A decade ago, after President George W. Bush’s tax cuts, William Sloane Coffin, in one of his memorable and pithy remarks, said: “When the rich take from the poor, it’s called an economic plan. When the poor take from the rich, it’s called class warfare. It must be wonderful for President Bush to deplore class warfare while making sure his class wins.”
If Bill were still with us, he would substitute Paul Ryan, or Republicans in general, for “President Bush,” but make the same point. The Republican reaction to the President’s press conference yesterday was a perfect example. When the President proposed repealing tax cuts for corporate jet owners, hedge fund managers, and oil and gas companies, the cry of “class warfare” soon followed.
Human Events wrote “he is still most comfortable when he is playing the class warfare card. “ Commentary chimed in “with the 2012 campaign season upon him, Obama is ratcheting up the rhetoric of class warfare.’ And a headline in the Dallas Morning News read “Texas Republicans say Obama playing class warfare with corporate jets.”
Yet when Republican governors and legislatures are outlawing collective bargaining by public sector employees and the GOP-led House of Representatives is passing a budget that cuts everything from Women, Infant and Children nutrition to Pell Grants; that’s not class warfare, that’s an economic plan.
All I have to say is, Bring it on, Mr. President. It’s about time.
