Williams Calls Hume and Kristol ‘Out Of Touch’ For Saying McCain’s Tax Plan Will Help Working Americans
Williams Calls Hume and Kristol ‘Out Of Touch’ For Saying McCain’s Tax Plan Will Help Working Americans
Earlier this week, the non-partisan Tax Policy Center released a paper showing that Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) tax plan “offers three times the break for middle class families” than the proposals of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), which “would steer the bulk of the benefits to the wealthiest families.” On Fox News Sunday this morning, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol called the report “good for McCain” because it labels Obama as “a tax raiser” and he doesn’t think voters will be swayed when it’s pointed out that “it’s only a tax on the wealthy.”
But NPR’s Juan Williams strongly disagreed with Kristol, arguing that only the wealthy would view the end of the Bush tax cuts as “raising taxes.” “It’s almost like you guys are out of touch with what ordinary Americans are going through in this country,” charged Williams.
Fox’s Brit Hume responded to Williams with his usual condescending indignation, calling it “baloney” to claim that McCain wants “more tax cuts for big corporations” and “the rich to get richer off the tax code.” Watch it:
Hume’s reactive cry of “baloney” just proves Williams’s point that he is “out of touch.” As the Tax Policy Center found, Obama’s plan provides the heaviest benefits to the poorest Americans while McCain’s plan gives its most significant income increases to the wealthy.
Regarding tax cuts for corporations, $175 billion would go directly to corporations each year under McCain’s tax plan. McCain’s plan would also give $3.8 billion in tax cuts to the five largest American oil companies and $2.8 billion to the nation’s largest energy and utility companies.
Transcript:
KRISTOL: Even the Tax Policy Center, which the McCain people think is sort of a liberal nonpartisan group, acknowledges the following. On net, Obama is a tax raiser. Obama’s plans would hike taxes in sum. And McCain’s would cut taxes, cut the overall tax burden. And I think that’s good for McCain.This week actually was a — beneath the radar screen of all the other political news, an important thing emerged this week. Obama wants to raise taxes, and he wants to raise them pretty considerably, actually — a 12 percent payroll tax for everything above $250,000, the increased taxes on dividends and interest for anyone who has investments in the stock market.
You know, he can say it’s only a tax on the wealthy, but I think a lot of voters think we’ve been down that road with the Democrats before, and if there’s a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress, will they keep that to $250,000, or will they creep down, trying to get more revenues?
I think the tax issue is now setting up well for McCain. He’s got to tie the tax cuts to the pro-growth agenda, but I think it’s a good contrast for McCain.
[...]
WILLIAMS: One last point on this economic thing. I think if you say to most Americans that the tax cut is going — is simply a matter of not continuing President Bush’s tax cuts in 2010, they don’t view that as raising taxes.
That’s the wealthy who might say that, but it’s not on average people who are feeling higher gas taxes. It’s not on average people who have to pay more for food.
It’s almost like you guys are out of touch with what ordinary Americans are going through in this country at this time. People want government to respond to need and not simply to talk about more tax breaks for the rich and for big corporations.
HUME: That’s what McCain’s doing, for sure. He’s saying, I want more tax cuts for big corporations, and I want the rich to get richer off the tax code. Oh, what baloney. That’s not what it’s about at all.
WILLIAMS: Well, where’s the pro-growth? If we have 5 percent –the other day we had the biggest jump in unemployment in this country in 20 years.
HUME: Juan, right. You know what that came from? People coming out of school for the summer, and they’re going into the job market.
WILLIAMS: Oh, come on.
HUME: We’re at 5.5 percent unemployment.
WILLIAMS: Right.
HUME: By historical standards, that is remarkably low. The growth policies and particularly the tax cuts that were passed in this administration have, I think, unquestionably helped this economy through some severe blows — 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and so forth — to the point now where despite a predicted recession the economy is still managing to eke out a little bit of growth.
That’s a strong economic performance, on balance, and not a particularly good argument for allowing the tax cuts that were…
WALLACE: All right.
WILLIAMS: Nobody’s saying that. Justice Hume thinks that ordinary Americans aren’t feeling any pain.
WALLACE: I’m going to gavel you down.
WILLIAMS: Please.
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Obama and the Dems need to drive this home over and over again during the election season. Especially the part about the oil companies tax breaks. That won’t sit well with middle class America.
