Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) spoke at a local Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner over the weekend, and thought it'd be a good idea to invoke the name of a famous Confederate military officer.
"As I close tonight," the Republican congressman said, "I want to remind you of the great farewell speech of Confederate General Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson -- when he bid farewell to his brigade, as he was elevated by Robert E. Lee -- and he said to his brigade that they would always be first in his heart. Broward County will always be first in my heart, and I will never forget you."
Invoking Stonewall Jackson at a Lincoln Day Dinner struck me as deeply foolish, but Travis Waldron flags this gem from Richard Mourdock, the Republican Senate candidate in Indiana, who made an even worse Lincoln analogy.
For those who can't watch clips online, Mourdock compared Republican concerns about less-wealthy American families not paying federal income taxes to Abraham Lincoln's concerns about slavery.
"What [Lincoln] meant by ["we are a house divided"] was that slavery was either going to be totally eliminated from the United States or it was no longer just going to be restricted to the Southern states, it was going to go everywhere. I am here to suggest to you that we are in a house divided.
"You know this past April, when our federal taxes were paid, 47 percent -- 47 percent -- of all American households paid no income tax. In fact, half of that 47 percent almost, actually got tax money back from the government that they never paid -- because a few years ago we revised the welfare program to make it part of the tax code. When 47 percent are paying no income taxes -- they do pay Social Security -- but they are not paying income taxes, and 53 percent are carrying the load, we are a house divided."
First, comparing existing tax law to slavery is ridiculous.
Second, whether Mourdock appreciates these details or not, he seems to have expressed support for widespread tax increases.
Remember, millions of Americans may be exempt from income taxes, but they still pay sales taxes, state taxes, local taxes, Social Security taxes, Medicare/Medicaid taxes, and in many instances, property taxes. It's not as if these folks are getting away with something -- the existing tax structure leaves them out of the income tax system because they don't make enough money to qualify. Indeed, many are retirees who can't earn an income because they're no longer in the workforce.
But for Mourdock, this threatens to tear our country apart -- if wealthier people are paying federal income taxes, then everyone should pay federal income taxes.
Of course, to make that happen, Mourdock would necessarily have to endorse a higher tax burden on those least able to afford it. He's have to run on a platform of raising taxes on tens of millions of Americans.
In the coming months, it'd be worthwhile to get other Republicans on the record on this. In recent months, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Eric Cantor, and others have all said they'd like to see those who aren't paying federal income taxes start contributing more. Apparently, this is a new, fairly standard position for the GOP mainstream, but are all Republican congressional candidates on board with this?
I suspect there are millions of American voters who may want an answer before Election Day 2012.
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Steve, I must admit that I initially wasn't about to read this article, which was, surprisingly, not about what I thought it would be.
Seriously, a title and by lines that start: "Lincoln analogies gone awry: Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) spoke at a local Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner over the weekend..." just begs to be followed up by onion-esque parody.
When I first clicked on the link I thought it was The Onion. Anymore I have a hard time telling the difference between The Onion and the crazy stuffy coming from the GOP.
Quibble: As far as I know, there is no "Medicare/Medicaid tax" as such. There is a Medicare payroll tax, but Medicaid is funded from federal and state general revenues. Incidentally, besides the other taxes you mention there are also federal customs duties and excise taxes which in effect constitute federal sales taxes on some products and services.
Are candidates required to pay taxes on campaign money spent for their personal convenience?
"I suspect there are millions of American voters who may want an answer before Election Day 2012."
I would think so too, however if anything shows lately how the majority of voters are leaning... I really don't think many care about straight-forward answers anymore. People are gobbling up these insane and completely off point on some of these comparisons that it's unsettling. West Virginia would of rather had a Prison Inmate as a President then our actual President. Over half this nation thinks he hates white people, steals from the rich, and is an absolute Communist/Socialist/Nazi that it's beyond the reigns of sanity.
Mourdouck is right though, we are divided.. Just not by the way he thinks we are. Uncompromising and demanding anyone not republican hold absolute-republican views is far more damning to our Nation then they'll ever see.
Alan West's heart is Broward County but is campaigning in different counties because he believes it will be easier to win. Typically GOP, heart matters less than expediency.
