Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Haley Barbour vetoed the tax bill sent to him by the Mississippi Legislature. Was there any doubt? Neither Barbour nor the Democrats are dumb. Just a few years ago, after careful consideration, a certain President George W. Bush decided that a proposed tax increase was the right thing to do. Clinton then reminded him of his “read my lips; no new taxes” campaign promise he made.

Barbour ran on a similar “no new taxes” platform and now the legislature is surprised that he vetoed a tax increase. Sure, the other side of the argument is that there would be tax cut for food, and the tax increase is only cigarettes, but Barbour knows and remembers the Democrats. When (notice I didn’t say if) he makes a id for national office, he does not want this to come back and bit him in the butt.

Mississippi Democrats have, finally, learned about regressive taxes. They are now talking about the high taxes we have on groceries and how it is harmful to the poor. Yep, sure is. It was just as harmful when they raised the tax rate and did not grant an exemption of groceries. If they are truly concerned about the high grocery tax, then send Barbour a bill lowering it. But make sure it includes where the cuts will come from to account for the loss in revenue. And there, my friends, is the rub, a Democrat would have to propose budget cuts!