This is blatant class warfare. There's no other term for it. Not only that, it's a lie.There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.
Here are the facts: 17 percent of those non-taxpayers are the elderly with little or no income who collect Social Security and Medicare -- services they paid their whole lives for. But the elderly are "dependent" in Romney's view. Only 18 percent have no tax liability (including FICA) because they have no labor income, for whatever reason (including college students and our combat troops, for example) -- they are the true "dependents" if you prefer that term. The remaining 28 percent are lower- and middle-class workers who do pay FICA tax levied on 100 percent of their income -- revenue from which goes to fund about half of the federal budget -- Medicare and Social Security. And why do they not pay any federal income tax? Because of Dubya's tax cuts, the Standard Deduction, Mortgage Interest Deduction and the Child Tax Credit, all popular tax expenditures in place long before Obama and upheld by Republicans.
Moreover, according to CNN, more than 90 percent of all those with zero federal income tax liability earn below $50,000.
So Romney is basically admitting he can't win over the middle class, and he's blaming it on tax policies that have been in place for decades. Perhaps that's why Romney is silent on the middle class on his Issues web page.
Besides class warfare, it's preemptive excuse-making by Romney. He's laying the groundwork to justify later why he lost. At this fundraiser Romney admitted, "The fact that I'm either tied or close to the president…that's very interesting." Interesting, because he should be kicking Obama's tail in such a down economy and he knows it. But he's not. They are running neck and neck. Why? Because Romney sucks, and the GOP's ideas suck.
Now enjoy this:
When he doesn't know a camera's rolling, the GOP candidate shows his disdain for half of America.
By David Corn
September 17, 2012 | Mother Jones
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