Class warfare? Obama's on defense to protect middle class

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Game on.

Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 6:14 AM

Star-Ledger Editorial Board

Republicans say President Obama is practicing class warfare with his new budget plan. Let’s take a look at that claim.

In one sense, it is true. Obama would increase taxes on the wealthy and do all he can to protect programs that are important to the middle class, such as Medicare.

But is Obama picking a fight? Or did Republicans throw the first punches?

The facts on America’s growing class divide are irrefutable. Incomes for average Americans have been dropping for years, while incomes for the wealthiest among us have risen steadily. During the past two decades, the wealthiest 10 percent of earners have captured 100 percent of the gains from our economic growth. Despite the fact that worker productivity has risen steadily, none of the gains in that period went to the bottom 90 percent.

This isn’t the fault of Republicans. But Republicans have responded by making it worse. They have cut taxes on the wealthy over and over, so that the effective tax rate on millionaires has been cut in half since World War II, according to the conservative Tax Foundation. Today, federal taxes on the whole are lower than they’ve been in 60 years.

At the same time, Republicans have moved to cut budgets in a way that inflicts the most harm on the least among us. The House this year passed a budget that included $4.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade, nearly two-thirds of which come from programs such as food stamps and Medicaid. It would have crippled Medicare as well, ending the guarantee of coverage for all seniors. But it didn’t touch tax cuts for the wealthy.

The author of that plan, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, now says Obama is practicing class warfare. Come again? It seems to us that Obama is just punching back, on behalf of the middle class. And it’s about time.

The president has tried over and over to find common ground with Republicans, and has been met with defiance and scorn. Now, he is trying to increase the pressure on them to yield by taking his case to the American people.

Republicans won’t agree to his plan. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, already has stated his main purpose is to defeat Obama in 2012. And we saw, during the debt crisis, that Republicans were willing to wreck the nation’s economy before compromising.

So Obama is now putting pressure on Republicans to yield. It probably won’t work, but given the GOP intransigence, it is his only option. If Republicans refuse to budge, he’ll take the case to voters in 2012. Then perhaps we’ll get a verdict from America’s middle class on which party is practicing class warfare.

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2011/09/in_class_warfare_obamas_on_def.html

Edited September 20, 2011 by \

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I'm all for taxing the rich...it's what Obama plans to do with the money. Paying down the deficit would be a good thing, but if he plans on blowing it on his bs minority programs that's another thing. It's not always how you get the money, but what you do with it once you get it.

[slim 1,530]

Is the middle class dumb enough to buy this garbage?

[Ironman140 45]

Is the middle class dumb enough to buy this garbage?

They voted for him

Fool me once shame on you,

Fool me twice shame on the tax payer

[mawilson 2,133]

[slim 1,530]

They voted for him

Fool me once shame on you,

Fool me twice shame on the tax payer

Why'd GWB get elected twice?

[mawilson 2,133]

I'm sick and tired of activist Presidents and administrations.

Bush was ok because he spent something like 40 percent of his time at Camp David and his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Still, he did enough damage to the country and the economy.

Give me Reagan's corpse any time. Not Reagan, his corpse. Or any other corpse for that matter. Just someone who would smile and do nothing. Do no harm. Michele, are you listening?

[slim 1,530]

I'm sick and tired of activist Presidents and administrations.

Bush was ok because he spent something like 40 percent of his time at Camp David and his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Still, he did enough damage to the country and the economy.

Give me Reagan's corpse any time. Not Reagan, his corpse. Or any other corpse for that matter. Just someone who would smile and do nothing. Do no harm. Michele, are you listening?

So you'd support a government shutdown?

[mawilson 2,133]

So you'd support a government shutdown?

Of course. Except for the basic services they are constitutionally supposed to do - like running the Post-Office.

[slim 1,530]

Of course. Except for the basic services they are constitutionally supposed to do - like running the Post-Office.

They don't have to run a post office.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Why'd GWB get elected twice?

Because his slogan was better.

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — [pauses] — shame on you. Fool me — [pauses] — You can't get fooled again."

[mawilson 2,133]

They don't have to run a post office.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 7

[Ironman140 45]

Why'd GWB get elected twice?

One word Gore

[slim 1,530]

Article I, Section 8, Clause 7

It says congress shall have the power. It doesn't say congress must.

One word Gore

Are you insinuating folks voted for GWB just to vote against Al Gore?

That'd be like voting for Obama because you wanted to vote against Palin.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

It says congress shall have the power. It doesn't say congress must.

Are you insinuating folks voted for GWB just to vote against Al Gore?

That'd be like voting for Obama because you wanted to vote against Palin.

Yes, I think both situations occurred.