By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about the Tea Party demonstration that descended upon the Arkansas Capitol yesterday. It seems, even in Arkansas, some Americans are mad as hell about Obama raising their taxes, taking over healthcare, and being a blatant socialist. They just aren’t going to take it anymore!
Protesters decried taxation and government spending today during a tax day rally at the state Capitol organized by the Arkansas Tea Party.
“The sleeping giant has awoken and he is mad as hell,” Tea Party member John Van Gorder of Greenwood declared to more than 500 screaming protesters who added their voices to a chorus of defiance repeated at similar rallies held around the state and across the country.
See?
Unfortunately, and as it is wont to do, that stupid ol’ truth is always coming back to make Teabaggers look foolish.
Today, thousands of Tea Partiers will descend on Washington to declare they’ve been “Taxed Enough Already.” Yesterday’s poll found that 64 percent of Tea Party supporters think the administration has raised taxes — a finding that might leave Democrats banging their heads against their desks.
“The American people need to be reminded that 98 percent of Americans got a tax cut last year,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday.
Reid was referring to the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the stimulus — essentially, the only Obama policy to really impact people’s 2009 tax returns. In fact, tax refunds reached an all-time high this year in part because of the stimulus, the president said in his weekly address on Saturday. Meanwhile, taxes are at their lowest levels in 60 years, according to William Gale, co-director of the Tax Policy Center and director of the Retirement Security Project at the Brookings Institution. (all emphasis mine)
Look, you want to complain that the government is spending too much money? Be my guest (but only after you acknowledge that the HCR is supposed to reduce the deficit over the next decade). But as for taxes? Maybe do a little research before you believe what people like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and Glenn Beck are telling you.
Oh, and if you would be a dear and tell Bachmann to shut up, that would also be great. I do so get a migraine when I listen to abject stupidity.