Biden: Low taxes are unpatriotic; Update: Video added
posted at 8:45 am on September 18, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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While Barack Obama tries to call John McCain a “liar” for saying Obama will raise taxes on a wide swath of Americans, Joe Biden tells America that paying higher taxes is … patriotic? The Democratic VP told Good Morning America today that “it’s time to be patriotic” and start allowing Uncle Sam to take even more of your paycheck:
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden says that paying higher taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans. …
Biden told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday that, in his words, “it’s time to be patriotic … time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut.”
America’s economic woes have nothing to do with taxes. Biden offered a non-sequitur yesterday when asked about the need to bail out AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Bear Stearns. He blamed the problems on tax cuts, which makes no sense at all:
We should try to correct the problems that caused this. And what’s caused this? The profligate tax cuts to the very, very wealthy that John wants to continue. What’s caused this is the failure to have regulation so that, in fact — John talks about these CEOs getting these big bailout packages.
That’s akin to blaming your doctor’s Mercedes for the broken arm you got playing soccer. Tax policy had nothing to do with the credit crisis. They are two completely separate issues. The government did not underregulate the credit industry from a lack of necessary funding, and in any case, the tax cuts produced higher revenues for Washington, not lower revenues. The credit crisis came from bad lending decisions pushed by government mandates, and a lack of oversight driven by lobbyist-fed laziness.
Who were two of the CEOs who got big bailout packages from the Fannie/Freddie GSEs? Jim Johnson and Franklin Raines. Which candidate has them as advisers to his campaign? Barack Obama.
Now Biden wants to tell us that paying higher taxes is patriotic. You know what would be patriotic? Congressmen like Barack Obama and Joe Biden attacking government spending, not trying to beef up government revenues (and doing so in the most destructive way, by attacking capital needed for investment). Biden could be patriotic by revealing his pork-barrel record, something he has consistently failed to do. Who gets Biden’s earmarks? Why can’t Biden be patriotic and forego earmarks?
Most Americans look at their tax bite and figure they’re patriotic enough. They’d prefer electing people who start acting responsibly with their money, rather than demand even more from them to prove their patriotism.
Update: Here’s the video:
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Note the Biden smile? That’s what he does when he thinks he’s played a trump card in a debate. It usually signals a momentous display of cluelessness, as it does here.
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Let me paraphrase Alexis de Tocqueville:
“This experiment called Anglo-America will last only up until someone realizes he can take what belongs to his neighbor by whom he votes into office.”
In other words “The politician who robs from Peter and gives to Paul can always count on Paul’s support and vote.”
Walter E. Williams proposes that for every $10k in taxes, you get a vote.
In other words, people (and that includes corporations) can not vote themselves a raise from the public coffers
Amendment X on September 18, 2008 at 10:14 AM
I would like to see a system where the number of votes each person gets depends on the amount of taxes to paid minus benefits received from govt.
The more taxes you pay, the more votes you get.
If you are receiving govt payments, of any type, even a paycheck, then your number of votes go down.
Military service would count as a plus, the more years you served, the more extra votes you get.
SS payments would not count as a negative, so long as you are drawing down the money you put in. After that point, it counts the same as welfare. (Which it is.)
MarkTheGreat on September 18, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Basically, a correlary to “Taxation without Representation is Tyrrany.” In this case, you’re saying that when a political class gets to pick a noxious government, but is immune from the negative consequences of that government, that too is tyrrany.
I get that. I see where you’re going.
jeff_from_mpls on September 18, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Aren’t the CEOs of both Freddie and Fannie on Obama’s campaign team?
MarkTheGreat on September 18, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Mark, you are 100% correct.
sgt_rich on September 18, 2008 at 10:19 AM
You guys are good at making things up as you go along. If you read Alan Greenspan’s book, you’ll find that your opinions aren’t even supported by a Republican economist, not to mention most mainstream economists.
No one gives Bush I. credit for the 8 year expansion under Clinton, which was far broader than the dot com boom at the end of the decade. Nor do economists think that Bush II created some kind of economic miracle by lowering taxes. Our growth was just as strong under Clinton during the mid 90’s when taxes on the wealthy were much higher.
foreverright on September 18, 2008 at 10:19 AM
The primary purpose of govt is to take from those who work and give to those who vote.
