Believe it or not, that headline’s no joke. Check out the AP story here:
News flash: Congressional Republicans want to raise your taxes. Impossible, right? GOP lawmakers are so virulently anti-tax, surely they will fight to prevent a payroll tax increase on virtually every wage-earner starting Jan. 1, right?
Apparently not.
Many of the same Republicans who fought hammer-and-tong to keep the George W. Bush-era income tax cuts from expiring on schedule are now saying a different “temporary” tax cut should end as planned. By their own definition, that amounts to a tax increase.
The tax break extension they oppose is sought by President Barack Obama. Unlike proposed changes in the income tax, this policy helps the 46 percent of all Americans who owe no federal income taxes but who pay a “payroll tax” on practically every dime they earn.
That’s right, Republicans are totally against letting the Bush tax cuts (cost: a staggering $400 BILLION per year, $4 TRILLION per decade!) expire, even on the wealthiest of the wealthy (the same super-rich folks that Warren Buffett says it’s time to stop coddling). In stark contrast, according to AP, Teapublican’ts are A-OK with letting taxes rise on working people and the middle class — us, in other words.
Of course, we really shouldn’t be surprised about this, as it’s been obvious for many years that Teapublican’ts don’t give a rat’s hindquarters about non-wealthy and non-corporate people (although, come to think of it, Republican’ts believe that corporations ARE people, so this gets a bit confusing). Still, they’re being so blatant about it; I mean, usually they at least kinda sorta try to put a thin veneer of “message, we care” in front of their heartlessness, ya know?
By the way, speaking of heartlessness, check this out: “Jobs? No dice, says Boehner’s office.” That really sums it up well about the Teapublican’ts.