Yet Norquist's achievements cannot be easily diminished. His Americans for Tax Reform has helped to make tax cutting a major element in modern American politics, and tax cutting has engendered nearly three decades of pretty steady economic growth. Since the middle of the 19th century the longest period of economic expansion was 57 months. Then came Ronald Reagan with an expansion of 92 months, then Bill Clinton with 102 months, and now George W. Bush with an expansion in the mid-70s somewhere.Question for American Spectator fact checkers: Can you name the president in the above paragraph who conducted a sweeping tax hike? Hint: It was in 1993.
And is Tyrrell somehow under the impression that federal taxes were higher in the late 19th century? Bonus question for fact checkers: How high was the federal income tax 100 years ago?
