TDP snoops discovered that former Gov. Don Sundquist recently donated funds from his political action committee Majority Tennessee PAC to several Republican house and senate candidates. The funds were old campaign contributions and Sundquist hasn't been a candidate since his second term as governor ended in 2003.
Sasser awkwardly attempts to use Sundquist's contributions to accuse the recipients of hypocrisy in their opposition to a state income tax:
"'This is yet another example of candidates like Dolores Gresham, Ken Yager and Vance Dennis saying one thing on the campaign trail and then doing another in real life,'" said Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser. “They run around their districts claiming they’re against the income tax. Then they turn around and pad their pockets with Don Sundquist’s leftover campaign cash.'
Sasser added: 'We can draw either one of two conclusions: Either they support the income tax, or they’re hypocrites. Either way, Tennessee voters deserve to know the truth.'
Sasser and the TDP are practicing revisionist history, trying to place themselves above the fray that was the income tax revolt of 2001 and 2002. I can't argue with their contention that Gov. Sundquist was the leading proponent of the tax. But to label him as the "father of the income tax plan"--as Sasser does--is preposterous.
There were plenty of surrogates for the income tax. I hate to break it to you Gray, but most were Democrats. At the time, Democrats controlled both houses and thus controlled the agenda. Remember the leadership roles Bob Rochelle (in the senate) and Jimmy Naifeh (in the house) played in trying to ram it through the General Assemby?
Oh, that's right. I forget that Democrats have selective memory loss.
When you keep bringing up the income tax debacle, Gray, you're only reminding voters of the role your party played in the whole mess and only hurting your own party.
In that case, keep bringing it up! Let's have another press release! Real soon!
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