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Politics

Hey Joe Biden! Do You and Obama Want to Raise Taxes by $1 Trillion? 'Yes. We. Do.'

Matt Welch | 10.4.2012 4:11 PM

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Here's your favorite sitting vice president, talking about tax policy today in Iowa:

Link via National Review's Katrina Trinko. Reason on taxes here, on Joe Biden here.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

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NEXT: Parents Starved, Confined Son to Room for Years

Matt Welch is an editor at large at Reason.

PoliticsPolicyEconomicsJoe BidenTaxesElection 2012
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  1. Hugh Akston   13 years ago

    So they want the super-wealthy to pay more taxes so they can bail out and stimulize the politically connected super-wealthy? Seems reasonable.

    1. Episiarch   13 years ago

      No, Hugh, you blithering dingbat. They want the politically unconnected super-wealthy to pay more taxes so they can bail out and stimulize the politically connected super-duper-wealthy. See the difference now, Rain Man?

      1. Robert   13 years ago

        Is that like a crazy, kooky super-king?

    2. John   13 years ago

      I was having coffee today and I overheard two people talking. They honestly had no clue how much taxes rich people pay. They really thought we had some kind of regressive tax system where the top 10% pay nothing and everyone else is crushed.

      They are not alone in believing that. And that is why this kind of rhetoric works.

      1. Hyperion   13 years ago

        Maybe they should get a job and look at their pay check stubs, that might shed at least a little light on the subject for them.

      2. KPres   13 years ago

        I saw a poll recently that asked, "Should taxes be raised on the wealthy?"

        Something like 65% of people said yes.

        Then the poll asked what rates the wealthy should pay. 80% of the people picked a number LOWER than the average effective top rate.

        Whatta ya gonna do? They get this bullshit from a socialist media.

    3. CampingInYourPark   13 years ago

      "So they want the super-wealthy to pay more taxes"

      I've heard they're going to "ask"

  2. Warty   13 years ago

    Well, he's not very smart.

    1. sage   13 years ago

      True, but in some ways the most awesome vice president ever.

      1. John   13 years ago

        They should amend the Constitution and create the position of VP emeritus just so Joe doesn't have to leave office.

        1. Hyperion   13 years ago

          Just give him a permanent position as court jester. That way the entertainment will never stop.

        2. fish   13 years ago

          Biden is truly Steve Martins, Ruprecht, in "Dirty, Rotten, Scoundrels"!

          Now Joe don't make me get the genital cuff!

      2. Brutus   13 years ago

        I can't think of a guy more deserving of that warm bucket of spit.

    2. Episiarch   13 years ago

      This has already been firmly established. But remember, according to Obama supporters, he's going to crush Ryan in their debate because that's all part of the Obama campaign's super duper genius long term plan which Obama's drubbing last night was a critical part of and totally necessary for their Jedi mind trick scheme.

      1. Warty   13 years ago

        Doesn't Paul Ryan TOTALLY! remind you of that frat guy you regret sleeping with in college??!?! OMG!!!!

        1. Hyperion   13 years ago

          He reminds me of Eddie Munster, looks wise.

          1. Michael   13 years ago

            ...as portrayed by Kyle McLachlan in a David Lynch film adaptation of the series.

        2. John   13 years ago

          Warty,

          Sodomizing him doesn't count as sleeping with him. And like you ever regret forcible sodomy.

          1. Sudden   13 years ago

            He does regret the forcible sodomy, if only because Ryan's butt-chugging frat ritual the night before left his anus gaping wide open and burning like 151.

      2. Hyperion   13 years ago

        They are not seriously going to let this guy debate Ryan are they? I can't even imagine how hilarious that will be. I thoroughly enjoyed last nights beat down even though I don't like either Obamney, but if they actually let Biden get on national TV and debate Ryan, I am going to get a case of beer and take the next day off, because I am not sure anything like it will ever be seen again.

        1. Drake   13 years ago

          My worry is that it becomes such a horrific beating that people vote for Obama / Biden out of pity.

        2. Michael   13 years ago

          I can't even imagine how hilarious that will be.

          "And Oliver has run himself over! What a great Twit!"

        3. Killazontherun   13 years ago

          Seriosly, they think Biden is going to give them the Loyd Benton moment against Ryan that will be the game changer.

