Posted by
Compassionate Conservative on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 11:30:51 AM
Good poker players always watch their opponents for "tells," indications of what kind of hand they have. Most players who aren't good, and some who are, will tip their hands at least some of the time, giving the good player information about whether he should raise, call, or fold. Sunday conservative poker players had one of those moments when our opponents tipped their hand.
Throughout his campaign and Presidency, Barack Obama has steadfastly claimed that he will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year. He stated more than once, "Let me be absolutely clear: If you are a family making less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes go up." Why he wants to pick on people making $250,000 or more a year is another question, since those folks earn their money just like anyone else, but there it is.
Unfortunately for our President, two of his senior economic advisers tipped the Obama administration's hand on Sunday political talk shows, refusing to rule out tax increases for the "middle class," however that's defined. Speaking for the President, we can only assume, Larry Summers, head of Obama's National Economic Council, said, in response to a question on CBS's on "Face the Nation" about tax increases for the middle class, "There's a lot that can happen over time. It's never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what."
And in response to a similar question from George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner also stated that higher taxes for the middle class could not be ruled out. Again, we can only assume that he, as well as Summers, is speaking for the President. Both men are key economic advisers and are apparently concerned with the looming huge deficit, which is now projected at somewhere north of $3 trillion by 2016. The dialog between Geithner and Stephanopoulos (which can be found here: http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/washington/2009/08/top-obama-advisers-wont-rule-out-middle-class-tax-increases.html) is interesting and particularly compelling if you believe that we should balance the budget but can't possibly cut government spending. Of course, if you think government should balance the budget by only spending tax money to execute its constitutional duties, it's not so much compelling as it is both infuriating and terrifying.
But wait! Maybe they weren't speaking for the administration after all. In a statement yesterday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reiterated very plainly, "Let me be precise: The president's clear commitment is not to raise taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year." So there you have it. We have a choice between believing two senior administration officials charged with making economic policy, albeit with the President's approval, or a press secretary who is, no doubt, relaying Obama's position directly to reporters. Economists don't typically lie, although they make mistakes. Politicians, on the other hand, have been known to fabricate stories for public consumption that they knew would improve their popularity. But even giving Obama the benefit of a doubt or two, he's also clearly demonstrated that he's an economic illiterate. So I'll leave it to my faithful readers to judge, but if you're a good poker player, don't bet on Obama. His hand has been tipped for you.