9/01/00 1:50 p.m.
Foreign Legion
You'll never hear the Times say this about tax-cuts in America.

By NR's John J. Miller & Ramesh Ponnuru

here's a story in today's New York Times about cutting the top marginal personal income tax rate by nearly 3 percent — and not a word about this being a tax cut for the wealthy!

Too bad the story's about France, which has proposed slashing $16 billion in taxes for corporations and individuals over the next three years. The move follows a $24 billion tax-cut proposal in Germany, and now Italy says it will have a package ready later this month.

The Times says France's move is meant to combat rising interest rates and offset a decision to scale back the workweek from 40 hours to 35. Reporter John Tagliabue doesn't cite a single naysayer in his story:

Economists said the French measures should help the whole economy, if indirectly, as tax relief to low-wage earners widens the earnings gap between the lowest-paid employed and the unemployed, raising the incentive for the jobless to seek work. That in turn should relieve the labor market, moderating wage increases. Moreover, fuel tax cuts and lowered social security payments should provide relief to businesses and increase employees' take-home pay. . . . Experts judged the net effect of the French changes positively.

Would that the Times had such nice things to say when it came to cutting taxes in America.

Secretary Powell
FCC commissioner Michael Powell is the most likely member of the family to win a spot in a Bush cabinet — not his father, says the Washingtonian. The magazine's reasoning is a little weird: "While speculation has centered on Colin Powell's being named Secretary of State, Washington sources indicate that is unlikely. One reason is that Condoleeza Rice would likely be named Bush's national security adviser. Political sources say there probably would not be African-Americans running both the security council and State."

As if the Republicans wouldn't love this.

But the Washingtonian does add, intriguingly: "For his part, the younger Powell has told friends he believes the visibility of a Cabinet position would help him reach his ultimate political goal — a U.S. Senate seat from Virginia."