Would it settle the right's complaint about the poor not paying any taxes if I agreed to send in every penny I save in the bank every year. Would that make them happy? Sure, come and get it. right now I have 7.50, and I could write a check for that. My paychecks last from check to check. I never have money left over for even car repairs, etc.
Sorry Willow, not enough. Please send the $7.50, a quart of your blood, (which will be worth something until anemia sets in), and if you could siphon whatever gas is in that car and send it along, that will cover your obligations for this period.
Also, please keep in mind that 30 days goes by quickly. If you could begin planning for how you will produce your contribution upon your next opportunity to help provide for the good of the whole, it would be greatly appreciated.
It is with real regret that at this time there is no contact information available to facilitate communication with administrative staff. Please continue to send your contributions to the currently established address you have used previously.
The analogy is even worse than you realize. President Abraham Lincoln signed the very first income tax in American history into law in August 1861 and, wait for it, it was graduated and exempted the vast majority of American workers, i.e., those who made less than $800 per year. I always tell my students -- I teach U.S. history at a comprehensive regional university in the Northwest -- that having an income tax is as American as apple pie.
Of course, Lincoln and the other early Republicans were on the left of contemporary issues. Today's GOP is centered in the Southern states, which tells us all we need to know about who their ideological ancestors are.
I lived in the south in the 90's. I was constantly amazed at how uneducated in history and world affairs those folks were. The civil war was NOT fought because of slavery. And some women had never handled their own money. All money earned went to husband's sole bank account. Household help was "part of the family." Yeah, right.
@Zut Alors! I wish there was a history teacher chatting on the NOW facebook page. Rush Limbaugh has whipped his followers into a lather and created a "Rush's Babe" page and they are so uninformed about history and women's rights it is sad.
Rush's Babe? Singular? Way more than I would have expected.
Wow, Indianans really ought to rally to DEM Rep. Joe Donnelly--with Tea Party fave Mourdock in the race, saying things like this, we should have a shot at Dick Lugar's old seat.
It's Hoosiers. And all the Hoosier Republican stupidity this year, ranging from losing a half billion dollars in the state budget to picking on the Girl Scouts makes me long for the days when the worst Indiana was remembered for was Dan Quayle and spelling bee problems.
From your mouth to God's ears, is all I can say ;)
Mourdock's rhetoric and historical knowledge seem to be coming from a brain that has potatoes for neurons and a stock base for synapse. What I here from him and his like ilk sounds only relevant to watered-down potato soup!
Soupy Sales made more sense than these Republican Bozos, and he merely had a silly children's show! -Kevo
If one checks the recent posts on anything to do with history, one does find the American ppl in general, even the politicians, do not know American history. I recommend a book: Kenneth C. Davis, Don't Know Much About American History. It is a real eye-opener for those that do not know what is going on in the electoral process, or those comments that make you cringe when you read them on blogs like this. Yes, the analogy made between slavery and "a house divided" goes a long way in explaining American's ignorance. Sadly, most Americans do not care!!
Idell, the only examples we need of the stupidity of the citizenry are: the elections of Allen West, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Eric Cantor, and John Boehner to office, and the placement of Mourdock into candidacy.
It's so sad......
47% paid no income tax because of the wealth inequity in this country. Since the 70's everyone's income has at best stayed with inflation, unless you're one of the very thin slice of the country that is in the very top of the income distribution curve, those small few have seen their income rise 400% or more since the 70's. If you dislike the income tax distribution, then you have to by definition dislike the wealth and income inequity. If you got back to a tax code similar to what it was from the 1940's to 1986, you accomplish 2 things. You begin to reduce the wealth inequity that is destroying the economy, and 2 you will see that people will begin to distribute more income to more people. Why give 90% to the govt, when you can give it to your employees and/or investors? Top execs will have to either donate that money to the govt, or increase the income distribution back to the norms of the last 100 years. Either way we pay down the debt, and/or decrease the inequity.
If Mourdock doesn't want 47% of all Americans to not pay an income tax he will move heaven and Earth to make sure the wages of those 47% rise to the point where they have taxible income. What is he proposing re: encouraging unionization or a significant increase in the minimum wage? I personally think it is tragic that 47% of Americans make so little that they don't pay income tax. The soluiton isn't changing the tax code to take money from them, the solution is to increase their wages so they rise into the middle class.
