DEMOCRATS LOOK FOR A TAX-CUT PLOY

Don't be fooled by Sen. Tom Daschle's proposal to reduce taxes on capital gains and some other tinkering with legislative priorities. Daschle, the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate, is trying to position his party on tax cuts and other benefits for Americans. While this may sound good, a closer examination reveals it is little more than another political ploy.

For one thing, the Democrats' cuts in capital-gains taxes would be small and would affect only a handful of taxpayers. But you can bet your bottom dollar that the Democrats would make every attempt to milk these small cuts for all they can -- even to the point of making it sound like the Democrats are really trying to do something to ease the burden on investors and others who generate economic growth.

If Daschle and his cohorts genuinely want to help taxpayers, they can sit down with the Republican leadership and Congress and map out a bipartisan plan to create real changes that will stimulate the nation's economic engine.