It’s the taxes, GOP head says

As Las Vegas prepared for a day of wall-to-wall Democrats, a lonely voice was here Wednesday to point out that there is still another political party.

Robert "Mike" Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he believes the GOP has a winning strategy to defeat the Democrats in 2008, mainly by focusing on fiscal issues.

Speaking to the Review-Journal editorial board, Duncan said the Republican Party deserved to lose control of Congress as it did one year ago this month.

"The American people sent us a message, and we understand that," he said. "In all of my speeches across the country, I'm talking about a return to the basic values of the party."

The Democrats' "true colors are coming out," Duncan said. He said the Democratic Party has gone too far to the left and has not gotten anything done in Congress.

Duncan criticized proposed Democratic legislation that would increase taxes on some people, saying, "Their whole idea is more government, more taxes. That takes away from the American dream."

A banker from rural eastern Kentucky who rose through the party ranks and has never held political office, Duncan said he is still settling into the role of Republican front man.

Previously, he shared the chairmanship with Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, whose job was to be the face of the operation. Martinez stepped down last month as the RNC moved to punish his state for moving up its presidential primary by taking away convention delegates.

But the RNC operation is strong and ready to confront the Democrats' candidate next year, Duncan said.

"We're going to be ready for the Democrats," he said. "I can show you the books right now. We've got opposition research ready to go."

Americans are frustrated with the Iraq war, Duncan said, but "I don't think it's going to be the overriding issue in this presidential campaign."

If he could ask questions in tonight's Democratic presidential debate, he said, he would press the candidates, especially Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., to take a clear for-or-against stand on a bill to change the federal tax structure that's been proposed in Congress by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., which Republicans are calling "the mother of all tax increases."

Duncan also would like to know if the candidates would have "litmus tests" on certain issues for the appointment of judges. He said that was the main question about social issues. Abortion and gay marriage, he said, "aren't as hot-button issues right now."

Duncan was critical of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who he said has drifted leftward with his stance on the war and his opposition to coal-fired power plants.

But he defended Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who differs from Reid on most political issues but won't criticize him personally. The nonaggression pact between Ensign and Reid, which goes both ways, aggravates partisans on both sides.

"I think he's trying to take Reid out as majority leader in his position as leader of our Senate campaigns," Duncan said. Ensign serves as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Reid has sought to strengthen the Democratic Party in Nevada as a proxy for getting Democrats more votes throughout the West. Democrats currently enjoy an advantage in voter registration of almost 9,000 votes, less than 1 percent of the state's registered voters.

Duncan said Nevada is clearly a "competitive state," but he was confident Republicans will prevail here. Nevadans' Western values of "independence and rugged individualism" make the Republican Party a more natural fit for them, he said.

Duncan will remain in Nevada to make more media appearances today. The state Republican Party hasn't organized a protest or other presence at tonight's debate at UNLV.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.