I guess it’s too much to ask but, once more, the media misrepresent the Bush tax cuts as a sop to the rich.
Visiting D.C., I picked up a copy of the Sunday edition of the Post. On page 1: “Battle looms on tax breaks.” It could as easily have said tax “cuts.” Isn’t it interesting that a tax cut is seen as a “break,” as if the government doesn’t take your money.
But it was the subhead that was most upsetting: “Bush-era cuts for rich at issue.”
Whenever the Bush tax cuts are set up for attack, they are characterized as tax cuts for the rich. However, eventually in such an article, for those journalists who still care, reality must be reported.
Fortunately, the Post article notes:
“Given partisan gridlock … aides and administration officials acknowledge that lawmakers could run out of time, leaving virtually every American taxpayer with a significantly higher bill in 2011.”
Now, the headline writer could argue that the partisan battle is just over the tax cuts affecting the rich. But I would have a hard time believing that was the whole reason for phrasing it that way.
Beyond the journalism, the remarks of the president were baffling. According to the article, Obama charged the House minority leader with wanting to repeal health care reform and “permanently keep in place tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans – the same tax cuts that have added hundreds of billions to our debt.”
This is nonsensical. How can tax cuts add to the debt? Spending adds to the debt. But the president dug deeper.
“They are the same policies that led us into recession. They will not create jobs; they will kill them.”
Fascinating. Tax cuts led us into recession and killed jobs? Perhaps we should not only let the Bush-era tax cuts expire but also hike taxes even more to, you know, lead us out of the recession and create jobs.
Unbelievable.
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