MarkTheGreat on September 18, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Biden is a certified idiot, but he fits in quite well with the rest of those brain dead Democrats.
rplat on September 18, 2008 at 10:26 AM
whiskey tango frannklin;
custer on September 18, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Clinton did jack to help the economy. No, sorry, he did jack squat. The Internet and .com emergence added fuel to the Reagan-generated expansion. Period.
Akzed on September 18, 2008 at 10:28 AM
foreverright,
You are the one making things up. Clinton did inherit a strong economy. The longer he was in office, the weaker it got. When he left office, the economy was in bad shape. When Bush the younger eliminated the Clinton taxes, the economy strengthened.
MarkTheGreat on September 18, 2008 at 10:29 AM
The Democratic definition of “rich” is anybody with a job.
Maxx on September 18, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Go team!
Ok, so Reagan invented economic expansion? I guess that Greenspan was wrong to credit Ruben’s bond market strategy for driving growth.
foreverright on September 18, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Sorry Joe, I love my country too much to give the likes of you more of my money…
CliffHanger on September 18, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Well, he is from the party of Dingy Harry Reid who once famously said that, “Taxes are voluntary.”
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on September 18, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Lood at GDP numbers over that 10 year period. Very simple way to see why you are greatly over-simplifying what occurred, while ignoring the broad gains seen across the economy for over 6 years when Clinton was in office. Bush inherited a balanced budget, which gave him great leeway to lower taxes and revive the economy at the bottom of the business cycle.
As for Bush, yes a tax cut was necessary to stimulate the economy after 9-11. But by keeping taxes unnecessarily low during the boom, Bush left the nation vulnerable to any kind of crisis and limited our options for responding to it.
If you look at some of the better solutions to stemming the meltdown on Wall Street, such as a return of the FTC, one major problem is identifying a source for the massive cash infusion necessary to deal with all the troubled assets in the system. The US is staring to look tapped out. If the US had a much smaller debt, injecting a couple trillion to cordon off distressed assets wouldn’t be a major issue. But when the debt exceeds $10 trillion? Not so simple.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122161086005145779.html
foreverright on September 18, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Joe Biden: the Gaffe machine that just keeps on giving
ConservativePartyNow on September 18, 2008 at 10:41 AM
I challenge you to point out what exactly is “made up” in the following statement …..
Both observations are true. Even Greenspan would agree.
Now, who is it who’s making crap up?
fogw on September 18, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Want to kill the economy? Obama will raise taxes on “rich” people earning above $250,000. The dirty little secret is that this will include S-Corporations (small businesses whose business taxes are filed on the owner’s personal tax bill). Small businesses employ a VAST majority of people in this country. Not only will this tax rate of 39-50% cause layoffs, but it will stifle investment into things like phones, faxes, vehicles, equipment, etc etc etc etc. I believe Obama’s plan isn’t intended to cause prosperity for anyone, but to bring everyone down to an even level. Numbers don’t lie. Candidates do.
marklmail on September 18, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Yes, because a clown act like Joe Biden, who’s accomplished pretty much nothing in his life but shoot off his stupid mouth, knows better than you do, how to spend your money.
NoDonkey on September 18, 2008 at 10:50 AM
You can tell when the left runs out of arguments. They start misquoting and trying to divert attention.
MarkTheGreat on September 18, 2008 at 10:52 AM
All I know is that I’ve heard and seen so many Communist and socialist countries where the leaders said it was patriotic to work in fields, turn in your family, sacrifice your work for the state, live frugally( i.e. like a serf)… Biden is a stinking Socialist.
MNDavenotPC on September 18, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Truly sad. All those Obamicans, deluded into thinking that the government will save them from themselves. They’re all just goosestepping behind their revered leader, towards national socialism.
And the libs say fascism comes from the political right. Give me a break.
Pope Linus on September 18, 2008 at 10:59 AM
The new patriotism:
– that this nation, under Obama, shall have a new birth of government expansion
– and that taxation of the people,
by the government,
for the bureaucrats,
shall not perish from the earth.
Loxodonta on September 18, 2008 at 11:04 AM
McCain should clip this in an ad, and say: “I’m patriotic and I want to cut your taxes, and those Fannie Mae CEOs who got rich are running Obama’s campaign.”
