The Anti-Sam Brownback Blog

The Wichita Eagle notes that Brownback has announced he will add the flat tax to his Presidential platform:

Remember the flat tax? The policy proposal gained traction among conservative politicians for a while in the 1990s, but it withered amid little real-world political support.

Now it’s back, as a fiscal policy cornerstone of Sen. Sam Brownback’s campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

It calls for earned income to be taxed at the same marginal rate, unlike the current system, which has different tax brackets for different incomes. Typically, proponents of a flat tax call for eliminating most deductions except for a sizable individual exemption.

“We need a flat tax instead of the dreadful, incomprehensible tax code we now have,” Brownback wrote in the letter that announced the creation of his presidential exploratory committee.

Frequent visitors to TheAntiSam will remember Brownback’s previous flirtation with the flat tax. In March of 2006, Brownback held hearings on the Flat Tax with the stated goal of implementing it in Washington D.C.

Over at The Right’s Field, Matt makes an interesting comment on Brownback’s adoption of the flat tax platform for his presidential campaign:

What this does do, though, is define Brownback as a candidate with strong beliefs at a time when other leading Republican contenders are regularly lambasted for flip-flops and shifting political visions. Not every Republican will go for a flat tax, but it will certainly distinguish Brownback from other candidates - just as his stance on the Iraq war is unique for GOP candidates (save Pataki). Unlike Chuck Hagel, whose only hope is through voters valuing his principles, Brownback’s principles have appeal to a larger segment of the primary voting base. Standing up for one’s beliefs is a tactic that I’d recommend to any politician; it just happens to be something that can realistically be expect to propel Brownback to the nomination.

I agree. Brownback is certainly positioning himself as the candidate with principles. Perhaps not all GOP primary voters with agree with his principles, but compared to the other jokers in the running, Brownback comes out looking the least wishy-washy on the issues that matter most in the Republican Primary.