CNN Suggests Higher Taxes on Millionaires

CNN claims to be the moderate voice of cable news, but it certainly doesn't play the part when it shills for President Obama's tax plan. Obama has called for the Buffett Rule, or higher taxes on millionaires, and CNN helped him make his case in a one-sided segment Wednesday afternoon.

Anchor Brooke Baldwin begged for her viewers' attention before she aired Obama's liberal spin on taxes from his State of the Union address. She then highlighted millionaire Mitt Romney's low tax rate, "adding fuel to the fire that the incredibly affluent, the rich folks, pay taxes at a lower rate than the average person," she hyped. [Video below the break.]

Obama has called for the rich to pay their "fair share" of taxes, targeting the disparity in tax rates between the upper and middle classes. Of course, CNN is "adding fuel to the fire" in blaring such a disparity over and over. But then they hosted "economist" Ben Stein to give commentary. Stein agreed with Obama's words as "fair."

Baldwin acted surprised that Stein, a former speechwriter for Presidents Nixon and Ford and a contributor to the conservative magazine The American Spectator, favored Obama's position. To the contrary, Stein has repeatedly called for higher taxes on millionaires to help reduce the deficit.

And on Twitter, Baldwin continued to express amazement that a conservative like Stein would agree with Obama.

A brief transcript of the segment, which aired on January 25 at 2:28 p.m. EST, is as follows:

BROOKE BALDWIN: You say the word "taxes," and most people's eyes glaze over. Your ears shut down as soon as the subject matter comes up. But not now. Please don't glaze over, this is so important. This is huge, especially now in this political climate. Not with this.

(Video Clip)

BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States: We need to change our tax code so that people like me and an awful lot of members of Congress pay our fair share of taxes.

Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule. If you make more than a million dollars a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes.

(End Video Clip)

(...)

BALDWIN: (to Ben Stein) My question to you, the President's tax proposal, is it fair, or does it penalize the successful?

BEN STEIN, economist and author: It's totally fair, and it's absolutely necessary.

(...)

BALDWIN: Ben Stein, are you agreeing with President Obama right here on CNN?

STEIN: Well I'm agreeing with him about that.