Steve Z on September 18, 2008 at 11:11 AM
I’m confused. Obama says he’s going to lower taxes, then Biden comes out and says it’s time for people to start paying higher taxes.
Are they still campaigning against each other? I thought they were on the same ticket.
What am I missing here?
CookeyD on September 18, 2008 at 11:11 AM
How much did Biden give to Charity over the past 10 years? An average of about $400 per/year. BIDEN IS UNPATRIOTIC!!
tdavisjr on September 18, 2008 at 11:12 AM
I like Biden as a person. And he’s had some moments of brilliance.
But I think that sounded much, much better in his head than it did to me.
its_a_trap on September 18, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Hey, if you had all his charitable deductions, you wouldn’t worry about paying higher taxes…..oops
flyoverland on September 18, 2008 at 11:13 AM
WOW! Did Biden just call Charlie Rangel and Al Franken unpatriotic?
OSUBuciz1 on September 18, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Let’s be charitable to Joe because he is so much smarter than the average American and sets such a good example.
Quotes link
Loxodonta on September 18, 2008 at 11:21 AM
I’m sorry, but I have to say it. Only an idiot would vote for Obama/Biden.
ErinF on September 18, 2008 at 11:22 AM
The Chia Pet will claim he donated to Amtrak every day.
fogw on September 18, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Keep talking, your making it easier and easier for McCain to win.
tx2654 on September 18, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Mayeb we can be really patriotic and cut a $200,000,000 check to the Iranians, no strings attached.
(smile)
VolMagic on September 18, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I love Williams, but I can’t go for that. Mostly because I don’t pay $10k in taxes. (Unless you are counting payroll taxes?) And as soon as I did get off my butt and earn more of a living, Congress would raise the $10k to 200k, no doubt. Better, I think, to elect people who can determine that “general welfare” doesn’t equate to “specific welfare.”
angelat0763 on September 18, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Well he can kiss a lot of votes goodbye with that statement.
johnnyU on September 18, 2008 at 11:37 AM
OF all the idiots in the Senate, he’s one of them.
Nice to see he’s giving McCain and Co a nice campaign commercial.
Doubt they’ll use it though…..
perhaps debate material for Palin, but I can’t see John using Biden’s own words against him. Biden obviously drank Obama’s Kool Aid.
JP1986UM on September 18, 2008 at 11:38 AM
I see. In other words, redirect your charitable giving to the federal government, please.
Connie on September 18, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Here is the problem..
All people will hear is that “the rich” need to be patriotic and pay more taxes.
The public schools have done their job. Most walking the streets today have no clue about economics. This is all simply class warfare. McCain needs to make it clear that Obama’s tax hike will effect them.
As Fred Thompson said, Obama only wants to raise taxes on the rich and business owners. So, provided you don’t purchase food, clothing or fuel, you should be just fine. I would go a step further and add TV’s, DVD’s, CD’s, iPod’s etc.
RobertInAustin on September 18, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Eeeeeewwwwww. Creepy.
I wonder what psychiatric drug he’s on. Maybe anti-’rut’ and pro-’patriotic’ meds.
Christine on September 18, 2008 at 11:42 AM
So clearly Joe, Ted Kennedy is unpatriotic. How many other liberals in Congress does this apply to?
Maxx on September 18, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Have you seen the one yesterday where he says “being a councilman is harder than being a senator, thats why I left and became one”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2pIUduYElk
Dscw66 on September 18, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Herb on September 18, 2008 at 11:46 AM
I posted this and a few other biden gaffes on my blog. Wow, I just can’t take it anymore. Biden is like the Dick Martin of politics.
vcferlita on September 18, 2008 at 11:47 AM
My question to Sen. Biden is this: why, then, does he support robbing nearly 50% of Americans of the opportunity to express their patriotism?
I’m completely serious. In my humble opinion, every wage-earning American should pay taxes to support the government, even the minimum-wage worker, even if it’s only $10 a year. Citizens who contribute nothing to the nation’s operating expenses have no stake in the government — they are effectively disenfranchised. Requiring — allowing — even the poorest citizens to pay some small part of the bill will increase the sense of participation in roughly half of our citizens, and make the rest feel better about their participation.
philwynk on September 18, 2008 at 11:48 AM
…once again, proving the Left’s total tone-deafness and detachment from reality, Mr. Biden (name he plagerized from his father) asserts the fundamental difference between his cabal and Mr. McCain…
…his crew wants to take “money” — a disembodied resource, evidently floating freely in the air, only needing to be harvested with butterfly nets to be useful — and put it into the pockets of the “middle class”.
