Bandying Semantics

There was a line in the first Star Wars film - Darth Vader to Princess Lea over the obliteration of her home planet or something .... something like "Come now, Princess, let's not bandy semantics."

And so we come to the positioning of the Democratic party over the expiration of "The Bush Tax Cuts".

I keep hearing Democrats talk about "holding middle class tax cuts hostage", as if there is some sort of new tax cut the Democrats have been struggling to get by the Republican Superminority and the Republicans just won't let it happen.

And I just saw this David Axelrod clip from some ABC morning show talking once again about the Democrats being kept by the Republicans from extending a tax cut (doesn't mention it as very tax cut they railed against for years which is about to expire) to the middle class.   The Republican want to extend the entire Bush tax cut so that small business owners will feel more comfortable in growing and expanding their businesses ... creating more jobs that are not dependent on tax money.

But the way Axelrod further spins it is even more telling.  He says "they [Republicans] want to borrow another $700 Billion over the next 10 years to give for tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires."   Of course, there are a lot of people making between $250K and $1,000,000 .... but never mind that for now.

The principle of the thing is, he talks about it as if the money is the government's money and that the government gives it away.  Which isn't surprising because that's the way they want their issues voters to look at it.  "Look, we, the Government gave this much money to your cause."  See, the Government is generous, and they [the Democrats] are the most "generous" party in giving away their [the Government's] money.

But of course as we've pointed out numerous times, a tax break doesn't amount to giving people money.  It amounts to taking less money from them.   The top earners already pay the bulk of income taxes in this country -- which you'll never hear Democrats say.  To hear them tell it, the Republicans are taking money from the rest of us and giving it to the wealthy.  Which is an absolutely insane way of putting it.  But remember this is the party that brought you that "depends on what the meaning of the word is is."   This is what they do.   Most politicians do it to some degree or the other, but the far Left has mastered it.

He says Republicans are going to "have to go back to their districts" and "explain to their constituents" why they are holding middle class tax cuts (again, this wouldn't amount to a tax cut for anyone anyway, it would amount to a lack of a tax "re-raising".   What this, in effect is is a tax hike on everyone  -- but since Dems are in such dire straits right now they are offering to exclude the middle class from the tax hike (and call it a tax cut, aren't they generous, again, after vilifying it when it was Bush's tax cut).  Republicans are saying "no, keep the cuts in place for everyone, especially since we're in a recession".  Democrats spin that as favoring the rich.

And the whole thing about giving tax breaks to the rich is what quadrupled the deficit is bunk.  Out of control spending quadrupled the deficit.   Both parties are guilty of this -- but guess which one pushes for faster, more, higher?  They both need to cut it out.  Lack of taxes doesn't cause deficits.  Spending causes deficits.

In the end, Axelrod is saying here that failing to take in money the government isn't taking in now and hasn't taken in for years amounts to borrowing money to give to the rich.

Republicans, your constituents are smart enough to get it if you put it to them the way I have.  And if you don't  put it the way I have and take it to heart yourselves, don't look for the support of the Tea Party Movement next time primaries roll around.  Got it?