Sen. Pat Toomey Wednesday lent his voice to Mitt Romney’s latest attempt to win back some momentum after his widely publicized “47 percent” comments.
The Republican presidential hopeful’s campaign frequently employs supporters to issue statements on the topics of the day. Today, it’s Toomey.
Here’s what the freshman Republican had to say, in a statement that went out to the Romney campaign’s national press list:
“Americans got a clear look at President Obama’s government-centered philosophy when he told small business owners that ‘you didn’t build that.’ Now we have a glimpse of his long-held belief in redistribution through government. But rather than more taxes and overspending, Americans understand that success comes from a society based on free enterprise, where opportunity abounds and a thriving economy supports upward mobility. They need a president like Mitt Romney, whose policies will create jobs, generate new wealth, and allow people from all walks of life to achieve their fullest potential.”
He was talking about this video, the favorite topic of Republicans since it was uncovered yesterday. It’s billed as a lecture Barack Obama gave in 1998, in which he says, in part, “I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution – because I actually believe in some redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody’s got a shot.”
Obama’s campaign said the comments in the video were being taken out of context.
“Fourteen years ago, then-Senator Obama was making an argument for a more efficient, more effective government – specifically citing city government agencies that he didn’t think were working effectively. He believed then, and believes now, that there are steps we can take to promote opportunity and ensure that all Americans have a fair shot if they work hard,” said Obama campaign Press Secretary Ben LaBolt. “Unlike Governor Romney, he doesn’t believe that if you’re a student who applies for a loan you’re looking for a handout.”
The Romney campaign is also holding a press event today at the Port of Philadelphia. Gov. Tom Corbett is headlining, along with State Reps. Bill Adolph and John Taylor.
The Romney campaign has emailed comments from Toomey on two or three occasions in the past, as well. His professional background and personal politics are easy to see as parallel to Romney’s, something Pa. Democrats spokesman James Hallinan noted.
“Leave it to former corporate buyout specialist Mitt Romney to call on former Wall Street raider Pat Toomey to try to change the subject away from his disdainful insults about half the country,” hallinan blasted. “It’s time Pat Toomey put the world view he learned on Wall Street behind him and started working for his constituents – and not just the ones that he and Mitt Romney are courting with their outlandish and offensive rhetoric.”
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9 Responses
Deficit and Debt – There’s no need to eliminate decades old tax benefits for the working poor, middle class wages earners, or hosing or education which results in more economic demand and a educated workforce.
Let the tax cuts for the wealthy expire and restore them to levels of the 90’s; eliminate the income cap on SS payroll taxes; do as Reagan did and tax income from capital gains, dividends, and interest at the same rate as wages; provide tax benefits for those investments that prove to create jobs in the US and apply a penalty tax to those offshore or overseas investments that result in closing plants and eliminating US jobs to chase cheap labor around the world; do not go to war without paying for it by enacting a tax surcharge; eliminate the carried interest provisions; eliminate the provisions that allow devaluing and under reporting value of stock placed in IRA as a tax avoid scheme; continue current time limits on iblity for welfare; there’s plenty more that can be done including spending cuts
spending, debt anIt cannot be argued that 47% are dependent on a government check and are not likely to vote for anyone whom them perceive will reduce that check.
Those 47% who do not pay Federal Income Taxes have no incentive or no direct benefit from less expensive government. They are not paying for it. As a result, government d deficit, (as well as the Federal Reserve’s devaluation of currency) continues and this is not a good thing. As the number of Tax Takers begin to overtake the number of Tax Makers, as resources available to be invested in productive businesses and jobs declines, productivity declines and our standard of living declines. As the Federal Reserve inflates, the value of savings and the incentive to save declines leaving less for investment in productivity resulting in lower standard of living.
The government did not finance Apple or Google or Facebook or Yahoo, private venture capitalists did. Government is not a Venture Capitalist and when it tries to be something it is not, it, not surprisingly, fails.
Redistribution (through tax coode?) 47% not paying income tax?
The 47% percent is comprised mostly of retired seniors, working poor, and lower middle income wage earners.
To substantially lower the percentage not paying income tax you could go backwards and:
Tax all Social Security income while continuing to propose to cut all tax on capital gains; eliminate the Earned Income Tax Credit enacted under Pres Ford and expanded by Pres Reagan in what he called the best anti-poverty program ever – rewarding work (WOW Conservate Re-Disdribution); repeal all tax exemptions for dependents; repeal all tax deductions including those for medical expenses, state and local taxes, mortgage interest; and charitable contributions; repeal tax credits for Children enacted under Clinton and expanded under George W Bush, Child Care supported by both Rep & Dem Presidents, Education costs enacted by Obama.
These are the tax code benefits that enable the 47% to have a zero tax liability. The elimination of all above tax benefits would insure that most of the 47% would not only pay tax, but a substantial % of their total income in tax.
But these same tax benefits are available to ALL wage earners. The elimination of these tax code benefits would also hit every middle class family (median income of $50,000) and the upper middle class – heavily increasing middle class tax bills.
What would be the consequences of elimination of these tax exemptions, deductions and credits on the country? Its would be drastic and counter-productive. It would decimate our seniors, eliminate the incentive for work instead of welfare for those working low paying jobs, substantially impact housing and construction, limit higher education at a time when we need more educated labor; substantially reduce family disposable income resulting in decreased demand and increased unemployment.
Meanwhile the Romney’s and Toomey’s of the world would continue to have decreasing tax liabilities because most their income is not from wages and enjoy even more generous tax treatment and loopholes.
Toomey is all for redistribution. He’s for the redistribution of every family sustaining american job to someone in Communist China.
Mother Jones’s David “can’t give a straight answer” Corn puts out an altered tape and the press goes bat shit crazy. Whoopee, we got him.
At the same time we have Our Re-distributor more concerned about Other Peoples Money than he is doing his job and heeding warning of imminent danger. No half mast flags, no day of mourning but rather punk partying and fund raising.
What an embarrassment.
Toomey’s Club for Millionaire Growth has been ordering Plutocrat Romney to stop “China-bashing” and bow down to our foreign cheaters, I mean competitors.
Guess this latest development means Romney agreed, otherwise no way would the Growther corporate overlords let Pat help him. Rothfus on deck to stand up for the 1%
It’s funny to see people talk down Pat Toomey like this when he is the man that has fought for compromises in the Super Committee and whose budget plan received more votes in the Senate than any other. Pat Toomey is gaining in popularity and I don’t think many in DC would describe him as a radical. He is revered for his intellect. Sad to see people displaying such anger for him…
Why does this website always seek to build up Toomey as some intellectual guru, ala Paul Ryan? The stories always seek to play him up as important in Washington. He is the junior senator from Pennsylvania, and will continue to be the junior senator for the remainder of his term. He is a radical that is out of touch with his constituents, and but for the so-called GOP wave, he would still be a lobbyist for the Club for Growth. A One Termer, I agree.
Toomey’s a right-wing stooge and – most likely – a one termer.