I’m a tad alarmed that this is not only an AP headline, but that it’s considered newsworthy even in the conservative Boston Herald.

Remember what I was saying earlier about Obama’s gaffes playing into poisonous stereotypes about him or his party? Yeah.

The two often traded jokes, especially when Steele panned President Barack Obama’s long-stated plan to let income tax rates return to higher levels for families making more than $250,000 a year.

“Trust me, after taxes, a million dollars is not a lot of money,” Steele said.

Ford later asked the audience of mostly college students, “Who in here makes a million dollars a year?”

“How many of you want to make a million dollars a year?” Steele quickly responded when no hands were raised.

9.7 percent unemployment, roiling populist sentiment against giant Wall Street bonuses, and he’s scoffing at a cool mil before taxes? Dude?