Fifty Cents Per Gallon:

Beginning March 25, the Bush campaign started airing its new ads in its aggressive strategy to define John Kerry early in the presidential race. "John Kerry's economic record: Troubling," says the ad. Kerry, it notes, has supported a 50-cents-per-gallon gas tax hike and increasing taxes on Social Security benefits. It also alleges that Kerry would raise taxes by $900 billion, which the Kerry campaign claims is false but which would be necessary if Kerry is to deliver on his promises to greatly increase federal spending while ending the deficit.