**Written by Doug Powers Just in from the Washington Post: Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey plans to announce as early as Wednesday afternoon that she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation. It was not immediately clear what charge [...]
Posts Tagged: Politics
Obama Quips: Reagan Was a ‘Wild-Eyed, Socialist, Tax-Hiking, Class Warrior’
President Obama made a startling exclamation Wednesday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building by suggesting that his new Buffett rule — increased taxes for the highest income earners — was the same “concept” as what Ronald Reagan would have “called for.” He also went on to jokingly call the conservative hero a “wild-eyed socialist.”
The President made the comparison while asking Congress to approve the Buffett rule, a law that would increase taxes on millions of what he calls the “wealthiest” Americans. At the Press Conference, he was flanked by a small group of millionaires and their assistants, who were lobbying to pay their “fair share.”
“I’m not the first president to call for this idea that everyone has to do their fair share,” the president noted. Quoting one Reagan speech, Obama insisted the 40th President would consider our tax loopholes today “crazy.”
“He thought that in America the wealthiest should pay their fair share and he said so,” Obama assured.
He then went on to call the Reagan “That wild eyed, socialist, tax-hiking, class warrior” in a sarcastic reference to some of the titles that Obama himself has accumulated.
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Obama also mused that Reagan would not have been accepted in today’s Republican Party.
“That position might disqualify him from the Republican primaries these days, but what Ronald Reagan was calling for then is the same thing we’re calling for — a return to basic fairness and responsibility.”
The President ended his comparison, “If it will help convince folks in Congress to make the right choice, we could call it the Reagan rule instead of the Buffett rule.”
Seconds before his comparison to Reagan, Obama noted “Wealth in America has never just trickled down.” An odd statement, as Reagan and his economics team were champions of trickledown economics.
You can see the entire speech via Politico:
The comparison is equally confounding when you consider President Reagan’s historic tax reform:
“Obama’s assertion that the 40th president would back his tax plan comes just days before the Senate prepares for a vote next week on the Buffett rule, which famously takes its name from billionaire investor Warren Buffett,” Politico reports.
By the way, Politico notes the “millionaires and their assistant’s” who joined Obama on stage:
Abigail Disney, President of the Daphne Foundation
Celine Justice, Assistant to Abigail Disney
Whitney Tilson, Managing Partner of T2 Partners LLC
Kelli Alires, Assistant to Whitney Tilson
Frank Jernigan, Google Retiree
Teresa Gardiner, Assistant to Frank Jernigan
Lawrence Benenson, Partner of Benenson Capital
Carmen Peterson, Assistant to Lawrence Benenson
Newt Gingrich Can’t Afford to Get on Utah Ballot
Newt Gingrich has already made it explicitly clear that he believes dropping out in the face of overwhelming odds is for lesser beings. Unfortunately for Newt, his lack of money may finally be becoming a problem.
Case in point: Right now, more than anything, Gingrich would need to win a primary to look like a realistic alternative to Romney. But he can’t do that if he can’t afford to get on the ballots of major primary states, and based on the fact that his check bounced when he tried to get on Utah’s ballot, that might not be such a realistic thought. USA Today has more:
The Salt Lake Tribune reports Gingrich’s $500 check to pay the filing fee has bounced. If the former House speaker doesn’t pay up by April 20, the story says, his name won’t appear on the ballot.
The Utah primary — the last of the presidential nominating season — is June 26.[...]
Gingrich acknowledged Sunday that he recently contributed some of his own money to help his campaign, which is about $4.5 million in debt.
A $500 check isn’t exactly a large expense for a national Presidential campaign, and either way, a check that small bouncing suggests that Newt’s campaign is either suffering from gross financial incompetence or just financial insolvency.
Of course, given the high concentration of Mormons in Utah, it could be argued that Gingrich might want to spend his $500 (assuming he has it) someplace else.
Acting GSA Administrator: Apologies for the wasted money
Really, really sorry