Biden: It's Patriotic For Wealthy Americans To Pay Higher Taxes

CANTON, Ohio — Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday called Republican John McCain's answers to the current economic crisis "the ultimate bridge to nowhere" and said paying higher taxes would be patriotic for wealthier Americans.

In response, McCain said raising taxes in this economic climate is "just plain dumb."

Biden said the GOP presidential nominee was out of touch with average people's problems, hoping to resonate with voters in economically troubled northeast Ohio and keep pressure on McCain during a week of bad news from U.S. markets and financial institutions.

Polls in Ohio, a swing state, show a tight race.

"John McCain's answers for the economy _ and we're in such desperate shape _ is the ultimate bridge to nowhere," Biden told an audience of 2,500 on a turf field outside the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The reference to the infamous Alaska project dubbed "the Bridge to Nowhere" was a dig at McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who supported building the bridge until Congress moved to kill it as an example of wasteful spending. She has since claimed she stopped the nearly $400 million bridge, designed to link a southeastern Alaska town to its airport on a nearby island, and told Congress "thanks, but no thanks" when, in fact, the state diverted the money to other projects.

In an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," Biden said wealthier taxpayers would indeed pay more under the proposals of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Under his plan, people earning more than $250,000 a year would pay more in taxes while those earning less _ the vast majority of taxpayers _ would receive a tax cut.

"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Biden said. Of those who would pay more, he said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

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McCain misstated Biden's remark when he told supporters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that Biden had said "raising taxes is patriotic."

"Raising taxes in a tough economy isn't patriotic. It's not a badge of honor. It's just plain dumb," McCain said. "The billions in tax increases that Sen. Obama is proposing would kill even more jobs during tough economic times. I'm not going to let that happen."

Palin piled on, too.

"Joe Biden said it again today, raising taxes is about patriotism," she said in Cedar Rapids, where she appeared with McCain. "To the rest of America, that's not patriotism. Raising taxes is about killing jobs and hurting small businesses and making things worse."

Biden responded during remarks to about 150 people at a Laborers' International Union of North America Local 894 in Akron.

"Tell me how everybody is better off? The point I want to make is, and I mean this sincerely, wealthy people are just as patriotic as poor people. We just have not asked anything of them," Biden said.

Although McCain claims Obama would raise taxes, the independent Tax Policy Center and other groups conclude that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under Obama's proposals.

In a new TV ad that repeats widely debunked claims about the Democratic tax plan, McCain's campaign charges that Obama would increase the federal government amid an economic crisis. Contending that "a big government casts a big shadow on us all," the ad features the image of a shadow slowly covering a sleeping baby as a narrator misstates the reach of the Obama tax proposal.

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Associated Press writer Douglass K. Daniel in Washington contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

Obama campaign: http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

McCain campaign: http://www.johnmccain.com/

McCain ad "Dome": http://www.youtube.com/watch?vkjvzyFyMO-k

Comments

[rwe2late]

Biden & co. need to rework how they explain their positions.
e.g.

Giving tax breaks to the wealthy few is not patriotic.
Using the Social Security surplus to pay for those tax breaks to the wealthy is not patriotic.
Shredding the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is not patriotic.
Misleading the American people and conducting misguided wars is not patriotic.

[Phil123]

Biden is a skinflint. He is among the wealthiest of Americans. Yet his contributions to charity over the last 10 years have averaged $396 per year. What would be patriotic would be for Biden to open his own wallet and give of his own free will. It is not patriotic to be compelled to give by government fiat.

[RobinSeattle]

Biden is only worth about $700,000. He is among the poorest members of Congress.

Nice try, though.

[Lady Lynn de Rthschild]

I won't vote for Joe because he is not rich enough and cares to much for the little people.

If you pay people too much they won't work as hard, and it become more difficult to find good domestic staff.

[vippy]

We cannot and will not judge a man by his contributions to charity. Ask yourself why we need
charities in the first place and start to fix it!

[biglover]

Wealthy - Biden. This guy is not even close to wealthy. Where do you get these lies from and why do you spread them. Prove his wealth.

