According to this article [Washington Post, registration may be required], the Bush administration has a whole pile of plans to revamp the tax codes of this nation. One involves eliminating the deduction of state and local taxes on federal income tax returns.
Okay, would any of the Conservative readers of this site like to argue that this is not a tax hike? It certainly would be if a Democrat proposed it. In fact, it would be an example of how the individual making the proposal just loved raising taxes.
Another proposal would eliminate the business tax deduction for employer-provided health insurance. In other words, it will cost your employer more to insure you. That's not only a tax hike on business but a powerful incentive to cut back on providing health insurance. At the same time, other proposals would shield more and more investment income and dividends (i.e., money earned mostly by wealthier folks) from being taxed at all.
You wonder how much of Bush's "base" in middle-class America understood that this is what they were voting for.