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October 07, 2010 10:00 PM UTC

National Sales Tax. "Buckpedaled." What Else Is There?

  • 19 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Back in September, one of our commenters identified a statement by GOP Senate candidate Ken Buck, in a video interview with the New York Times’ John Harwood, as a 180-degree contradiction of what Buck has previously told a “Tea Party”-affiliated candidate search group earlier in the campaign. The result was the video you see above, which makes Buck look pretty undeniably ridiculous: taking two precisely opposite positions on the same issue.

In subsequent weeks, Buck’s opponent Michael Bennet aired a TV spot attacking Buck over support for a national sales tax. It’s not the Bennet campaign’s job to explain that a national sales tax might replace some other taxes, but the Denver newspaper’s editorial staff viewed this as an “omission” and maligned Bennet accordingly.

The trouble is, Buck still looked undeniably ridiculous, despite increasingly strained apologetics from the Denver newspaper’s editorial page, and voters were left wondering whether Buck actually supports a “new 23% tax on groceries” or not. This unresolved confusion manifested in the latest “Buck backs off of…” story in today’s Denver newspaper–just the latest of a host of other issues he has flip-flopped on like the “Personhood” initiative, Bush’s tax cuts, and the 17th Amendment–and the closely related story of Buck starkly limiting his public appearances.

We’ve said many times that the degree to which Buck put himself out on a limb during the primary was going to haunt him later, and that is bearing itself out now as polls continue to show this race in a dead heat–and tightening. It is a combination of determined attacks on extreme positions Buck took during the primary, and base-demoralizing flip flops on a critical mass of issues that have shifted this race away from the national “wave” narrative and closer to the “unelectable Tea Party” narrative–and could be stopping Buck’s momentum cold, right now, even as we debate it.

UPDATE: Timely commentary on growing scrutiny of Buck from media critic Jason Salzman.

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19 thoughts on “National Sales Tax. “Buckpedaled.” What Else Is There?”

    1. That’s why he won’t say anything in any place where he can be recorded. He’s ordered people (including his own allies at the CU young Republicans) to turn off cameras when he’s around, and he’s walked out of events if he couldn’t give orders like that.

      I think it’s a Napoleon complex or something.

  2. The media tried to crown Buck Senator because antagonism sells, and it’s NOT WORKING. Everything Norton said about Buck’s weakness with the broader electorate is coming true. Buck is so far underwater with women voters it’s ridiculous, and he has no where to go but down with men. And the flipflopping may be too much even for chest thumping manly-men.

    All that was necessary was to force the media out of its complacency and preconceived notions about this year’s elections, and it becomes evident that this emperor truly wears no clothes. THANKS to everyone who didn’t let the fait accompli happen, like Jason Salzman. There’s a man who needs a newspaper to print him!

  3. Dear Rich Guy,

    I hear that Ken Buck now wants to “simplify” the tax code by using a flat tax.  I’m not rich like you, and frankly, I’m skeptical that this is going to reduce my taxes.

    Bamboozled in Glendale

    Dear Bamboozled,

    Since you probably don’t have a CPA, I went ahead and talked to mine.  When I told him that Buck wants to simplify the tax code he was ecstatic.  He said that every time CPA’s hear that politicians want to simplify the tax code, CPA’s buy a new Lexus because “simplification” is actually Washington speak for “complication” which means more billable hours.

    When I said that Buck’s definition of simplification is a flat tax my CPA just laughed.  He said calculating the tax is not hard, it’s determining what is taxable income that’s difficult.  

    Now the good part — a flat tax will mean that Rich Guys like me will pay the same rate as guys like you.  Now that’s what I call a Fair Tax!  But, don’t feel bamboozled because someday you might be rich like me and then you’ll appreciate Ken Buck.  Just keep buying those lottery tickets.

    Rich Guy

  4. This race was over when Obamacare passed, when Coloradans started losing their jobs, and when the government bailed out big banks who made bad Wall Street bets like Bennet did!

    Buck could offer to abort a baby, marry a homosexual couple, lead a “voluntary” gun collection drive, march in the Columbus Day protest, and double the death tax and he would still be elected. Americans don’t trust Obama, and Colorado doesn’t trust Bennet. They’re giving Republicans another chance, not because we’re so great but because they are horrified by liberalism and socialism.

      1. bailed out and socialized the car companies,

        voted for the stimulus bill even though he admitted he hadn’t read it,

        was the deciding vote for the end of your health care freedom.

        Gotta’ love the little socialist shit.

          1. becomes fully functional, you, my dear, will have to choose only insurance products the government allows.  Gone will be high-deductible, low premium insurance.  When costs of all the meddling get too expensive, global budgets will be drawn and if you are too expensive, you will be eliminated.  

            1. Fascists like you get to keep whatever insurance you want – stop listening to right wing fascists talking points. For once in your life put the drugs down and actually have an original thought.  

              1. the minute your insurance changes, YOU will buy a government-approved product.  Count on it!  The “if you are happy with your insurance, you can keep it” is one of the big Obama lies.

        2. Senator Bennet agreed to save GM, and Chrysler.

          Ford didn’t take bailout money.

          GMAC was saved as part of TARP  – pre-Bennet.

          I don’t recall him saying he had not read the ARRA – link?

          Was the critical vote to pass healthcare reform – which actually provides more options to more Americans.  You choose not to have a mortgage – great you don’t get mortgage interest tax deduction and you pay more in taxes.  Your childcare expenses don’t reach a certain amount – fine you don’t get that deduction either and pay more taxes.  You choose to not have health insurance  – you pay more in taxes.

          And you don’t know me, so please don’t speak for my health care. Please.  Im uninsurable and so need to keep my current insurance forever and Senator Bennet’s vote made that easier.

          I do love the guy.  I don’t love socialism. I’m indifferent to shit- in it’s time and place. You, otoh, suck.

          1. See my previous post.  Government ought to get out of the mortgage business. Why should I subsidize your mortgage? Government should get out of the child rearing business. Why the hell should I subsidize your birth control failures? Government ought to get to hell out of health control. Government does nothing efficiently. You want your prostate exam at the post office?

            So you’re uninsurable?  How about a simple law about guaranteed insurability?  Did it honestly take 2,700 pages and all the meddling?

  5. Isn’t that one of the same fence posts that GWB would lean against, on his pig farm, during his speechifying about clearing brush while on one of his many vacations away from the WH?

    Is Buck a-skeerd of horses like the faux-rancher GWB was?  Or does his proximity to a pasture give him cred about the bullshit (on his boots) he’s been slinging?

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