          He will try to, and the gaffe that results will be spectacular.

        4. Cavpitalist   13 years ago

          Judge Jim Gray would slaughter them both. It would be like the Red Wedding of debates.

      3. Loki   13 years ago

        I suspect that when Ryan beats the shit of Biden on live television, they'll explain it as "Ryan was a bully for picking on the slow retarded kid" and "Biden was just playing [brain] dead to score sympathy points" or something like that. The self delusion with these people is breath taking.

  3. darius404   13 years ago

    It's called fairness where I come from.

    It's called envy and theft where I come from.

    1. sage   13 years ago

      You come from the same place!

    2. Auric Demonocles   13 years ago

      It's totally fair to make rich people pay more for the same stuff. You wouldn't charge a rich guy just $5 for a beer, would you?

    3. Caleb Turberville   13 years ago

      "We're going to ask the wealthy pay more in taxes."

      ISWYDT

      1. The Hammer   13 years ago

        Then we are going to strongly suggest that they hand over more money, or something bad might happen to them. Then we are going to make some obvious allusions to Marie Antoinette. Then we are going to go get some $7 cups of coffee and congratulate ourselves on being so clever as to know who Marie Antoinette was. Then we are going to burn down their houses, steal all their stuff and use their money to fund our vision of government. For about a month. Then we are going to run out of money again. Then, we will look around and notice that there is still a top 1 percent...

  4. Hyperion   13 years ago

    Good Gawd, I thought O was going to finally lock this fool up in the broom closet after last nights debacle. RFLMAO!

  5. Lord Humungus   13 years ago

    since I'm really rotten at predicting the future, I thought I would guess at some possible scenarios:

    Romney barely loses to Obama, thanks to Johnson getting N% of the vote in some of the tighter swing states. Republican recriminations follow.

    Romney barely loses, but gets a bare decimals point win in the popular vote. Obama is declared "not my president" by the 'pubs. Super-double hatred of Obama ensues.

    Romney wins straight out, but the Republic crashes and burns anyways. It will take some incredible fiscal belt-tightening and no one has the political will to do it.

    Obama wins, but the Republic crashes and burns anyways. It will take some incredible fiscal belt-tightening and no one has the political will to do it.

    1. Hyperion   13 years ago

      I think the last option is best. Although you know that for all eternity the progressives will keep saying that everything only went wrong because they didn't steal and spend enough.

      1. ant1sthenes   13 years ago

        I don't know about for all eternity. When Mad Max times get here, they won't be tough enough to become bandits, and they won't have any useful skills to trade with other survivors. The younger women will be taken as slaves, the rest will be eaten. What sort of wine would you recommend with an Ezra Klein?

        1. LTC(ret) John   13 years ago

          Petit Syrah.

  6. Loki   13 years ago

    Conspiracy theory: Between Obama's shitty debate performance last night and now Biden opening his dumb mouth and spewing forth this gem today, is it possible they're trying to throw the election on purpose? Do they realize that trying to "fix" the economy is impossible and they just don't want to be in the white house when the shit really hits the fan, knowing that whoever is will inevitably be blaimed for it? Or are they really this stupid?

    Occam's Razor would suggest that yes, they really are just stupid, but you have to wonder. I would have thought this level of stupidity would be impossible, but I guess I should never underestimate human stupidty, the only truly infinite resource. It's just too bad we haven't figured out a way to convert to stupidity into energy. Our energy problems would be over.

    1. John   13 years ago

      At some level I think a lot of liberals want Romney to win. Being in charge is not a good role for them. For the last four years they have been responsible for things. They have had to defend something rather than just bitch and moan and live in a fantasy world. If Daddy comes back in the form of Romney, the good times return. They can go back to fighting the man and dreaming about what might have been in the 1960s and mythologizing Barrack and Michelle's Camelot that was destroyed by the evil Republicans.

      1. Warty   13 years ago

        Camelot

        It just occurred to me: these people really are monarchists, aren't they?

        1. John   13 years ago

          Yes they are. That is what makes the liberal claim that conservatives and libertarians all want a strong "Daddy" figure for a President one of the more funny cases of projection going.

          These people are children who want to live in a fantasy world. No one wants a daddy more than liberals.

          1. Loki   13 years ago

            As long as "daddy" only beats and punishes their richer, more successful brothers and sisters.

