Opinion: Be Bold, Mr. President

(Sept. 9) -- In an interview last year, President Barack Obama said that "the last thing you want to do is to raise taxes in the middle of a recession" because it would "put businesses in a further hole." You don't hear this often, but I completely agree with the president. Raising taxes in the middle of a recession, particularly on job creators, is a horrible idea.

And given those concerns, one immediate way to jump-start the economy would be a firm declaration from the president at his press conference Friday that no Americans, no small businesses will see a tax hike. Period.

Without such a pledge, hundreds of thousands of small-business owners across the country face the specter of paying higher taxes next year than they're paying this year. Our economy simply can't afford that.

A no-tax-hike pledge on small businesses directly from the president would be a welcome change to the nearly one in 10 Americans who are looking for work but can't find a job.

They're tired of waiting for Washington Democrats to put aside their liberal wish list and focus on the economy instead.

So they're speaking out. From Arizona to Florida to Washington to Maine, Americans are fed up with lawmakers in Washington piling up debt on government programs they don't want.

But Washington simply isn't listening.

Americans asked for a real focus on jobs. Instead they got a yearlong effort to pass a health spending bill that's already leading to higher costs for individuals and families.

They asked for a focus on the economy. Instead they got a trillion-dollar stimulus bill and a higher unemployment rate.

They asked for a limit on the growth of government. Instead they got a huge increase in the federal bureaucracy -- even as jobs were vanishing everywhere else.

It's time for a change. It's time for Washington to start listening rather than dictating.

The president spent a lot of time this week talking about proposals he says will boost the economy as part of a last-minute election push.

Sadly, every proposal seems to come with yet another tax hike on America's job creators.

The fact is, we don't need a series of new proposals.

What our economy needs -- and what Americans want -- is to know that Washington is going to stop the harmful policies, the out-of-control spending, the burdensome red-tape and job-killing taxes.

The uncertainty surrounding this proposed hike is already keeping business owners from making the kinds of investments that would help turn our economy around.

The president could end that uncertainty -- today -- by simply stating what small businesses are holding their breath waiting to hear from Democrats in Washington: We will not raise taxes on your families or your businesses.

And if the president won't say it, we need the Democratic leaders in Washington to show some independence, stand up to the president (as a growing number of Democrats are doing) and refuse to allow his tax hike to go into effect.

People in Kentucky and around the country are working hard to turn the economy around. They're doing everything they can and they're letting Washington know what they think. They're speaking out.

If leaders in Washington are serious about turning the economy around, it's time they start listening.

A bold declaration against tax hikes would be an excellent place to start.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is the Senate Republican leader.