By the way, what I suggest might be a good way for Democratic candidates to deal with the Mourdock canard.
Thank you Ron for saying what I was going to say.
Thank you Ron for saying what I was going to say.
Don't you know that these people believe that when the government takes a part of your wage in taxes they are making you work for free, and that is the essence of slavery? Even some supposedly intelligent academics who identify as libertarians hold this to be true. It is of course totally brain dead--the essence of slavery is in fact the total loss of self--but Mourdock's invocation of Lincoln is certainly a signal to the taxation-is-slavery set that he understands them and is one of them.
Slavery is a relationship where one man owns the fruits of another man's labor. It is the theft of the compensation for a person's work. Taxation is an apt comparison - particularly now that the IRS is working with the State Department to prevent people, who allegedly have not given the state enough of their earnings, from traveling off the plantation. A slave who cannot work has no value. Taxation, on the other hand, is worse than slavery in that a slave owner is responsible for the welfare of the slave, where the state claims no such responsibility. "Loss of self" - whatever that means - more aptly describes another relationship, usually called marriage.
No, it is where one owns another. Period. Like a rancher owns cattle. If you are so concerned about people keeping the fruits of their labor you would be against the boss skimming off the top. After all if you do the work you should get all of the fruit.
No it isn't. After all, no one is forcing you to work are they? They don't sell your children and wife at will do they?
Yeah, those slaves had it soooo good. Would you point out the laws in the south that required owners to treat their slave responsibly?
"Promote the general welfare" ring a bell?
It is incredibly stupid, ignorant and offensive to equate taxes and slavery.
(Sarcasm alert:) Yes repubs, let's raise taxes on that 47%.
The 13% of the adult population who are retirees.
The 8% who are unemployed.
The 5% who are disabled.
The 5% who are in university or grad school.
The 1% who are clergy or military in combat zones.
The 2+% who make minimum or near-minimum wage ($12k yr)
The 12% low income group that pays no federal taxes due to credits/deductions in the tax code.
I think this Mourdick could be a source of some great material going forward. We'll have to wait and see.
Has anyone besides me wondered why a padded wagon hasn't come for Allen West and taken him away to the loonie bin? To me, he is so obviously deranged, I mean worse than Mitch McConnell or your average southern
Senator.
The people in the padded wagon are afraid to get near such a rabid bigot. They are afraid of catching what he has and I don't blame them.
I'm confused. How does slavery and not paying taxes go together again? Can we swap chickens or whatever and then not be guilty of enslaving people or of dividing the house? Help me out here Mourdock, you are the Treasurer of the great state of Indiana, for crying out loud, and you are supposed to know something about how and why people pay or don't pay taxes and not be a durn igmo. Sheesh.
PBR, Mourdock has been a 'part-timer' -- sending staff members to stand in for him at meetings & such "here in IN", where i live. $300M+ CAME UP 'MISSING' last year, blamed on a 'computer programming error', under the 'eye' of a man who took a mortgage exemption on his taxes without a mortgage.
Mourdock is also on record -- very recently -- that his definition of 'bipartisanship' is for Dems to start thinking like Repubs. A lot of VERY STUPID people I have to share this state with....
West is a buffoon and closely behind, Mourdock is similarly establishing his own credential in that department.
"Invoking Stonewall Jackson at a Lincoln Day Dinner struck me as deeply foolish?" Steve, West quoting a slave owner is hilarious!
According to the Tax Policy Center from 2010 data from the Budget of the United States Government, 42% of the federal government's revenue came from the personal income tax and 40% came from payroll tax. Since Social Security (FICA) withholding is capped at $110,000, a person making $1,000,000 per year is not paying FICA on $890,000.
The right wing likes to say "not paying ANY income tax" in such a manner as to infer that the federal government's ONLY source of revenue is the personal income tax, which is patently false.
It amazes me the rage with which the right wing rails on about poor people not paying enough in taxes, while they want to give multimillionaires even more tax breaks. These leeches are already paying less than the poorest of the poor.
There is more morality in a South Park episode than in a GOP position. I wish I could afford to pay RuPaul to attend West and Mourdock events just to wave smile and flirt with them, or Pee Wee Herman if he is out of jail. The GOP are so sanctimonious and grim.