Mark Shields Says 'Amen' When Nina Totenberg Claims 'There Have to be Tax Increases'
NPR's Nina Totenberg on Friday pleaded with Congress to raise taxes in order to balance the budget.
When she did so, her fellow "Inside Washington" panelist Mark Shields, as if at a revival meeting, said "Amen" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
NINA TOTENBERG, NPR: The trouble is there have to be some tax increases as well as spending cuts. You can’t do this over the long haul without some tax increases.
GORDON PETERSON, HOST: We’ll see.
MARK SHIELDS, PBS: Amen.
PETERSON: Okay, you are a Republican member of Congress. You’re running for reelection, and you go home and you say, "I want them to raise taxes. We have to pay for this stuff.”
TOTENBERG: No, all you have to do is let the Bush tax cuts expire and it makes a huge difference. And those are tax cuts on people who make more than $250,000. Let me just point out…
PETERSON: Yeah, but it’s still, taxes still go up. You call it that.
TOTENBERG: Let me just point out that we have, we spend, we are at a spending rate in this country now that is higher than at any time since World War II, and our tax rate is lower than at any time since 1950. Does that tell you something? At both ends, you’ve got to do something.
Okay, Nina - I'll give you your tax cuts on the rich. As the liberal Brookings Institution pointed out last July, that will raise about $67.9 billion a year.
Can we now agree on $1.5 trillion of spending cuts to bring the budget in balance?
Hmmm?
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Comments
Since the current President extended them...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 10:30am.
...are they not now the Obama Tax Cuts???
absolutely!
Submitted by merly1 on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 11:03am.
:o)
End class warfare.
Submitted by Red Jeep on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 10:37am.
Flat tax for all.
Term limits for all politicians.
Fair Tax, not flat tax. We
Submitted by redmike on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 3:35pm.
Fair Tax, not flat tax. We essentially have a flat tax now with a few exceptions. The Fair Tax is a much more equitable system and one that preserves your freedom as well. Every person I've convinced to read the Fair Tax book has become a staunch supporter of the Fair Tax over any type of flat income based tax. A flat tax is a laudable idea, just not when it gets in the hands of politicians.
Offensive - because they're
Submitted by Slyrr on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 10:38am.
Offensive - because they're liberals. As such, they are atheists. As such, they don't believe in God. As such, their use of religious terms like 'amen' is an insult.
Well then...
Submitted by peteydee on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 10:49am.
Lets raise taxes on the ones screaming for higher taxes.Wouldn't they just love that?
I know there is a method to
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 11:12am.
I know there is a method to where they write a check to the IRS if they feel they are not paying enough. That is the message the Republicans need to sent to the Demorats.
To your comment I would just add:
Submitted by Dbak61 on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 4:02pm.
Amen!
Oh, I am fine with some mild tax increases.....
Submitted by merly1 on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 11:01am.
but the spending cuts have to be about tenfold!
Even worse, the chutzpah here as Owebama and his massively Dem Congress could have let the Bush tax rates expire in 12/2010, but nooooooooooooooooo.
If you believe in higher tax rates, Nina, then be angry at your Dems who had a filibuster proof COngress for 6 months in 2009, then the 2nd chance in December 2010, and not only did nothing, but actually re-upped the Bush rates. Talking heads are morons to be sure!
Most people don't realize
Submitted by redmike on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 3:37pm.
Most people don't realize that they have already had a substantial tax increase already in the form of QE and QE2 and potentially QE3 on the horizon.
Inflation
Submitted by m1xram on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 3:39pm.
As more U.S. dollars are created it drives up the price of oil, which is tied to the U.S. dollar, and drives inflation up around the world. It's why we pay more at the supermarket and at the gas pump. Then they use the fake money to purchase our own debt accelerating the economic collapse. Our government is implementing what happened in the Weimar Republic and they know the result.
The opposite of Left is Freedom.
Of course, NPR would hype tax
Submitted by jessieH on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 11:04am.