June 15th, 2008 at 2:42 pmInteresting argument that Brit Hume has there. But there is a very important person who disagrees with him and that is John McCain. He has said over and over again that he wants to cut taxes to the corporation and millionaiares. Hard to argue with the guy who’s making those statements on the campaign trail.
It really is a problem for the republicans, when the republican candidate is running against himself.
Hume is the ultimate upper class twit.
June 15th, 2008 at 2:45 pm.
Hume and Kristol are “OUT TO LUNCH” not just out of touch.
.
June 15th, 2008 at 2:46 pmBut NPR’s Juan Williams strongly disagreed with Kristol, arguing that only the wealthy would view the end of the Bush tax cuts as “raising taxes.”
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Williams may not be entirely correct on this one. The wealthy will certainly yowl that their taxes are being “raised”, but add to that all the middle and lower-class Americans that will march in step to the relentless drumbeat of the GOP — telling them over and over and over again that the Dems are “raising taxes”. They’ll believe it, even though they aren’t being affected.
When Clinton rolled back the tax cuts that Reagan gave the wealthy, it affected only a small percentage of Americans (the richest ones). However a majority BELIEVED they were affected by it, because the Republicans spent an incredible amount of energy telling them so. Over and over and over again.
This year, the Dems need to get their message across like never before. Because you know the GOP will twist this issue and swing it like a club. After all, they really don’t have anything else except smears.
June 15th, 2008 at 2:54 pmI can’t believe Brit Hume can say with a straight face that these kind of tax cuts aren’t benfitting the corporations and lobbyists on Capital Hill. Williams was right on the money and those guys kept cutting him off.
Obama should print his fairness tax plan on all of his campaign mailers. This way people will go to his website and do a little research about the other great benefits voting for him will have.
June 15th, 2008 at 2:56 pmGood God, An actual ‘debate’ on Faux NoNooz? What will we see next, no more air-headed bimbos spouting their crap, no more billo shutting off mics when people disagree, no more Hannitee-hee admitting he is a shill for the Repugs?
What is this world coming too, anyway?
June 15th, 2008 at 2:57 pmWhen they speak of ‘the wealthy’ aren’t they talking about 5% of the population? The top 5% earners (or 3 or 7, whatever) have 90% of the voice. We must be paying Congress members too much.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:03 pmRoger2 says:
…The Tax Policy Center said McCain’s plan would provide effective tax cuts for Americans across the income spectrum, with the largest percentage increase in after-tax income going to the wealthiest 0.1 percent of Americans…
Roger2,
Thanks for reminding of Johnny Boy’s total ownership by the wealthy. We need to pound this in over and over.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:13 pmHume had lost all credibility as a journalist some time ago.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:15 pmBut NPR’s Juan Williams strongly disagreed with Kristol, arguing that only the wealthy would view the end of the Bush tax cuts as “raising taxes.” “It’s almost like you guys are out of touch with what ordinary Americans are going through in this country,” charged Williams.
Almost? Only idiots like Kristol still believe piss-on, er, trickle down economics is good for working Americans.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pmStandard editor Bill Kristol called the report “good for McCain” because it labels Obama as “a tax raiser” and he doesn’t think voters will be swayed when it’s pointed out that “it’s only a tax on the wealthy.” All Obama need do to counter is portray the republicans (including McCain) as little more than fiscal shop-a-holics, embracing every big-ticket government expansion that came down the pike, and in the end, getting stuck with a bunch of useless crap.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:32 pmKRISTOL: Even the Tax Policy Center, which the McCain people think is sort of a liberal nonpartisan group
Everyone who has tangible facts/evidence and/or disagrees with the lies that tumble out of the mouths of the NeoCons/GOP , are all “liberals” ; my , what wonderful insight and intelligence these rotting spores possess.
They have less depth and intellect than a pet rock…..
June 15th, 2008 at 3:37 pmPaul W Says:
Almost? Only idiots like Kristol still believe piss-on, er, trickle down economics is good for working Americans.
The newest talking point is that interest-rate cuts work, but only as a short-term method of revving the country’s economic engine.
Picture pouring gasoline down an open carburator, to keep the engine going. Sure, it will keep the motor cycling, but at a rate too uneven to actually drive anywhere.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:38 pmbarfly Says:
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Paul W Says:
Almost? Only idiots like Kristol still believe piss-on, er, trickle down economics is good for working Americans.
