Ever since the Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act as constitutional under Congress’ power to tax, Republicans have gone into full gear falsely characterizing the law as a “massive tax hike” on the middle class. But on Fox News Sunday today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) refused to say whether or the individual mandate in Massachusetts — implemented by Mitt Romney — is also, therefore, a tax:

HOST CHRIS WALLACE: You didn’t answer my direct question: If the Obama mandate is a tax on the middle class, is the Romney mandate a tax on the middle class?

MCCONNELL: Well, I think Governor Romney will have to speak for himself about what was done in Massachusetts. I can tell you that every single Democratic senator voted for this tax increase and these $500 billion cuts in Medicare and it will be a huge issue in 2012. The Chief Justice has, in effect, said this will be decided by the American people. That’s why we have elections.

Watch it:

In Massachusetts, less than 1 percent of the populace wound up paying the penalty for not having health insurance following the implementation of an individual mandate. Meanwhile, the Affordable Care Act will actually cut taxes for millions of middle-class families.

According to the Des Moines Register, Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) is on the campaign trail bashing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) — the 2008 bank bailout — while owning a $1 million investment in bank that took TARP funds and, unlike many others, has yet to repay its loans:

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham has repeatedly criticized a federal program that bought stock to shore up banks during the financial crisis — yet he maintains an investment of more than $1 million in a bank holding company that benefited from the taxpayer assistance, a Des Moines Register review of public records shows. [...]

Green Circle Investments Inc., where Latham was once a director, is the holding company for Peoples Trust & Savings Bank of Clive. The investors of Green Circle are made up mostly of Latham’s family and friends, who also are on the boards of both businesses, the congressman’s brother, Bob Latham, confirmed.

In 2009, Green Circle Investments accepted $2.4 million in TARP funds. It was one of nine Iowa financial institutions that participated in the Capital Purchase Program of TARP, and is one of three that have not repaid any of the principal on the loan, federal records show.

And he’s not the only one. A few months ago, the AP reported that Wisconsin Senate candidate Eric Hovde’s (R) company was investing in a bank that took TARP funds even as Hovde was campaigning against the bailout.

TARP, for all its warts, helped save the financial system, yet has become an easy target for politicians railing against bailouts. But even while that is going on, the financial industry has managed to buy off the Tea Party and right-wing Republicans, turning them into a reliable vote for bank interests.