Of course, NPR would hype tax increases. They are funded by us, the taxpayers. Stop funding them. They are using the airwaves to push propaganda against the USA.
empty collection plate at the Church of Government
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 12:42pm.
The Left needs a tax increase as a band-aid to get through the 2012 election. Otherwise we might end up with a serious debate on cutting spending. That is, cutting government, for which Shields will offer no amens or hallelujahs.
Totenberg and NPR
Submitted by Comrade Jim on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 12:03pm.
Are sucking on the teats of government so naturally they would never discover that spending (for example on NPR) is part the problem.
By any poll you care to site,
Submitted by jdhawk on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 12:10pm.
By any poll you care to site, duhbama and the dimocrats are losing when it comes to the economy. Americans know enough to know when they are being conned. Raising taxes is not the answer; reduction in spending is THE answer and not just at the federal government, but all levels of government.
What we need is LESS SPENDING by government. The only way to get there is vote duhbama and the dimocrats out of office.
.
Presently, the only "quiver" in the Republican aresenal is to NOT raise the debt ceiling until substantive and substantial spending cuts are agreed to by the senate and duhbama. If the Republicans fold on this, the debate is as good as over until after the 2012 elections.
The only plan out there to cut spending is Congressman Ryan's budget proposal. It is a good plan that I think should be embraced by Republicans
I'm Sorry, But It Should Be A Requirement
Submitted by Bourbeau on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 12:46pm.
If these talking head shows, that clog the airways every day of the week, spewing their liberal or conservative biases all over the place, then their talking head hosts should be required to reveal their income taxes for all to see. I love being preached to about how we need to spread the wealth to take care of the poor, yet I never know what the preachers are doing to foster their own opinions. Show me your taxes, Nina, Chris, Bill, David, Mark, etc., then I will be willing to listen to what you think I should be doing.
On Fox this am (regular Fox, Saturday Business)
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 1:08pm.
....I forget which show, the one w/Brenda Buckner as the mod, IIRC.
They were discussing putting in "automatic" tax increases, to be triggered when certain budget indices weren't met. Of course, the conservatives all argued this was absurd on it's face. It abrogates any responsibility on the part of the legislators for their failures, or for raising taxes..."but, but, but I didn't do it, it was automatic".
The thing that really made my head explode, and we were hooting at the idiocy....was the liberal. He said something along these lines..."Absolutely it is a great idea. Build in some punishment. When Congress doesn't do its job on spending and the budget, it gets punished by increased taxes. What we need to do is take this automatic tax increase and invest the revenues on things like high speed rail, green energy, blahdity, blahdity, blahdity". (This was the point at which we went ballistic).
Why don't you count the ways this is sheer insanity? Because if I start, I'll be at it all day. Punish....whom? Save by...Spending?
OMO, we've clearly entered bizarro world with these liberal geniuses.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
More progressive tax system....
Submitted by heartlandconser... on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 1:23pm.
We need a more progressive tax system: If you are a progressive, volunteer to pay more taxes! Walk the talk......NOT HOLDING MY BREATH!
Sorry, Nina, but you can't tax your way out of BO's deficits
Submitted by TheHistorian on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 2:02pm.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/262045/there-aren-t-enough-millio...
There just isn't enough income out there. You could do a "John D Rockefeller tax" like FDR did to get 99.9% out of Rockefeller, and you still couldn't get enough to cover what BO is spending. Maybe he took lessons from Moochelle?
Dennis Prager
Of course Shields is going to say amen to higher taxes
Submitted by Dave. on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 3:31pm.
After all, government is the religion of the left.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Nina and Mark,
Submitted by Scout Finch on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 12:19am.
Take out your fat checkbooks, write a check in any denomination you so desire, and make check payable to "United States Treasury Department". There. Your problem is solved.
Don't make ME and everyone else who is struggling to make ends meet pay more so that your conscience is relieved. Put your money where your flapping lips are. It's a free country, and if Liberals feel like they should contribute more, go right on ahead.
"The problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." (Margaret Thatcher)