The newest talking point is that interest-rate cuts work, but only as a short-term method of revving the country’s economic engine.
Picture pouring gasoline down an open carburator, to keep the engine going. Sure, it will keep the motor cycling, but at a rate too uneven to actually drive anywhere.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
You left out that it tends to backfire quite often………
June 15th, 2008 at 3:44 pmrogerse @ 7
…McCain’s plan would add $4.5 trillion to the national debt, while Obama’s would add $3.3 trillion…
==============
Correct, McShrub would add almost 50% more to the national debt than Obama. Good point.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:50 pmSupply side advocates have had their way for 25 years.What has been the result of America’s experiment with supply side economics??
June 15th, 2008 at 3:52 pmAmerican Spending on Infrastructure , as a percent of GDP, is the Lowest of all Industrialized Countries. Since 2001, Capital Investment in America has dropped to the lowest level since the Great Depression.
Tax cuts for corporations and wealthy individuals are really Tax Shifts….to the States, and to future Generations thru National Debt.
America is NOT Investing in it’s Future, and average working people have not shared in the prosperity.
Once again, we have allowed the right wing propaganda ministry to come out with its total lies.
1. Unemployment is far higher than advertised. Since Reagan we have seen adjustments made to the definition of unemployment rate that underestimates the number of actual unemployed. You have to use the employment to population ratio where you find a falling rate.
2. Screw the god damn lies about investment. The actual amount invested by corporations fell after the Bush cuts. A lower portion of profits were used to create new investments. Instead, retained earnings grew as did stock repurchase plans and dividends paid to shareholders.
3. The wages of 90% of US workers stagnated and now is actually falling.
4. We have literally returned to the concentration of wealth known during the gilded age. We have seen unemployment, poverty and uninsured all increase due to the corpocracy.
Frankly, it is time to take this country back. Those, who like Kristol, lie and deceive the public need to be done away with. They need to pay a price, a very serious price for their misconduct.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:10 pmIt is amazing the capacity of the right-wing/pro-Bush&MacCaine/War people have to decieve themselves. They beleive in their reality. They live in this bubble and they can only see their own noses… Oil prices cause by a war of choice is destroying the American economy and taking the rest of the World with it. The Iraq and Afegahnistan wars are being waged with borrowed money. That is right: Borrowed money. And the Tax payers, the working class will be paying for it for decades to come. Meanwhile, the US’s infraestucture (Health, emergency services, education and creation of job) is going down the drain. And they insist in “staying the course”… as someone on the deck of the TITANIC once screamed:-Hey look! an iceberg!!!! Someone else responded: -Where????
June 15th, 2008 at 4:13 pmKRISTOL: On net, Obama is a tax raiser. Obama’s plans would hike taxes in sum. And McCain’s would cut taxes, cut the overall tax burden. And I think that’s good for McCain.
Maybe because Obamas tax-cuts benefits low and middle income Americans a lot more than McCains and that Obamas raises is targeted at the super rich while McCain give big cuts for all the suffering have mores?
June 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pmrogerse Says:
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woodguy Says:
So increasing national debt from considerable tax cuts is good?.Who will pay that off…and what about spending…
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It’s your McShrub who is advocating larger tax cuts, that’s why the debt goes up so much more with McShrub’s plan. If you’re so worried about debt, why would you support someone who would create more of it than the alternative candidate? Can you say, “reasoning”?
And please don’t use the canard “cutting spending”. Shrub and his Republic congress almost doubled the national debt, so that tired old dog just won’t hunt.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pmGuess Roger the Dodger went off to use “the Google”. He can’t refute any of JMOHR’s points @ 10 or the simple logic in my posts, so I am off to enjoy the weather. Too nice a day here to argue with someone who has no facts.
Bye.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:37 pm“Williams Calls Hume and Kristol ‘Out Of Touch’ For Saying McCain’s Tax Plan Will Help Working Americans”
As much as I don’t like Juan Williams, he is correct. Both Hume and Kristol are out of touch in reality. I don’t why these clowns continued to be employed as Fox News except for Hume. Hume got his job thanks to his wife.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm#29 – SP Biloxi Says:
Hume got his job thanks to his wife.
That explains how a mumbling, bumbling mental midget and complete moron with ZERO energy, ZERO photogenics and love of boy touching RePugniScums took his marriage (wife) and used it (her) to become a completely USELESS CORPORATE FASCIST on the Fascist News Network!! Atta boy Humas!!! Say hello to the LITTLE lady for me!!!!
