Bush Accuses Dole of Favoring Tax Hikes

Escalating his rhetoric two days before the Republican primary here, Vice President George Bush on Thursday accused his chief rival, Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, of favoring increased taxes for Americans.

Bush based his claim on the senator’s support in 1985 for a bill that would have raised revenues by $40 billion over three years, including a $5-per-barrel fee on imported fuel oil.

“You can call it fees, you can call it taxes,” said Bush, standing before a crowd of several hundred supporters and schoolchildren at the Kershaw County Courthouse.

“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. I want to hold the line on taxes and fees.”

Three-Year-Old Bill

Bush did not tell his audience that the bill was three years old and was never approved.

Further, Bush in his remarks implied that Dole currently supports a tax hike. He said Dole “is interested in” a $5-per-barrel oil fee and the $40-billion package.

“He’s endorsed those things,” Bush said.

Dole, campaigning Thursday in Maryland, did not respond directly to Bush, but said that the country didn’t need any new taxes. On Wednesday in New Orleans he said he favored a modest oil import fee to “help stabilize prices” in the oil industry.

Questioned later in Florence, S.C., by reporters, Bush said it was “not unfair” to unearth a three-year-old tax bill and imply current support for increased taxes.

In attempting to defend his claims, however, Bush appeared to make a rare break with his own past policies and with President Reagan when he said he would “hold the line on taxes and on fees.”

Administration Compromise

The Reagan Administration, to which Bush has claimed absolute loyalty, has included user fees in its budget packages. Bush, reminded of that by reporters, replied: “Yes, we’ve had to compromise, but I’m telling you what I’d do as President.”

The tactic of attacking Dole as willing to raise taxes was reminiscent of Bush’s advertising and public statements prior to February’s New Hampshire primary, when Bush got political mileage out of suggestions that he was rigid in his refusal to raise taxes.

There, Bush suggested to audiences that Dole backed a $10-per-barrel oil hike. Dole has denied that he supports a fee of that magnitude.

Also similar to Bush’s New Hampshire tactics was his Thursday portrayal of Dole as waffling on the issues. In the Northeast, the Bush campaign ran adds charging that Dole had “straddled” on taxes and other issues.

On Thursday in South Carolina, Bush said of Dole:

“Sometimes he says ‘I won’t raise your taxes’ and sometimes he says he won’t raise your tax rates, but there’s a difference.

“Sometimes he says he’s for an oil import fee that would raise the cost of doing business for everybody here and driving a car and sometimes he says he’d consider it.”

Generally Large Crowds

Bush spent the day traveling by motorcade throughout South Carolina, stopping in seven cities for rallies and speeches attended by generally large crowds.

During the trip, in a round-table discussion with local reporters in Rock Hill, Bush defended his refusal to discuss executive decisions made when he was CIA chief in 1976 and during his vice presidency.

Dole raised questions in recent days about Bush’s knowledge as CIA chief of the actions of Panamanian military strongman Manuel A. Noriega, recently indicted by the Justice Department for alleged drug-trafficking.

Bush has declined to answer, citing the necessity for confidentiality on CIA matters.