Fineman Sees 'Very, Very, Very Clever' Obama Strategy on Tax 'Fairness'
On Thursday's The Ed Show on MSNBC, the Huffington Post's Howard Fineman - formerly of Newsweek - praised President Obama's campaign to raise taxes on the Wealthy, asserting that, even in tax averse New Hampshire, voters believe the federal income tax code is "unfair" as he labeled the President's strategy on taxes as "smart."
Fineman went on to ooze that it is "very, very, very clever" of Obama to argue that "if we go back to the Republican theory of things, which is symbolized by the tax code, we're going to go right back into the recession that we had under George W. Bush."
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Thursday, April 12, The Ed Show on MSNBC:
New Hampshire's a swing state. It's a state that President Obama won in 2008. It's going to be up for grabs again this time. And the White House is convinced that in that state where talking about taxes is tricky, you know, that's the Live Free or Die state, anti-tax state, no state income tax, no state sales tax, etc.
The White House is confident they can make this case because they're not just talking about taxes per se, they're talking about fairness. They're talking about being fair and playing by the rules in American society and values. Now, most of the American people think that the current tax tables are unfair. They think they're skewed toward the rich. They think they're onerous and unfair. So the White House is pushing on an open door there, and I think it's smart.
They're also taking the tax issue and putting it in a larger context, and, frankly, changing the subject a little bit merely from the current sort of mediocre state of the economy and saying, "Look, we've made improvements here, but if we go back to the Republican theory of things, which is symbolized by the tax code, we're going to go right back into the recession that we had under George W. Bush." I think it's been very, very, very clever, on their part.
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Comments
Yeah, you're credible, Howie.
Submitted by drsamherman on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 8:53pm.
You are one of the ones who kept telling the public how stupid George W. Bush was for this or for that, at the same time espousing all of the underlying conspiracy theories about the war on terrorism and how devious and intelligent George W. Bush was for hiding them from the public. You never reconciled the stupidity of that dichotomy, Howie. You never explained exactly how all of that was supposed to work in your scribblings.
Obama is hardly a genius. He's a puppet whose strings are controlled by others. His credentials would not get him past the door otherwise, as an unknown state senator from Illinois suddenly is elected to the US Senate and then becomes POTUS a few years later despite having zero experience? Please tell us again, Howie, how someone of his rather dull credentials managed to pull that off without a massive effort.
come on Howie*
Submitted by cajun2 on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:13pm.
You should have said "unprecedented" if you wanted to make a lasting impression.
Yes, Howard, clever X3 for
Submitted by motherbelt on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:12pm.
Yes, Howard, clever X3 for the president's campaign strategy:
No class, just class warfare.
➚Clever = devious
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:17pm.
How many votes can he buy with his spiel that envy is a virtue?
I think it's possible if he can drive enough Americans into poverty.
Right, Howard, our economy is sucking eggs, unemployment is...
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:25pm.
...pushing 20% (no, not the 8.whatever number BS the government and the MSM continue to lie about), and hit the people who have the means to actually hire with higher taxes.
You, sir, are a total dumbmass.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Fineman and the WHBS
Submitted by Gary Hall on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:37pm.
Fineman: The White House is confident they can make this case because they're not just talking about taxes per se, they're talking about . . .
. . . bs
Exactly where the national media wants them to be.
(;~> gary
If
Submitted by bkeyser on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:39pm.
whoring yourself for votes is very, very, very clever, than Obama has a monopoly on it.
Clever Tax
Submitted by NVRAT on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:57pm.
Hell, he don`t have to raise the tax on wealthy he just has to change the tax codes but, then it would affect him and everyone in Congress and we don`t want to do that now do we?
A smart idea very few
Submitted by Semus on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:57pm.
A smart idea very few believe, but I guess it isn't important. It's a lie easily checked, and most who claim to believe it know it isn't true. Just like everything the left and the Democratic party builds it's platforms on. This so called expert Fineman who is no more than a political operative knows this. I'm so sorry I ever listened to anything he has said, he is intelligent This scam will only convince those who are already in the bag. The Democrats are in big trouble this go round but not nearly as much trouble as they should be in.
Owebama will add 6 trillion in new debt in one term
Submitted by merly1 on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 10:56pm.
Clever or moron? I am very willing to let history judge this moment in time.................
yup he's vewy twicky.
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 11:03pm.
the way he wants to buffett the rich for 4 billion a year while he spends that daily. yup he a kwever waskle.
Fineman sees
Submitted by bobsmom on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 11:05pm.
dead people, walking around like real people. Which, in his social circles, is the norm.
Just what I want.......
Submitted by GregE on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 11:15pm.
............A President that lies to my face using "clever" methods to try and dupe me. Unreal.
A fair tax would be an across
Submitted by rbosque on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 11:35pm.
A fair tax would be an across the board tax on everybody, not just the top 50%. He should pull his head out of Obama's ass long enough to figure that out.
Hmmmmmmmmm
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 5:48am.
Bush recession? Was that the one with 5% unemployment and $2.10 a gallon gas? Before the Democrats took over Congress in Jan 2007?
Taxes
Submitted by Jersey Girl on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 8:57am.
After all, everyone knows that by giving more money to the government the unemployment rate will drop to 4% overnight.
Tax Argument is being framed wrong
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 10:03am.
The Dems and the left are framing the argument about tax "fairness" as: The Rich are paying a lower tax rate then the middle class. We need to raise the tax rate of the rich.
I'm not even going to bother getting into an argument about capital gains and double taxation and all of the other good arguments that take up more then 30 seconds. Those arguments are going nowhere, because the average Dem voter, when it comes to things economic, is either ignorant or just plain dumb, and doesn't want to take the two minutes to discuss why raising taxes on capital gains is a bad idea and will lead to more outflow of capital from the United States and less of a chance for stupid Obama-Bots to get a job, if they even actually want one.
The quick snappy counter argument needs to be: Taxes on the middle class are too high. We need to lower tax rates on the middle class to makes things fair. The government shouldn't spend more money then it takes in.
I think we win with an argument of lowering taxes to make things fair as opposed to raising taxes to make things fair.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Tax Increases Lead To Lost Jobs
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 12:37pm.
How many workers will lose their jobs if taxes are raised? Think, before you vote.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
Yeah, give that "fairness doctrine" a spin
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 9:11pm.
If the Republican candidate and all the others had any co-jones, they'd say:
"Yes, the tax code is unfair. Half the people pay no taxes and want the other half to pay more."
Or
"Half the people pay no taxes. Make THEM pay their fair share."
No Representation without Taxation.
Fairness????????????
Submitted by GregE on Sat, 04/14/2012 - 11:38pm.
Is it FAIR that the federal government borrows 40 cents of every dollar spent and piling the debt on the backs of future generations???????????
Do the Democrats and daddy Obama care about THAT fairness????????????????????????
How's Howie's doing? Just Fine, man.
Submitted by NotFondOfLibs on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 10:17am.
I hope Howie Fineman helps run the Huffington Post into the ground as he did with Newsweek.
Disconnect
Submitted by StarAZ on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 1:14pm.
Look at Fineman's photo--think about phrase very very clever--do those go together? I gave up listening to Howard back in the days when I knew the channel number for MSNBC.
Lessons from Nina
Submitted by Model850 on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 5:06pm.
Evidently Fineman took lessons from Nina Totenberg on the (over)use of adverbs.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2012/03/31/nprs-nina-totenberg-o...