Money, as we all know (well, those of us who have had to pay a bill once in his/her life) comes from somewhere.
Evidently, Mr. Biden explicitly, with the prodding of his interviewer, attests that the Democratic Party supports wealth distribution. He doesn’t do it and deny it, as Democrats usually do…he says it rather openly…no doubt counting on the “politics of envy” to count for something in November….
“I’m a member of an aggrieved demographic, and I’ll never be a pampered dope-smoking NBA superstar, so I’ll never make $250K…I’ll be on the receiving end of Robin Hood’s social engineering transactions. Go Obama!”
…so, in almost as many words, those making over $250K a year will have to pay more. It will be their money finding its way into the pockets of the “middle class”…presumably in the form of bread and circuses….
…ever had bread in your pocket? Ill-advised food storage option…ask a Tupperware salesperson….
O’Reilly should pick up on this…Beck, Rush, a few others…but they mostly play to their audience, who’re pretty much on board already…the noise on this sort of stuff has to tip over the wall into the backyards of our less ideological neighbors…maybe those who don’t listen to talk radio, watch O’Reilly, but pay attention to their business or watch the health of the companies they work for, the better to stay employed.
Personally, I’m all for folks who make $250K a year paying more in taxes…but only those who attend $28K a plate political dinners in support of tax-gouging candidates.
You want social justice and income distribution? You first.
Puritan1648 on September 18, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Can we get an ad where Obama calls paying higher taxes ‘neighborly’ and Bigen calls it ‘patriotic’?
These guys are writing the ads for you McCain. Stop with the generic crap.
BadgerHawk on September 18, 2008 at 12:07 PM
…no, he’s the Madame Nhu of the Democratic Party.
Puritan1648 on September 18, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Then they ran out of arguments in 1963, because that’s all they have been doing since.
trailboss on September 18, 2008 at 12:18 PM
I do not understand why team McCain has not brought this to light.
What are they doing? Waiting for the debates to speak of this?
Kini on September 18, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Because if they start focusing on Gaffemeister Joe, they won’t have any time or money left to deal with Oby. Joe can keep them distracted from now till 2012.
trailboss on September 18, 2008 at 12:24 PM
FDR 2.0
seejanemom on September 18, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Der Gaffenmeister is just being himself.
On topic, he should go around repeating this, until Nov. 04. It’s a great move.
Entelechy on September 18, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.*
*: except when it comes to the pocketbooks of the wealthy.
mycowardice on September 18, 2008 at 12:38 PM
McCain isn’t even spending money on Obama. They have had their thumb up their ass for over a week now.
lorien1973 on September 18, 2008 at 12:43 PM
So I guess Charlie Rangel is a domestic terrorist.
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/34388.html
mindhacker on September 18, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Those last 7 seconds scare the crap out of me.
Cardiganfox on September 18, 2008 at 12:52 PM
That looks like the same kind of smile that my one month old son gives me when he has gas. Doesn’t realize he’s doing it, either.
ScoopPC11 on September 18, 2008 at 12:54 PM
…no…Charlie Rangel is a pimp…and I don’t mean that in a good way…as if it’s actually possible to mean that in a good way.
Somebody needs to alert him that paying taxes is now patriotic. Step up and pay your dues, Charlie….
Puritan1648 on September 18, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Here’s an idea Joe- show that you’re a Super Patriot and donate 95% of all your income to the Feds and Delaware.
And then proclaim what a great believer you are in, uh, whatever is it that you believe in.Yah, right, that high taxes are patriotic.
That’ll do it!
Amendment X on September 18, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Democrats: staying up late nights thinking of new higher tax trump cards.
Its not good to let them have firewater either.
