Despite CNN “American Morning” anchor John Roberts asking tough questions about tax increases from liberal Democrat Rep. Charles Rangel’s tax bill, but an onscreen graphic read “Major Tax Reform,” suggesting the network viewed it differently.
Rangel appeared on the October 26 “American Morning” to defend his so-called “tax reform proposal,” but he dodged questions when pressured to admit it was a tax increase:
JOHN ROBERTS: “[B]ut Congressman Rangel, is this an indication that if a Democrat gets into the White House, for many people in America, your taxes are going to go up?”
REP. CHARLES RANGEL: “Of course not! You keep saying that. The more you say it, the more people want to know whose taxes will be going up.”
ROBERTS: “But, some people’s taxes will increase?”
RANGEL: “If you are receiving a preferential tax treatment that you don’t deserve, you can call it what you want – a tax increase. We will be calling it a loophole …”
ROBERTS: “So, are you saying that high income earners are getting a preferential tax break now that they shouldn’t be getting?”
RANGEL: “The only reason that we can bring down the corporate tax rate is because under the higher tax rate some of the people are paying no taxes at all. So what we’re doing is pulling out the unfairness, lowering the rate and we’re doing the same thing for middle income taxpayers.”
Roberts didn’t ask all the tough questions though. According to an editorial in the October 26 Investor’s Business Daily, the bill would be “the largest income-tax hike ever, to punish the rich” and “that the middle class and poor would lose millions of jobs.” Not a word about job loss came up in the “American Morning” segment.
Another CNN reporter, Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash described Rangel’s bill by saying it “would give tax breaks to low and middle-income Americans and pay for it with a tax hike on high-income earners.” That was on the October 25 “Situation Room.”
However, once again, CNN wasn’t telling viewers the whole story.
According to the National Taxpayers Union the bill includes an enormous giveaway to people who already don’t pay taxes: “Rangel claims that ‘91 million families’ will benefit from the scheme, but that includes a spending giveaway to millions receiving the ‘Earned Income Credit’ -- households that don't pay taxes anyway.”
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Arrest Rangel for a $3.5 trillion criminal theft
October 26, 2007 - 17:15 ET by Lame CherryThe United States Constitution affords Congress REASONABLE taxation of citizens by their representation.
There is NOTHING reasonable about 3,500,000,000,000 dollars in tax increases.
The Treasury is obligated to indict and arrest this thief Charles Rangel for extorting money not acceptable by the United States Constitution to be collected by Congress.
Get on the ball G men and start doing your job protecting the American citizen.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
wrangle
October 26, 2007 - 17:26 ET by ZmeademanI suppose this cretin doesn,t realize he,s in this tax "bracket",. PLEASE chucky , splain FAIR to me. On a side note , I just clicked up Israel on google map to recreate the last good nuke plant destruction in syria by the IAF for my flight sim recreation hobby and low and behold ,,,,,,There are no cities in the HOLYLAND. Please help me someone ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Sorry for the off topic derailment.......................Zmeademan
So what we’re doing is
October 26, 2007 - 17:50 ET by USA4freedomSo what we’re doing is pulling out the “unfairness”, lowering the rate and we’re
doing the same thing for middle income taxpayers.”
What?????????????
Right now “before” these tax hikes the rates are:
Top 5% pay 53.25% of all income taxes (Down from 2000 figure: 56.47%).
The top 10% pay 64.89% (Down from 2000 figure: 67.33%).
The top 25% pay 82.9%
(Down from 2000 figure: 84.01%).
The top 50% pay 96.03% (Down from 2000 figure: 96.09%). The
bottom 50%?
They pay a paltry 3.97% of all income taxes.
The top 1% is paying more than ten times the federal
income taxes than the bottom 50%!
How in the hell can he twist his mouth to say the word:
fairness!!!
What a total POS..
I wonder if he was the elected official of anywhere other
then Harlem would he put up this bill??
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagan- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
News media malpractice
October 26, 2007 - 17:47 ET by JDWMajor Tax Reform
Anyone one who believes this idea will not increase taxes calculates with lib math.
JDW
Sen Clinton: Founder of Media Matters
The best reform for democrats..
October 26, 2007 - 18:00 ET by c5thenwould be to tax the "rich" at 100% and re-distribute that money to the "poor" after taking their cut.
The best reform for republicans would be 0% income taxes and replacing that with import, sales and excise taxes
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Fred08.com
After taking their cut?
October 26, 2007 - 18:11 ET by bassndudeAfter taking their cut? What makes you think there would be anything left after they split it up between them?
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Well, of course there would be not very much left.
October 26, 2007 - 18:48 ET by c5thenSo, their "estimates" of the wealth redistribution would fall woefully short, forcing them to re-define "rich" and then try again, but this time their cut would be bigger (more people needed to collect all those new taxes, don't you know)
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Fred08.com
The Best Reform
October 27, 2007 - 02:56 ET by UnsaneThe best reform for Republicans would be a 17% income tax across the board with NO exemptions OR deductions.
Import tax = protectionism
Sales tax = too regressive, and will force consumers to slam their wallets shut, especially when heaped on top of state sales taxes
By the way, if your tagline is correct, then we began losing the republic before their was one.
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
Unsane, At this point I
October 27, 2007 - 10:01 ET by USA4freedomUnsane,
At this point I think I would take anything. Fair tax,
flat tax. Anything to get it “out of the hands” of these money/power grabbing SOB’s.
They “the anointed ones” decide what we get to keep and
what “they get to redistribute”..
