Maybe Barack Obama got a little too accustomed to those set-up townhalls. When he decided to venture beyond those scripted events and talk to the common folk (an admirable idea, of course), he got honest feedback about his policies. In fact, Obama and his team apparently thought it was a little too honest, and perhaps just a little too on point:

Trying to sell his economic record in Iowa yesterday, President Obama got an earful from a successful businessman who pleaded with him not to raise taxes.

“One of the things that concerns me is the repeal of the Bush tax cuts,” said David Greenspon, referring to Democratic plans to raise taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and on families and certain businesses earning more than $250,000.

“The repeal — I don’t care if it is 5 percent — that’s 5 percent that would create a job,” he told Obama during a meeting with about 70 people in a couple’s back yard in Des Moines.

“Five percent on millions of dollars of profit creates many jobs . . . As the government gets more and more involved in business and more and more involved in taxes, what you’re finding is you’re strangling those job-creation vehicles.”

And what was Obama’s immediate response?  Er …

Before Greenspon could complete his question, his microphone was cut off and taken out of his hand.

Hey, pal.  If Obama wanted a real debate on tax policy, he would have invited John Boehner to the White House.

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