Tone Deaf

Yesterday the President held a new conference with business reporters. He shrugged off any threat of a credit crunch, any fears of Wall Street volatility and any concerns about the economy generally.

The President also announced he was considering a new round of corporate tax cuts and reitereated that he would veto any expansion of the SCHIP program, which provides medical insurance to children.

Even if you tried, I do not think you could provide a more stark representation of the Republican Party's values in a single press conference. More money for corporate America. No money to kids.

The President also said the tax cuts were needed to make American business "competitive in the global marketplace." I cannot think of a country that has a lower corporate tax burden than the US, except the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Exactly what "competition" are we facing on the tax front? (The only competition we face is from countries who invest in their infrastructure and workforces at a far greater rate than we do.)