On December 7, I proposed a wealth surtax to pay for all past and future costs of the Iraq Occupation - not because I support a wealth surtax, but because I believe it would end the occupation in a nanosecond because wealthy Americans would never be willing to pay for it.

Never could I have imagined that George Bush is also proposing to tax the rich!

Of course, Bush is trying to con Democrats into supporting Social Security privatization - something no Democrat who wants to be re-elected will support.

But if Bush wants to put a tax increase for the rich on the table, why don't Democrats sit down at the table and offer to support his tax increase if it is used to pay for all of the costs of Iraq?

Charlie Rangel, are you listening?