Obama, Romney don't agree on each others' tax plans

Jobs, economy hinge on middle class bite

Denver – The only sure thing about the two presidential candidates' views on how to create jobs is they totally disagree on the others' tax policy.

President Obama told viewers that his rival is looking to cut taxes by an aggregate of 8 billion dollars, something Governor Romney scoffed at.

“Everything he just said about my tax plan is inaccurate,” he crowed. Earlier, the friendly crowd in the energy belt capital city of Colorado gave the Governor a thunderous ovation when veteran PBS News anchor Jim Lehrer introduced him after a tepid and polite round of applause for the President.

The tax cut proposed by Governor Romney, the President said, is the “central question” on just how the economy may be bolstered to support more jobs.

“Now he (Governor Romney) says his big, bold plan is 'never mind.'”

The president hopes to bring taxes on manufacturers down to 25 percent, he said, in an effort to bring jobs back to American shores.

He said that oil and gas production is up, a key indicator of the nation's recovery from a crushing economic collapse and recession.

Mr. Romney countered by saying that all the strides made in increased energy production have been on private property, not on public lands.

Energy expansion has taken place “in spite of government policies instead of because of them,” said Mr. Romney.

The remarks on tax cuts and deficit reduction reminded one of the type of questions President John F. Kennedy threw at Vice President Richard Nixon in the history-making debates of 1960, when he pointed out that the Eisenhower administration taking credit for increased efforts in education was not a realistic view, since local school districts finance education, not the federal government. It was a true statement at the time.

Mr. Romney often took on a strident and plaintive tone of voice during the discussions. At one point, he said, "I have five boys," and likened his argument with the President to those of his sons, when one of them will "repeat his point over and over."