    2. Episiarch   13 years ago

      I would say that they really are this stupid. We've seen time and time again the incredible incompetence of his staff and himself. These people, I'm guessing, are a lethal combination of unqualified yes-men (and women), delusion about their own competence, and delusion about their boss' competence. They're stupid, dude.

      And on top of that, they crave power and fame. I don't think they'd ever willingly throw away the chance to get four more years of it.

      1. John   13 years ago

        If you are a liberal and have a little money and can go to the right schools and live in the right places, you can live your entire life and never meet a single person who doesn't completely agree with you. These people have lived in a total bubble their entire lives.

    3. Hyperion   13 years ago

      There is no mystery here. We have 100+ years of progressive policies to thank for this crap and only a reversal of most of it will fix things. Neither of the 2 party duopoly will do it. The GOP will blabber about doing it and then do little to nothing. The Dems will go full speed ahead with the same things that have caused the problem and not even pretend to be concerned that they might be heading further in the wrong direction. Sooner it all falls down, the better. Look at Europe, those fools just can't keep the suffering going for long enough.

    4. Sidd Finch   13 years ago

      Here's my theory: Biden is plain dumb. Obama is of average presidential intelligence, but is way lazier. It's well-documented that he doesn't like all the glad-handing and baby kissing. He plays a lot of golf and basketball. He's nonchalant about his briefings. I think he wants to be president again, but he's not going to work super-hard or anything.

      I imagine that when he was looking down during the debate he was daydreaming about being a tinpot dictator, one who wears funny hats and stream-of-thoughts philosophy books, that would never subject himself to 3 hour anything.

      1. Loki   13 years ago

        I imagine that when he was looking down during the debate he was daydreaming about being a tinpot dictator, one who wears funny hats and stream-of-thoughts philosophy books, that would never subject himself to 3 hour anything.

        ...and never has to put up with these tiresome elections, or pretend to give a shit about anyone but himself ever again.

      2. Not an Economist   13 years ago

        I always thought Bill Clinton loved being President. The glad-handing, wrangling congressional votes, all of it.

        I got the impression George Bush looked at it like a job. Something he had to do not something he wanted to do.

        Obama gives me the impression as someone who loves the title but not the job. And therefore spends as little time as possible at it.

  7. Lyle   13 years ago

    Biden has to do a debate. Oh shit!

    1. Mike M.   13 years ago

      I know. It's almost tempting to watch that one just for the sheer entertainment value of the insane things that are likely to come out of his mouth.

  8. Mike M.   13 years ago

    Good luck increasing revenues to 3.3 trillion by raising taxes on the "rich" only in an economy that's barely growing. I'm just dying to see how you schmucks are going to manage to pull THAT one off!

    1. Hyperion   13 years ago

      Just watch France and see the tax magic work miracles!

      1. Loki   13 years ago

        Yep, it's working great so far. /sarc

  9. Caleb Turberville   13 years ago

    "We're going to let that trillion dollar tax cut expire so the poor don't have to bear the burden of all that money going to the wealthy."

    ISWYDT

    1. 0x90   13 years ago

      Nobody owns himself. Everybody owns everybody else.

    2. Loki   13 years ago

      All money belongs to the government. You should just be thankful that they allow you to keep some out of the kindness of their hearts.

      THIS IS WHAT "PROGRESSIVES" ACTUALLY BELIEVE

  10. The Late P Brooks   13 years ago

    They honestly had no clue how much taxes rich people pay.

    WARREN BUFFETT'S SECRETARY PAYS MORE THAN HE DOES!!11!111!!

    1. Killazontherun   13 years ago

      Yet, his tax attorneys keep fighting having to pay the 2 billion claimed against him by the IRS. I would assume one thing has something to do with the other.

  11. protefeed   13 years ago

    Conspiracy theory: Between Obama's shitty debate performance last night and now Biden opening his dumb mouth and spewing forth this gem today, is it possible they're trying to throw the election on purpose?

    Nah. Biden is just a mildly retarded dumbass who doesn't even know to keep his piehole shut. Obama is someone who can speak well when TelePrompters and good writers back him up, who got his ass handed to him by someone who is really good at selling shit.

    They want to win. They may even succeed despite being themselves because of changing demographics, though that seems less of a slamdunk now.

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