June 15th, 2008 at 4:57 pmI’d just like to ask you guys to send mike gravel a
Happy Founding Fathers Day. Considering he’s the first man to introduce a well thought out plan to COMPLETE our constitution.
something think PROGRESS has failed to realize…
June 15th, 2008 at 4:59 pmCan’t viably comment on Fox since I avoid it like the plague (see enough on the blogs to know it’s full of lies).
June 15th, 2008 at 5:05 pmBut I have a beef about the corporate media and even the liberal blogs and MSM news sources: do not use “GOP.” Do not call Bill Kristol “conservative.” These people are neither “grand” nor “conservative.” They are fascist military industrial apologists; they are radical right wingers who hate America and believe the constitution is a gd piece of paper that should be defiled and destroyed. They are crooks and have perpetrated the biggest fraud on the American taxpayer of all time. They are our enemies and so are all the loyalists on Fox.
Williams said the unemployment rate is 5.5%. Hume used the Repuke talking point that it is because of students graduating and entering the job market. Can someone explain to these jerks that if they don’t have a job yet they arn not “unemployed” therefore have never made a claim for unemployment and are not included in the rate. Jeez, how stupid do they think we are??
June 15th, 2008 at 6:11 pmAPEC not OPEC Says:
Williams said the unemployment rate is 5.5%. Hume used the Repuke talking point that it is because of students graduating and entering the job market. Can someone explain to these jerks that if they don’t have a job yet they arn not “unemployed” therefore have never made a claim for unemployment and are not included in the rate. Jeez, how stupid do they think we are??
“We” are not their target audience, they know we will see through their BS. It is the 23%ers that will still blindly swallow whatever feces is shoved down their throat.
June 15th, 2008 at 6:14 pmJuan – When are you going to stop collecting coin from the Pharisees?
Haven’t you received enough of your 30 pieces of silver?
How can you represent NPR and Faux Noise at the same time?
Pick a side!! There’s nothing worse than someone obviously playing both sides of the fence!
And, please pass this message on to Maura.
June 15th, 2008 at 6:22 pmBy historical standards hume is incredibly stupid and a liar to boot! But he is on faux news what can you expect?
June 15th, 2008 at 6:22 pmroger still scribbles on our threads in his neverending bid to achieve intellectual superiority — over a progressive.
There would be no deficit to increase if the tax cuts were done right. The expansion of wealth of the rich over the last seven years has been so vast, the rich should be able to absorb significant tax increases. The money never belonged to them anyway — they weren’t paying their fair share. As far as fairness is concerned, they owe back taxes to cover the deficit.
June 15th, 2008 at 6:22 pmKrystol & Hume????
Where can I get some the stuff these guys are smokin”????????
June 15th, 2008 at 6:26 pmAt your local Krystalmeth and Fume Missing Head Shop!
However, I don’t think they smoke. They guzzle the Corporate Fascist Ghoul-Aid every day.
June 15th, 2008 at 7:22 pmOk..I am going to make this as simple as possible for Kristol.
Taxes pay for services the government provides for its people. Cutting taxes (regardless of for who) them will provide us with LESS MONEY for those services. Since we need the funds for things like oh..I don’t know..police, fire, and yes, the military that is now entrenched in TWO “wars”, then cutting for the rich (as McCain’s plan will), makes the rest of us pay more. Cutting for the poor makes the rich pay more.
Now let’s get complicated. Obviously, our infrastructure is crumbling (or at least our bridges and schools), so you can’t make the argument that we don’t need the money. The other ridiculous argument is that tax cuts end up creating more tax revenue because they cause economic growth that makes everyone more money and so they all pay more money for taxes, but less total percentage. This idea is so flawed in so many ways. Instead of looking at the REASONS this doesn’t work (since Republicans are immune to facts), lets look at recent experience. Bush (W) instituted tax cuts, the government brought in less money. The government now owes that money in the form of bonds, which picks the pockets of our future generations.
Since logic doesn’t work, I hope that people can at least understand that WE TRIED IT THEIR WAY OVER AND OVER AND OVER, and each time, we needed to “raise taxes” to get our country on the right track again. Let’s (as a country) stop worrying about the “taxes” tagline, and more on what we are getting for our money!!