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagan- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
On the "Fair" Tax
October 27, 2007 - 23:09 ET by UnsaneI would agree, if I didn't already pay 8% (less or more, depending on where you go in the state) in sales taxes in TX. If the "Fair" Tax was implemented, I'd be paying 30% in sales taxes, as would other Texans. No thanks.
Not to mention what that would do to consumer spending, which, like it or not, drives the economy.
And to top it all off, you need to repeal the 16th Amendment before it gets implemented, lest Congress becomes further addicted to money (not like it isn't already, but why make that problem worse?).
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
“that the middle class
October 26, 2007 - 18:44 ET by motherbelt“that the middle class and poor would lose millions of jobs.” -IBD
Job losses? Comeon, don't rain on Charlie's parade! Don't you know Democrats can raise taxes and create more jobs at the same time? Just like businesses can spend billions on environmental regulations and increase their profits!!
Don't the Dems always say this tax cut and that new regulation will be "good for business?
Mr. Rangell, what country has ever taxed its way to prosperity?
As this comes out and
October 26, 2007 - 18:55 ET by Gat New YorkAs this comes out and voters know more details it will become evident what it means to average people. I expect there will have to be a move to recall this by the Democrats including the candidates. If these candidates do not reject Rangel's idiot plan no one should doubt that the GOP will win the White House and take back both houses in '08. This on top of witch hunts and lack of leadership.
As Democrat strategists like to say, leave it to Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Tax Reform
October 26, 2007 - 19:22 ET by third eyeHearing petty dictator Charles Rangel call his new effort to "stick it to the man" a "Tax Reform", is like reading the word "hottie" across the wide ass of Rosie O'Donnel on sweatshorts 2 sizes too small. Its false advertising, and it hurts the consumer.
DAYUMM, third. I could
October 26, 2007 - 21:14 ET by MikeBDAYUMM, third. I could have gone all millenium without that particular vision! That's just nasty!
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
"CNN Calls Rangel's $3.5
October 26, 2007 - 20:25 ET by Chris Norman"CNN Calls Rangel's $3.5 Trillion Tax Hike a 'Reform'"
And I call myself "God's Gift to Women", but no one's buying that either...
Funny, Chris
October 26, 2007 - 20:31 ET by BlondeTax Reform?
Why don't we just call it what it is? Highway robbery.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Thief
October 27, 2007 - 02:58 ET by Unsane... and let's call Charlie Rangel what he really is.
A Kleptomaniac.
Instead of (D-NY) after his name, I suggest (K-NY).
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
}}---> That's insane, Unsane
October 27, 2007 - 03:59 ET by Cool ArrowKleptos steal small things.
If Rangel's a klepto, he's the P.T. Barnum of them.
No better word
October 27, 2007 - 04:08 ET by UnsaneI couldn't think of a better word to describe one who wants to constantly steal from the successful producers of this country...
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
}}---> P. T. Klepto
October 27, 2007 - 04:17 ET by Cool ArrowCan we agree then, on P. T. Klepto Rangel?
King of thieves?
I think the word is Democrat
October 27, 2007 - 15:17 ET by ahusserI think the word is Democrat (socialist?)
Good one!
October 27, 2007 - 23:11 ET by UnsaneZing!
BUT, as much as I love and totally agree with your sentiments, I need something more caustic, nastier. Calling Dems "kleptocrats" and "thieves" does it for me.
:-)
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
Chuckie Rangel's version of
October 26, 2007 - 21:11 ET by MikeBChuckie Rangel's version of tax reform and tax form simplification:
Form 1040
How much did you make last year? : __________
Send it in.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Mike... I would say
October 26, 2007 - 21:14 ET by bigtimerMike...
I would say ROFL...but in this case so right you are!
We have to unite in the next election....we have to or a lot of these things we moan about here will come to pass.
Tax Reform
October 27, 2007 - 15:23 ET by dmntd1Actually, I think it's more like:
How much did you make last year? :____________
Subtract $50,000: ____________
IF negative, that's your refund, if positive, send it in!
Nothing like making the field fair for all!
I really think that questioning others' masculinity is a game probably better left to people who haven't had more cock in and out of them than a Tyson Chicken regional distribution center. AceOfSpades 06162007
RANGEL: “If you are
October 27, 2007 - 21:43 ET by GregERANGEL: “If you are receiving a preferential tax treatment that you don’t deserve, you can call it what you want – a tax increase.."
So Mr. Rangel, when will you be against tax credits for people who pay no taxes in the first place? That's in the same category isn't it, fine Congressman?
Would Mr. Rangel call that a handout? Oh heck no! That ain't no handout!
Rangel having his hand in
October 27, 2007 - 21:48 ET by GregERangel having his hand in the nations tax laws effecting 300 million Americans is a "what planet am I on?" thought in and of itself. He's a city councilman at best. A socialist one.
Halloween's coming, I'm going as Charlie Rangel.
Remember B. J. Clinton --- it's all about the meaning of words.
October 28, 2007 - 21:43 ET by Galvanic"Mr. Rangel's idea of reform is to raise tax rates in order to offer more deductions,” continued the Journal."
It was during the 1992 Presidential campaign that Slick Willie used the word investments as the euphemism for taxes, which he intended to raise upon assuming the office. Afterall, it sounds more positive, right?
Rangel is obviously playing the same game. Every American --- save tax attorneys, tax accountants, and of course, politicians --- wants some form of tax reform. So, Rangel (as in mangle) merely hijacks the word to label his massive tax hikes.
Democrats want to persuade the public that Big Government is our friend, standing by to protect us from evil doers and even our own poor judgment --- protect us from everything except Big Government. As Hillary Clinton stated herself just a week or two ago, "I've got a million ideas. America just can't afford them."
Not only can't we afford them . . . we don't want them.