Behar Claims Tea Partiers ‘Don’t Believe in Any Govt At All, Zero,’ Taxes Not Increasing in January

On the September 15 The View on ABC, co-host Joy Behar insisted that co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck was wrong to assert that taxes are set to increase in January as the two sparred over the issue. Behar: "It's not an increase, Elisabeth. It is not an increase." She soon added, "They are not, stop saying it's an increase because it's not." After Hasselbeck shot back, "Okay, we’ll talk in January," Behar continued, "The Democrats want to eliminate the tax cuts for the rich. That's all. Stop doing that."

Behar also exaggerated the anti-big government views of the Tea Party movement, claiming that members "don’t believe in any government at all, zero," and mocked activists for supposedly not realizing that Medicare and Social Security are run by the federal government. Behar: "They just don't believe in any government at all, zero. At the same time, it's fascinating about them, at the same time that they don't believe in any government, a lot of them are like, ‘Don't touch my Medicare.’ Well, what do you think that is? That's the schism within the Tea Party. Don't touch my Social Security. Get the government out of my house, you know, come on."

Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, September 15, The View on ABC:

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: The Tea Party is more like a generator behind certain candidates. So they’ll get behind certain candidates and raise money for them, whereas they maybe wouldn’t get it someplace else. They’re more like a renegade group that’s kind of pushing candidates forward. They have power, obviously. We just saw this happen. I mean, but to say that she won’t win, don’t discount. We saw what happened with Scott Brown in Massachusetts.

SHERRI SHEPHERD: Are they like a rebel branch from the Republican, the Tea Parties?

BEHAR: Kind of.

HASSELBECK: They don’t take on social issues, which is interesting. They’re purely fiscal.

BEHAR: They just don’t believe in any government at all, zero. At the same time, it’s fascinating about them, at the same time that they don’t believe in any government, a lot of them are like, "Don’t touch my Medicare." Well, what do you think that is? That’s the schism within the Tea Party. Don’t touch my Social Security. Get the government out of my house, you know, come on.

HASSELBECK: It’s a different issue because what’s going to happen now with the tax increase is it is actually going to affect senior citizens more than anybody else right now.

BEHAR: It’s not an increase, Elisabeth. It is not an increase.

HASSELBECK: Let me tell you something, it is going to be an increase, and they are changing the terms-

BEHAR: They are not, stop saying it’s an increase because it’s not.

HASSELBECK: Okay, we’ll talk in January.

BEHAR: The Democrats want to eliminate the tax cuts for the rich. That’s all. Stop doing that.

HASSELBECK: They’re changing the lingo, so guess what? All seniors citizens are going to end up paying the price on this tax, and it’s a crime in this country.

BEHAR: If you don’t make over $250,000, you’re not going to have tax raising.

HASSELBECK: It’s actually going to come from the stocks they hold in dividends, so when you look at it, you’re going to see what’s going to happen. They’re changing all terminology.

BEHAR: It’s a very small percentage of people.

HASSELBECK: It’s not, because they own the most in dividends of anyone else in this country.