. Further, despite the continued mis-underestimation of the President by the Dems, he continues to demonstrate consummate political skills.

Importantly, he is also avoiding two errors of his father: 1) he is going into his re-election bid as a tax-cutter, not a tax-raiser, and 2) he is using his post-war popularity to affect domestic political success.

Source: Bush quashes Republican squabbling, lays down law