Monday, September 21, 2009

When is a Tax Not a Tax

Once again, the President believes that only he knows the meaning of words. When asked on Sunday if his nearly $ 4,000 "fine" for families who cannot afford his Obamacare is a tax, he answered that the $ 4,000 penalty is not a tax, it is something "good for people." I wonder if Americans can make that distinction. A stunned Democrat George Stephanopolous would not accept the Obamaism and pointed out that by Webster's Dictionary definition of a tax, Obama's fine of $ 4,000 per family would be a tax. Obama's response: "..that' stretching it.."

The stretch, according to Obama, was to consult a dictionary for the meaning of a word. Obama believes we should only consult Obama for the meaning of words (in this, he and Bill Clinton seem to be on the same page. Recall the famous Clintonism: "...that depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is....)" So, according to Obama, dictionaries should no longer be consulted because Obama can tell us which things we pay the government are taxes and which things aren't.

Now, I understand Obama's pledge that "...middle class taxes will not be increased." All you have to do is redefine what you mean by a "tax." This guy really is clever. But, I don't think he's really fooling anyone but himself.