The Republican perspective: "Virtually everybody" is rich! by Joan McCarter

[babylonsister]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/9/13/900522/-The-Republican-perspective:-Virtually-everybody-is-rich!?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

The Republican perspective: "Virtually everybody" is rich!
by Joan McCarter
Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 07:30:15 AM PDT


Interesting revelation from Sen. David Vitter, that "virtually everybody" is rich.

"I hate to tell you, by Washington's definitions that {Melancon}'s using, virtually everybody in this audience is the wealthy."

That definition is $250K in annual income. As Beutler pointed out in the original TPM story, "the average household income in Louisiana was $43,635 in 2008."

This is the second time in recent memory that a Republican revealed this perspective. Last month, Washington Senate candidate Dino Rossi said something very similar:

Rossi argued that 2 1/2 million people in Washington benefit from the 2001 Bush tax cuts, the extension of which will be a major issue in Congress this fall. Rossi described as "this class warfare program" the Obama administration’s plan to extend the cuts enjoyed by middle-income taxpayers, while repealing tax cuts for high-income households.

Just over 105,000 families in Washington actually make more than $200K a year. So here's the question--is this an actual talking point that the NRSC is pushing, or do Republicans really think that everyone is rich? If they really do live so far removed from reality that they think the vast majority of people make more than $200,000, it'd sure explain a lot. Of course, we know that they think the only people who matter are in that bracket.

[Yavin4]

1. The Vast Majority of People That Republicans Interact With On A Daily Basis

are rich. They don't mingle with anyone else. Out of sight. Out of mind.

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. My thoughts exactly.

Wall Street and PhARMA have these idiots on speed dial and they treat the 'base' (abortion-foes, anti-gay) like Rahm Emmanuel treats the progressives. "Useless idiots" who have "no where else to go".

[louis-t]

2. People generally vote with their wallets.

If repugs didn't brainwash people who make under $250k, they would only get 2% of the vote. I've heard many right-leaning businessmen claim that people have money, "they are just afraid to spend it."

[ProSense]

3. More than 8 million jobs were lost during the recession.

Anyone still earning more than than 98 percent of the country ought to see themselves as extremely fortunate, and they have grown moreso over the years. Allowing the tax cuts to expire will not impact their ability to live comfortable lives.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Remember Bush's speech.."the haves and the have mores"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn4daYJzyls

[MatthewStLouis]

5. GOP: Only lazy poor people make under $250k/year!

Let's hope the democrats stand up and use the tax issue this Fall to their advantage (drop the cuts for the rich; replace with tax relief for middle class; label the Bush Tax Cuts as mortgaging our kids' future to China, just to make the rich a little richer) instead of folding and giving republicans everything they want!

[tanyev]

6. Well, sure. Everybody they know is.

[Supersedeas]

7. Pubbies don't have to make sense and tell the truth--they have VESTED interest to protect

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Hmmm... according to a popular perspective here on DU

as there are billions of people on the planet who would consider our official poverty level income to be 'rich', that would be a correct analysis.

[Ikonoklast]

9. Averages are meaningless.

If Bill Gates ever sat down in a working-class bar, the average person's income having a beer there is suddenly in the millions.