Shocker: PBS/US News's Erbe Calls for Flat Tax, Bashes Surcharge on Rich

Reliably liberal journalist Bonnie Erbe almost caused a few heads to explode here at Media Research Center headquarters today when yours truly passed along her July 21 blog post entitled, "Democrats' Meaningless "Tax the Rich" Proposals Will Lead to Class Warfare."

The PBS "To the Contrary" host and U.S. News & World Report contributing editor slammed the idea floating in Congress of adding a surtax on "the rich" to pay for health care:

Perhaps Democrats are developing some sensitivity on their "tax the rich" theme. I can't see NOT taxing the rich. It's just that I disagree with the Democrats' definition of rich. The only way to fairly assess all Americans for the ridiculously expensive programs Democrats are pushing is to enact a flat income tax. Then upper-income persons necessarily pay more in taxes, as 10 percent of $100,000 is a lot more than 10 percent of $20,000. But that'll never happen, so tax-hungry Democrats are going the route of class wars.

Fortunately for us, and you, our cranial pressure reduced when we came across the requisite Bush-bashing packed deeper in her blog post:

President Bush so badly mangled the country and especially the budget that Democrats will run against him for 20 years. But if they don't fix the economy without overtaxing the middle and upper classes, Republicans can starting running against Democrats with the powerful Reagan-era "tax and spend" mantra. Democrats should be smart enough to see that but the Obama crowd doesn't seem to be.