June 15th, 2008 at 7:23 pmAPEC not OPEC Says:
June 15th, 2008 at 8:12 pm….. hey nice pecs….
That’s rich–a bunch of Republicans sitting around on Sunday morning arguing about who is “more out of touch.”
June 15th, 2008 at 10:02 pm“This can’t be happening!” thought Britt, his world spinning out of control, his vision growing dimmer by the moment.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:23 pm“Out of touch”…??
Why not just call it the big fat lie that truly is, eh?
June 15th, 2008 at 10:59 pmThey get subsidies, record profits and tax breaks for gouging the people.
Thats what I call compassion.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:02 pmBrit, the mumbling basset hound, sure gave Jan Williams a talking to, didn’t he? In true Fox form, he talked over him when Juan went beyond his little dissenting view time allotment. Fox can’t take any dissent. It’s the Bush party line or nothin’ for Fox.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:02 pmFor more of the same, vote McCain.
Cal, please don’t give basset hounds a bad name. None of them would ever emit anything as foul as Brit.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:20 pmI’d love to see Brit Hume join the 5.5% of Americans who are unemployed. Just love it. Gotta wonder how he’d feel about taxes when his income = 0.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:31 pmBrit Hume . . . just another stupid Fox sucker. (Best if said aloud).
June 16th, 2008 at 2:17 amAnd Mcflipflopper is going to lower taxes for the the wealthy top three percent of the population, do the math it is a very small number of people who get the breaks we deserve as hard working Americans, not these creeps on the Reich who lie and send our soldiers off to WAR.Obama will correct the Reichs wrongs and restore our country`s standing to where we can look upon ourselves as a truly democratic nation who cares for everyone`s welfare and is willing to tolerate and appreciate each other.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:54 amKristol looked on snidely amused that perhaps his tax cut rendition for wealthy will dazzle middle class voters toward McCain.
Then Britney Hume got excitedly touchy that Williams gave Kristol a reality check. Hume overstated his misconception he directed to override Williams point.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:08 amOf course the McCain tax policies are for the wealthy, he’s a republican. Remember EVERY Republican voted against Clinton’s budget and tax policy in 1993, screaming that it would cause a depression and unemployment while increasing the debt. They were wrong like all conservatives are about any issue. They are a morally bankrupt movement.
Has Kristol ever said one word that wasn’t designed to kill people or make them suffer or take this nation further to hell?
Did you know that PNAC that had us march off to war was actually just Little Billy Kristol and a fax machine?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/17/124146/746/583/202819
The bottom line is, the republicans can pull this con off. They have done it before and will do it again. The polls show about an even race, if that doesn’t tell you half the country is a right wing mind controlled cult, nothing will.
Heck, TP helps them – notice how Britt Hume gets the last word in the video?
June 16th, 2008 at 5:01 amFrom the architect of trickle down Reganomics:
http://www.csulb.edu/~astevens/posc210/files/stockman2.htm
June 16th, 2008 at 5:11 am
People like Hume and Kristol are willfully destroying Democracy and the Constitution every chance they get.
Stop being coy with them and state the obvious.
There is a big difference between being ‘out of touch’ and premeditated lies designed to tear down the basic principles of this country.
Hume , Kristol and FOX are deeply ANTI-AMERICAN – they must be dealt with accordingly
June 16th, 2008 at 8:54 amI would think that a significant number of Fox News viewers are poor to middle class Republicans who are Republican based on social issues. Fox News keeps telling these same viewers how great the economy is, how wonderful tax cuts for the wealthy (earning >$250,000 in this clip) are, and how great the war in Iraq is going. But those Fox News viewers in reality are probably feeling financial pain in their daily lives, see stories in the newspaper about corporate robber-barons raking it in, and see their sons, daughters, and neighbors being wounded or killed in an unjust war.
Something has got to give. I think the first thing is lower viewership of Fox News. I hope the second is voters telling the GOP how well the economy and the Iraq war are going in November.
June 16th, 2008 at 11:16 amHume is such a tool as is most of the Fox News commentators. They still think Americans that are hurting by this Bush economy are going to listen to their spin and gibberish.
June 16th, 2008 at 12:52 pmNot working, neo-cons !
Tax breaks for the oil companies continue while the most recent tax break for wind energy technology continues to stall in the Senate.( Passed in the House)
June 16th, 2008 at 1:03 pmWhat’s it going to take to wake up our representatives and the rest of the country?