Gotcha!: Republicans celebrate when Rollie Heath talks about adding a tax instead of removing an exemption

Democrats’ attempts to remove tax exemptions from everything from candy to bull semen in order to balance the state’s budget has prompted angry cries from Republicans, who insist these maneuvers are actually tax increases.

Of course, Dems insist that’s not the case — but today, former gubernatorial candidate turned state senator Rollie Heath, speaking at the state Capitol, accidentally said otherwise before correcting himself. The key passage: “We’re gonna add a tax for candy — excuse me, not add a tax, but remove the exemption…”

Shortly thereafter, Colorado Senate News, a Republican megaphone, starting disseminating Heath’s comment — listen to it by clicking here — along with a press release that attempted to connect the dots. Who knew so many of them were Freudians? Here’s their statement:

OOPS! Dems cop to tax hike, and then re-start dancing on head of a pin

During his opening statements on the Senate floor today, Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, referred to the Democrats’ proposed tax hikes as just that: tax hikes.

“If it quacks like a duck, swims like a duck and walks like a duck, it is probably a duck,” said Sen. Marck Scheffel, R-Douglas County. “It’s time for Democrats to start speaking directly and honestly about these tax increases.”

Democrats have been trying to spin their $335 million of tax increases by calling them “corporate loopholes” or “tax breaks.” Suggesting that, perhaps, these taxes should have existed all along.

But Heath’s slip up reinforces the fact that these tax increases are going to raise the cost of doing business in Colorado and the price of many consumer goods.