Joe Biden on Taxes: "You Call it Redistribution of Wealth," I Call It "Just Being Fair"

yahoo! Finance ^ | March 30, 2010 | Joe Biden

[Choose Ye This Day]

[snip]

There's also the issue of whether these tax cuts, in conjunction with the health care reform bill signed last week, represent a redistribution of wealth in America, as many claim.

"It's a simple proposition to us: Everyone is entitled to adequate medical health care," Biden says. "If you call that a 'redistribution of income' -- well, so be it. I don't call it that. I call it just being fair -- giving the middle class taxpayers an even break that the wealthy have been getting."

The top quintile of Americans earned 55.7% of pretax income and paid 69.3% of federal taxes in 2006, according to the most recent CBO data. But the Vice President isn't buying the idea that the wealthiest are already paying their fair share, noting the top 1% of earners get 22% of all income made in the U.S.

"Taxes have been lowered for the wealthy considerably over the years," he says. "It's about time we get a little tax equity here."

[aruanan]

[Moby Grape]

Yeah Joe, that’s was FDR called it when he went on television after the market crash of 1929...

[Political Junkie Too]

Confiscating the 401k savings from hard-working Americans and giving it to people who couldn't be bothered to sacrifice today for security tomorrow, will also be deemed "fair."

-PJ

[andy58-in-nh]

I’ve gotten essentially the same response from Liberals so enthralled with their own “selfless” compassion that they cannot admit to the true nature of their motivations or of the government actions of which they approve. Once in a while, if you can actually crack the façade, what you will see there, even if momentarily, is a dark place poisoned by self-loathing and resentment at the necessity of responsibility.

[wbill]

Well, figure that Quayle wasn't the brightest light either, but he got a pretty raw deal, IMHO.

That and Biden makes Quayle look positively omnipotent.

But, he does that to most people. :-)

[edcoil]

The 14th amendment was killed long ago.

[highlander_UW]

Well, figure that Quayle wasn't the brightest light either, but he got a pretty raw deal, IMHO. That and Biden makes Quayle look positively omnipotent.

But, he does that to most people. :-)

I agree. Quayle always sort of reminded me of a republican version of John Edwards...but now that Edwards has been revealed to be a real scum of the earth I wouldn't insult Quayle that way. I think it was the hair, anyway.

[tnlibertarian]

They can share my aching back, my missing finger from a blow-out preventer that didn't prevent a blow out

You know, if you were unsuccessful instead of successful, Biden would insist that we all chop off a finger to eliminate our advantage. It's only fair.

[xarmydog]

He served a purpose.Odumbo needed someone dumber than him and white to offset his incompetency.It worked.He is dumb and stupid.

[broken_arrow1]

Hey Joe, I call it stealing and you call it fair. On judgement day, your maker will provide you with a fair judgement to keep you, Obama and the other members of this congress warm throughout eternity.

[21twelve]

As the other Rush sang many years ago:

And the Trees were all kept equal,
by hatchet, axe, and saw.

[CSM]

Envy is a deadly sin and the central plank of the Democrat party.

[a fool in paradise]

40% pay no income tax. How is this fair?

[NeoCaveman]

Envy is a deadly sin and the central plank of the Democrat party.

An entire Party about coveting their neighbors stuff.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

"I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody."

-Sen. Barack Hussein Obama, 2008

[Uncle Miltie]

0bamanomics: Punish success, reward failure.

[CodeToad]

Yep. The Trees. Coming to that.

[muawiyah]

Joe and his greedy sons actually have a "COMPOUND".

Once you reach that level people might well question why you are demanding that those who earn less than you pay more taxes.

He's such a phoney.

[Carley]

Hey joe, shut your big effing mouth.

[21twelve]

Oh - I think it will be worse than that even. (Hence my screen name!)