Ben Stein Blames ‘Excessive Tax Cuts’ & ‘Voodoo Economics’ for Deficit

Newsbusters.org ^ | April 17, 2011 | Brad Wilmouth

[AnnGora]

During a pre-recorded commentary aired on CBS’s Sunday Morning show, right-leaning actor and economist Ben Stein - also a CBS contributor - blamed "excessive tax cuts" enacted by former President Bush and congressional Republicans for "starting the problem" of the current federal budget deficit, and advocated raising taxes on the wealthy in addition to "major spending cuts" and changes in Medicare and Social Security to get the deficit under control. Stein: "The Republicans who started the problem with excessive tax cuts in the Bush years will have to agree to raise taxes at least upon the truly rich of whom there are plenty."

[GlockThe Vote]

Schiff is the best economist out there bar none. He is a libertarian pro-leave me the hell alone - kind of guy.

[Ken H]

Franken/Stein in 2012?

[trapped_in_LA]

“We’re struggling to stay in the middle class and we’re making just over 100K with four children.”

I saw a study once where they estimated that with all the welfare benefits a single mother of 3 could make the equivalent of what a family of 4 earning $68K per year made. Free food, housing, medical, etc really added up. It’s no wonder Mexicans and other third worlders are flocking to the US, they make more doing nothing than they ever could working their butts off in their country of origin.

[harpu]

bump

[Stepan12]

Franken/Stein in 2012?

That is a classic!

[dfwgator]

In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the... Anyone? Anyone?... the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?... raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this. Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before? The Laffer Curve. Anyone know what this says? It says that at this point on the revenue curve, you will get exactly the same amount of revenue as at this point. This is very controversial. Does anyone know what Vice President Bush called this in 1980? Anyone? Something-d-o-o economics. "Voodoo" economics.

[hifidelity]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxPVyieptwA

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I blame it on federal spending.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Stein has no credibility with me. None. He said there was no housing bubble. Then he said housing prices would not go down nationally. Then he said a small housing slump would not impact the real economy.

From that alone, Stein has proven to be financially illiterate. I wouldn’t ask him to balance my checkbook.

[DManA]

I remember freepers assuring us that that didn’t mean anything. Stein and Franken were good friends.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I remember sounding this alarm over and over, while conservatives were singing the praises of Stein’s movie.

[Mrs. Frogjerk]

You have got to be kidding me! Al Franken of all people! I do have to admit that I feel like a dope for thinking that yes he was a conservative.

But now that he has completely outed himself and basically admitted that he drank the “it's all Bush's fault” Kool-Aid I will not allow myself to be fooled again!

[rockinqsranch]

This needs a really good face palm, and a “Not this s—t again!”, or the picture of the actor, and the “AW GEEZ!”

[Flag_This]

"I remember freepers assuring us that that didn’t mean anything. Stein and Franken were good friends."

Yeah. Yeah... and besides, Stein had business interests in MN to protect; so he contributed, but he didn't contribute contribute. /s

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Ben stated that he supported Franken because he was a fellow Hollywood type...

Really?

I mean...

REALLY?

[RichInOC]

“Now you understand why I ditched school.”

[DManA]

Yup. Stein is a statist pig.

[Mrs. Frogjerk]

I have one of those “prefer not to work” types right across the street from me!

They also have 4 kids that they aren’t really interested in taking care of as well. They are all on any government program there is, including welfare! The hubby has been in and out of work for no good reason for years. They lived in section 8 housing before a bank(during the time of Barney F.) gave them a loan to buy the house they are probably not paying the mortgage for right now. They don’t bother taking care of the house or property and have proceeded to take a once cute neighborhood and white trash it up with just their piece of crap property alone!

Yes folks, these are the lazy bastards that we are “morally” obligated to foot the bill for! We need to take care of the poor you know! Even if it’s their “choice” to live that way! I mean, who cares about a little thing called “taking personal responsibility”.

May God forgive me for sounding this way, but quite frankly, I have had just about enough of this garbage, enough!

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I don’t remember the name of Stein’s movie, but, someone told my Mother that it was really good and she had my sister buy it for her.

They thought that it was really great and would I like to take it home and view it.

I told them about Ben and Al and that they could keep their movie.

Haven’t seen it since, at Mom’s house...

[DManA]

I never watched it either. Didn’t seem a profitable use of my time.