New wingnut talking point: tax cuts = welfare

The right-wing kookosphere has a new screaming point, and it's already been picked up by the McCain campaign: According to them, tax cuts are now welfare.

That is, if the tax cuts are for the middle or lower class. It's not welfare if it's for the rich.

Of all the idiotic arguments made by conservatives lately, this is about the dumbest.

This talking point comes as a response to Obama's pledge to cut taxes for 95% of Americans who make less than $250,000 a year. Conservatives cry that this is actually welfare, and they're kooking out about it as I write this.

Who originated conservatives' moronic meme? Right-wing columnist Donald Lambro, chief political correspondent of the far-right Washington Times, spread this bogus argument in a piece he wrote recently. He whined that Obama's plan is actually "income redistribution from wealthier taxpayers to lower-income Americans." Boo-hoo, Donald, you big fucking crybaby.

But Lambro seems to have picked it up from Phil Kerpen of the misnamed Americans for Prosperity, a far-right advocacy group.

Even those who are too poor to owe income taxes are paying some form of taxes. In particular, the working poor pay Social Security payroll taxes. How is tax relief for the working poor a welfare program? It isn't.

If tax relief is welfare, what do you call those "stimulus" checks that went only to people who made enough money to pay income taxes? What do you call Bush's tax cuts for the rich? What about the fact that most major American corporations haven't paid taxes in 10 years?

But what Donald Lambro picked up from Phil Kerpen, John McCain picked up from Donald Lambro. Right-wing foolishness is contagious.

I think I'm starting to get it now: Under the Republicans, I'm supposed to work my whole life just to be told to get a second job because the GOP can't handle the economy. (McCain actually said people ought to take a second job just to make ends meet - even though there's not even enough first jobs out there. If that doesn't prove he's out of touch, what does?) But when I get my paycheck, I'm supposed to share it with millionaire CEO's who use it to go on ski trips.

Meanwhile, the GOP's supporters consider most jobs to be beneath them.

(Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/101808dnpolmccain.336602e.html)