[republicratfascists]

Biden actually has the lowest net worth of any member of the senate.

[RobinSeattle]

GOP hero and father of capitalism Adam Smith supports Biden's position:

"The necessaries of life occasion the great expense of the poor. They find it difficult to get food, and the greater part of their little revenue is spent in getting it. The luxuries and vanities of life occasion the principal expense of the rich, and a magnificent house embellishes and sets off to the best advantage all the other luxuries and vanities which they possess. A tax upon house-rents, therefore, would in general fall heaviest upon the rich; and in this sort of inequality there would not, perhaps, be anything very unreasonable. It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion."

(The Wealth of Nations)

[RoloTomassi]

EXCELLENT POST! Way to hoist them on their own petard ;-P

[therealredstateblues]

If I may add - Its about time we start hearing from Biden better late than never I guess

Where has he been?

[therealredstateblues]

Biden is aboslutely correct. Where is the sacrifice from the most well off in this time of war and economic hardship?

The Roosevelts were tremendously successful conveying the message that the wealthy benefit greatly from the privileges of a free society and therefore have a moral obligation to contribute back into it. Without the infrastructure and resources provided by the US taxpayer it would have been much more difficult for the wealthy to amass their fortunes.

The bottom line is that the supply side voodoo shift in the responsibilities of maintaining a civil and democratic society has brought us to where we are today economically.

Our nation prospered just fine under a more fair and progressive system.

[6gun]

For a politician to say that they will raise (the interesting word Biden actually used was "take") anyone's taxes and that they should feel good about it because it's "patriotic" is an insult. Being Patriotic is something I do from my heart and committment to my country....NOT some VP candidate reaching into my pocket to "TAKE" more money telling me "it's ok, it's patriotic" and turning around and giving it to some other less "patriotic" American. Heads up, my increase in "patriotism" will cost other hard-working, honorable Americans their jobs....that's a good plan....NOT.

Government has to do more with less (MONEY)....just like my company does year after year. Increased productivity, Lean thinking, less wasted motion...I don't hear much about that. Politicians (notice I am not calling out Democrats OR Republicans cause I hold both responsible...they work for YOU and ME, remember?) haven't shown themselves fiscally worthy of me reaching into my wallet for more "patriotism."

[RoloTomassi]

That's fine; as all of you GOP-minded, blindly patriotic mscreants have continually informed we so-called "anti-American Liberals," if you don't like it, LEAVE.

[nikky]

WHAT COUNTRY FIRST (NOT) RICH DO NOT WANT TO HELP COUNTRY THEY THINK I'VE GOT IT AND IT'S YOURS TO GET

[jinjinpinti]

Not only is it patriotic for those who can afford it to step up in this hour of need, but if they love their children/f­amilies/fr­iends and don't want to have to emigrate elsewhere, it would be most prudent and essential if they don't want to live in a poverty stricken, crime ridden, burned-out-shell of a country in a few years where gated communities aren't just preferred luxuries, but emergent necessities to survive, where the old, sick and dispossesssed would be seen starving and dying in the streets by their children as they all drive by in their armoured Suvs.

[Bettysdad]

The wealthier you are, the more dependent you are on govt services.

Wingnuts think all the govt does is welfare, but if you think just a tiny bit, you'll realize that the wealthy get the majority of benefits from the govt.

[outofhere]

yep, look at Veep Cheney, he can afford two houses and to build a third thanks to defense contracts.

[Free2Speak]

I still don't understand why McCain was able to get away with 5 million as middle class.He kept looking at his handler in the audience who face told him back up, you need to clean that up about 5 million.McCain actually had no clue,he really believe 5 million was a good guess.

[doogiedude]

While I think he could have worded it better, I agree with Joe Biden's message.
I got the impression the point he was trying to make is the middle class is the backbone of ecenomic success of America. If the middle class has no income growth, then they will not have merely no spending growth, but loose spending power as prices rise.