Speakup on September 18, 2008 at 1:26 PM
JOE BUDDY KMA (kiss my a**)
tengger on September 18, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Well good for the dem’cats…….here is a way to partially make up for absolute lack of Patriotism showed during the tough run of the Battle for Iraq and the War on Terrorism…. Pay all the Taxes you want, send it directly to the US Treasury…….Keep sending in all the money you want Conservatives will decide after a couple of years if the liberals have been “patriotic enough”—we’ll let you know dont call us, we will call you
sbark on September 18, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Why should anyone that makes over 200.000.00 a year have to give more money for taxes? So they can support lazy democrats? What is wrong with some people? You can bet that our so called Reps in Washington don’t give their fair share. I am boarder line Middle class. I work my ass off. And I love it. Don’t want a Government run Country. Biden is a dip shi*.
sheebe on September 18, 2008 at 2:34 PM
To repay the national debt.
mycowardice on September 18, 2008 at 2:38 PM
biden is dumber than a rock. how in the world is obama going to a tax cut to 95% of americans when 50% of americans pay less the 3 rercent of all fedaral income taxes? my guess is that 45% pay NOTHING.
how in the world of gods green apples does that make sense. well i will tell you.
obama has no moral or ethical values..
he does not care about children.
he uses the church and terriost and political mahcines to promote his own markist values.his associates are racists(whitey)and terrroist(bomber of police stations) and radical communist to get where he wants to go.
TomLawler on September 18, 2008 at 2:57 PM
And the scrubbing process begins. I was working on a piece for this today, and got this headline off an AP story in Yahoo News:
“Biden: Paying higher taxes patriotic for wealthy”
Clicked on the very same link (this one) an hour or so later and found this headline instead:
“Biden says McCain’s economic answers go nowhere”
The focus of the story even changed, with the “patriotic” remark little more than an aside. The original story can still be found under a slightly altered link (and the one Newsbusters is using for its story).
But of course, that link is not the one that comes up in google searches, the new and improved version (now with 50% more hope!) does.
Planet Moron on September 18, 2008 at 3:11 PM
lest i diverse.
biden has never held a job outside politics. he has been on the government dole his whole life. if i am wrong tell me. why is that a man of the working man left the state of pen. and became a senator of 800k leftist in delaware.
it is in fact simple he does not care about anyone except himself
TomLawler on September 18, 2008 at 3:15 PM
A complete ninny, but a complete ninny with a disgusting and evil sense of entitlement to other people’s property.
pussum207 on September 18, 2008 at 3:30 PM
He’s like all those characters in Atlas Shrugged who run the gov’t as a way to social engineer, but oblivious to the notion of who is producing.
Most people here would probably identify with Dagny or one of the industrialists. When he reads a book like that, doesn’t he see who he is? He has a starring role, and doesn’t even get it.
JiangxiDad on September 18, 2008 at 4:02 PM
I’m sure everybody who sent in a check this past Monday is very happy to be reminded that they don’t love America enough.
Jim Treacher on September 18, 2008 at 4:07 PM
Joe Biden tells America that paying higher taxes is … patriotic? To what, a Socialist America??? FU Bidet! You will NOT be VP on 01-20-09, you despicable grinning idiot!
bryan2369 on September 18, 2008 at 4:12 PM
If it’s patriotic to raise taxes, then it’s treason to lower them. Slow Joe Biden is as good as it gets.
sbynyc on September 18, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Martin O’malley came to my daughter’s school today, and one of my daughters friends asked him why he keeps raising taxes. His answer was…
Someone has to pay for my boat.
I’m not joking.
spypeach on September 18, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Martin O’Malley has brought Maryland to its fiscal knees. Impeach O’Money!
sbynyc on September 18, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Biden must love the taste of shoe leather.
Or do Dems use a synthetic?
Black Adam on September 18, 2008 at 4:29 PM
If Hollywood celebrities refuse to hire tax lawyers to save their own money, I would consider high taxes.
Speedwagon82 on September 18, 2008 at 4:44 PM
I am not sure that Biden has a small enough foot to stick his shoe is his mouth (but he sure tries). That is the stupidest statement of the race so far (even exceeding BO). People don’t pay taxes because they are patriotic, they pay them because they are forced to do so.
duff65 on September 18, 2008 at 5:05 PM
The US recovered from the slight recession in the early 90s shortly before the 92 election. However, growth was sluggish until the mid-90s when Clinton adopted more moderate policies, and Republicans were elected to the Congress.
18-1 on September 18, 2008 at 5:33 PM
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