http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=19&u=/ap/treasury_politics
Treasury Analyzes Kerry's Tax Proposals Wed Mar 31, 8:00 PM ET
By MARY DALRYMPLE, AP Tax Writer
WASHINGTON - The Treasury Department (news - web sites) directed career employees to analyze tax ideas proposed by presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) and other Democrats after a request from House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, officials said Wednesday.
The Republican National Committee (news - web sites) posted an interactive feature on its Web site that attaches the largest of those cost estimates to Kerry's plan to raise taxes paid by the wealthiest taxpayers.
Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said he was unaware of anyone at the White House approving the Treasury's decision to analyze Kerry's tax plan.
Although federal law prohibits civil servants from working on political campaigns while on duty, Treasury Department attorneys concluded the work was appropriate, Treasury spokesman Rob Nichols said.
"That's a core functionality of the department," Nichols said. "Doing the analysis is proper, it's prudent, it's appropriate. It's our obligation to do it."
The Treasury Department posted the analysis on its Web site March 22, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
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