dumbo

How can some politicians be so politically dumb? This week's example: Ken Buck.
Buck, who has been in public life in Colorado for some time, is now the Republican candidate for the United States Senate.
Months ago, campaigning for the GOP nomination, he publicly toadied to the party's wacky right wing. He did so by endorsing such causes as a consumption tax -- a "fair" sales tax -- say 23 percent -- on things people buy, such as food. He also looked with favor, back then, on an anti-abortion "personhood" law that would likely outlaw some forms of birth control.
Well, as the months went by, it has finally dawned on Ken Buck that many, many Colorado voters don't like those ideas, And it might affect how they vote in November.
And so, it has turned out, candidate Buck now considers the 23 percent sales tax just an "interesting idea," according to the Denver Post. And he's grown a bit less aggressive on abortion and "personhood."
After all, you know, it is getting damn close to Nov. 2. We can only hope Buck's weaseling came too late.
But beware. After Nov. 2, Buck and the wacko right will still be committed, long-range, to some form of "fair" tax. That's their code name for a system of finance where rich people pay less and -- you guessed it -- middle America pays more.
They'll be back with more friendly-sounding schemes to gut or kill the graduated income tax. We can't afford to be politically dumb about this.