The easy credit phenomenom was just a short sighted means to increase spending power of the middle class without having their income grow. The rich class doesn't seem to understand their wealth cannot increase (and they always want more) if middle class income does not ultimately increase. As the saying goes, you can't get blood from a stone.

After 8 years of Bush making a huge shift of the tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class and keeping the income growth of the middle class minimal, things have finally come to a head. The wealthy got so greedy they wanted to pay less and charge more.


I think Joe Biden was trying to say it's time for the wealthy to abate their greed for the good of all Americans and to give back to the country that enabled them to become wealthy.

Just sayin

[johnnyjust]

Class envy will always be with us. The first income tax, in 1913, was greeted affably because it was sold as a tax on the rich. Initially, it affected very little. That changed.

As Obama would roll back the Bush tax cuts on everyone, the middle-class would be affected immediately. Then he would enact his "tax the rich" plan, just like in 1913.

Some things never change, especially the gullibility of the easily led.

[coyote4]

What's gullible is how you've followed Bush into the pit

[jinjinpinti]

Your greedy party has cut off their noses to spite their faces by obcenely glutting themselves with wealth while impoverishing the greatest CONSUMER BASE in the history of the world, who soon won't be able to buy any of your rich, corporate cronies' products or services. Come back next year and tell us how that's workin' out for ya. Hmmmmmmmmmm?

[vippy]

One works and works all life long and one never can get ahead because you are burdened with
huge taxes, like 4 months out of the year goes for taxes and you wonder how the rich did it, either
they were lucky or they cheated others out of their income. Patriotic are only those, who are poor
and cannot find a job, or some dummies who really believe in the stuff that it is good for the
country. In essence wars are fought on the backs of the poor as long as they can be convinced
it is their patriotic duty, e.g. last 3 wars!

[RoloTomassi]

Amen, Johnny, as you and your mindless ilk are living proof of that notion....

And do explain in detail how the middle class will be hurt by Obama's tax cuts, and how the Bush tax cuts are helping them now.

But I guess you'll have to lift some talking points off of Rush's radio show, so I won't wait around for an answer....

[Gary47]

He's said a lot of fabulous things on the campaign trail, but combining taxes and patriotism strikes me as just giving the other side bullets. Whatever happended to the Democratic value of fairness? Is everyone afraid to talk about it? Seems to me that's a better way to approach the idea that rich people ought pay more in taxes. Along with the constant reminder that we will lower taxes on everyone else.

[biglover]

I think he struck a good chord. No matter what he says, the other side will twist it - so what else is knew. I say go for it.

[genseric13]

Is there really anyone here who is actually worse off financially then they were in 2001? Yeah, you may be older ame more bitter and disgruntled, but are you really worse off?

[AMERIKA]

There are SO MANY people are worse off..you are not seriously asking this question are you? For example, I have two kids in college right now, and I can tell you...its expensive...I pay for my health care insurance and it has gone up at the rate of 50% per year these past several years. Also, the deductible is not $1000 per person per year. With 4 kids, that means $6000 per year of deductible non covered expenses. Also, our credit is toast - we are not able to get credit even though we have paid every bill we have ever had ever. I can go on, and believe me, I am in the top 5% of income earners. o explain that to me.

[Gary47]

Pull your head out of the sand and shake the mud out of your ears and eyes. The only way you could be bloody serious is if your brain cells were hooked up backwards.

[jinjinpinti]

Time for a reality check, there, gen. You may want to sit down first, though.

[RoloTomassi]

News flash there sparky, the vast majority of Americans are worse off than they were in 2001.

What, you don't believe that? Well, why don't you go out and ask some of these guys how they're doing these days as compared to 2001:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/19/tent.cities.ap/?iref=mpstoryview

[DefeatedAnOfficer]

I'm willing to bet that people who have lost their homes are probably focusing on things other than the Huffington Post comments page. Your question is inane.

[genseric13]

These people don't pay higher taxes, they just incorporate. Remember when AH was running against Arnold and it came out she made millions and paid a few thousand in taxes? lol Liberals never fail to amuse me.