Bernie Sanders is Right! Americans are Angry! He Just Has No Idea Why.

In today's Wall Street Journal Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spins his version of "Why Americans Are So Angry". He is absolutely correct in his assertion, however his reasoning as to why is way off base and is a testament to his out of touch socialist ideology.

Why Americans Are So Angry 

The rich are getting richer. Their effective tax rate, in recent years, has been reduced to the lowest in modern history. Nurses, teachers and firemen actually pay a higher tax rate than some billionaires. It's no wonder the American people are angry.

I don't understand this accusation. I pay taxes and I have seen the progressive tax tables. I invite someone to show me some math as to how this is possible, unless of course it's due to tax loopholes that were granted by Congress.

Many corporations, including General Electric and Exxon-Mobil, have made billions in profits while using loopholes to avoid paying any federal income taxes.

Yes. We are very angry about this. This is why we want a short term deal on the debt ceiling. We want you to have just enough time to reform the tax code, and deliver on promises of spending cuts. The Corporate Tax rate should be lowered to 20% or 25% and all loopholes should be eliminated. 35% is the highest corporate tax rate in the world, and what good does it do you if you can't collect it, other than scaring away other multi-national corporations who might come here and create some jobs, and hurting the small businesses who do have to cough up the 35% because they don't have armies of accountants searching for loopholes. Imagine if we collected 20% of General Electrics profits?

If the Republicans have their way, the entire burden of deficit reduction will be placed on the elderly, the sick, children and working families. In the midst of a horrendous recession that is already causing severe pain for average Americans, this approach is morally grotesque. It's also bad economic policy.

This type of demagoguery does not help. What American's want Congress to do is to increase revenue by fixing the tax code and to reduce spending. Just increasing taxes doesn't even come close to fixing the problem. It's like pissing in the ocean in an effort to raise its temperature. It shows that liberals are more interested in scoring a victory in their culture war rather than fixing the problem. Sen. Sanders sanction of the victim argument is just an excuse to ignore the tough reality we now face.

What's more, Mr. Boehner's plan would reopen the debate over the debt ceiling, which is now paralyzing Congress, just six months from now.

Exactly Bernie! We don't trust you! We don't trust the promises of tax reform and spending cuts. If we give you the money to keep on spending thru the election you and the rest of Congress will move on to less important issues. We will have let you "kick the can down the road". We want you and Congress held accountable. We want this debate to happen again in six months so that we can take measure of your performance in advance of the election. If you do not increase revenues by fixing the tax code and you do not deliver on your promises to reduce deficit spending then we will send you all packing.

Now shut up and get to work!

Climate of Hate Making a Comeback

After the shooting of Rep Gabby Giffords the left came out and and basically blamed Sarah Palin for the whole thing. Her rhetoric was violent when she said things like "Lock and load", and her imagery was violent when she used cross hairs to identify districts locked in close races. Never mind that phrases like 'battleground state' have been used by many for as long as I have been alive.

I have always said that there are a lot of democrats who have the need for hate. They have to have someone to hate. For 8 years it was Bush derangement. Now it's Sarah's turn. And the big irony was that they used hate as their instrument to project hate! Saul Alinsky would be proud.

• RULE 3: "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy." Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address. One way of doing this is to accuse your enemy of what you are doing or going to do)

Well, now things are heating up in Washington over the debt and the seething hate by the left is turning into violent rehtoric. It's OK for them to do it though.


Larry Summers the Cable Guy

Larry Summers is a brilliant guy, or so he's told us. But the former Treasury Secretary, Harvard University president, and until this January the most senior White House economic aide sure can say some dumb things.

Take his remarks yesterday comparing Republicans in Congress to terrorists. "Is the President right to not yield to terrorism?" Mr. Summers, who is once again a Harvard don, told Bloomberg TV. "Yes, the President is absolutely right to not yield to threats to send the country into default. You can't run the country that way."

and the article went on to quote Mr Summers as saying

"The financial terrorism threats are untenable."

So calling someone a Nazi is out, and terrorist is in. Did everyone get the memo?

comparing a debate over spending and debt to murderers who hijack airliners and target civilians is overwrought even by the standards of modern cable television.

And with this pithy close the editorial piece gets another good jab in.

Mr. Summers could at least be a little less Keith Olbermann-like in his choice of words toward those trying to clean up his mess. Unless, of course, he's looking for a gig on MSNBC.

And on the same page we see another example of the left cranking up the violent rhetoric.

Elizabeth Warren Forgets

In the hyperbole department, does anyone do it better than Elizabeth Warren? Yesterday she told reporters that today's House vote on a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reform bill is an effort to "try and kill this agency." Little did we know that accountability and murder were synonymous in the Harvard law professor's vocabulary.

 Where are the Cries for Civility?