Cheney credits tax cuts for economy's growth

LA CROSSE (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney credited Bush administration tax cuts for jump-starting the nation's economy Wednesday during a campaign stop at a cabinet factory.

Cheney told about 400 WalzCraft employees that lawmakers should make the tax cuts permanent.

Wisconsin has added about 59,000 jobs in the last year and Bush's tax cuts have returned hundreds of dollars to average workers, he said.

"That's good news for every family that wants to live the American dream," Cheney said. "The Bush tax cuts are working."

Bush and Cheney have touted the tax cuts as the impetus behind the economy's growth over the past year. They also have urged lawmakers to make the cuts permanent, saying anything short of that is actually a tax increase.

But lawmakers have been hesitant to renew the cuts, citing record deficits that the White House projected last week would hit $445 billion this year. Legislation to extend three tax cuts benefiting parents, married couples and workers has stalled in Congress.

Seth Boffeli, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, said the tax cuts amount to only a few hundred dollars for working-class Americans. "It gave me a few extra bucks. It didn't exactly change my life, but it was nice," WalzCraft worker Doug Oldenburg said after Cheney's speech.

Cheney's visit marks yet another stop in Wisconsin for the two presidential tickets. Wisconsin is considered a swing state after Bush lost the state to Al Gore by less than 6,000 votes in the 2000 election.

Democratic candidate John Kerry was in Milwaukee and Beloit earlier this week, following up on a bus swing through northwestern Wisconsin in early July.

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Cheney credits tax cuts for economy's growth

LA CROSSE (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney credited Bush administration tax cuts for jump-starting the nation's economy Wednesday during a campaign stop at a cabinet factory.

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