Dems and talking points | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: Jim Bispo's weekly column appears in the Beaufort Observer.

    It's interesting. Over and over we hear the Dems repeating one of their prime talking points. It goes something like this: "Where is the detail in the Reps proposals??". This from the group that hasn't passed a budget in three years. This from people who seem to find it impossible to bring forth any plans or proposals in anything more specific than the broadest of generalities. It would seem that the only specific thing they have in mind is to increase taxes on the rich (whoever that is). In the meantime the Anointed One gives us more grandiose "goals". Not specific proposals, but grandiose goals. I suppose it you have had enough of the Kool-aid, you could interpret what he said as specifics, but it would surely take a whole lot of the sweet drink.

    But wait. They do have some proposals:

    Increase Pell Grants so more kids can go to college. (Surely the Dems really believe in this. They couldn't possibly be prostituting themselves for the "college age" vote. Of course not...) Or do you suppose the purpose of the increase is to allow the great colleges and universities to increase their tuition (as they have been doing for a long time - and seem to do every time it appears as though their "clients" are able to put their hands on more money). Those great bastions of liberalism have been way ahead of the Prez' scheme of redistribution of wealth. They are a lot more even handed than the Prez. They not only take from the Government (e.g. Pell Grant money ), they are quite sanguine about "holding up" the middle class to help feather their own nest. One interesting aspect of this entire subject is that tuition seems to increase to meet the funds available (and perhaps a little more). What seems to be missing is anything about how this Pell Grant expansion is going to be funded. (Squeeze some more waste, fraud, and abuse out of Medicare??) As things stand now, it would seem that the prez would fund the increases in the Pell Grants from the deficit. Yes, the deficit!! Oh well. Who cares, so long as all he college kids vote for him.

    Make it easier to qualify for welfare. Let's continue to make 'em work in order to receive welfare. But, in the meantime, lets redefine work so that no matter what a person does, it can be counted as "work". Sounds good to me. But, again, from whence will this increased handout be funded?? Same place as the expanded Pell Grant program, no doubt.

    The following was "lifted" from an WITN /AP report appearing on their web site. "When the convention is over, folks with be left with a clear road map of where he thinks America needs to go," said Stephanie Cutter, Obama's deputy campaign manager. "And it will be clear what his focus will be in an Obama second term." Well, now we know Ms. Cutter's idea of a road map is. Goals!!

    Interesting we will have a road map. It will be interesting to see how many "side roads" the map will show. Short answer: None. Do you suppose there will be details not only of where he plans to take us, but how he proposes for us to get there. Short answer: No. A whole lot more detail than Mitt Romney is accused of not providing?? Wrong!!

    All we get from the anointed one is that we need to tax the rich more. Clearly they need to pay their "fair share". Just to be clear, according to the National Taxpayers Union for the year 2009 (the latest I could find) 70.47% of the federal income taxes is paid by the top 10% of taxpayers (yes, 10%). And we are told that does not represent a "fair share". Wow!! Another thing that isn't clear is what is to become to the 50% of the folks who either pay no tax or even get a rebate without having paid in any taxes?? Will their taxes be increased as we focus on everyone paying their "fair share"?? Surely zero or "negative" taxes do not represent a "fair share".

    And, or course there is the old standby - "Rich folks should not pay a lower percentage of taxes than their hired help." It is interesting. The Anointed One is not al all backward about overriding congress with Executive Orders. If he truly wants to fix this tax rate imbalance, we can only wonder why he doesn't simply issue an Executive Order taxing all income at ordinary income rates.. I can only think of two reasons why he doesn't do that. First, His Secretary of the Treasury can't figure what to put into an Executive Order to make it happen (he's likely still trying to figure out FICA relates to non-employee compensation); and second, he doesn't really want to do it anyway. He wants things like they are so he will have a talking point that a lot of folks who don't know any better will believe. A lot of people don't and they do. It's a crying shame, but it's true.

    We are told the Anointed One is interested in taking care of the middle class. He tells us that he wants to end the tax cuts for the rich and reduce our debt (this is a fairly recent wrinkle - wonder where this idea came from). He also wants to spend more on education, energy, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, if it turns out like all the other grand pronouncements he makes, the road map will show only the "interstate highways" (Never mid that they were a product of the Eisenhower administration) . What seems to be sorely missing from his rhetoric is where in the world all the money to do these laudable things will come from. Do you suppose he has Ben Bernanke at the "ready" to turn on the printing presses again and even further devalue our dollar?? This would be the same guy who heaps humiliation, scorn, ridicule on the Romney - Ryan ticket for failing to provide enough to back up their proposals. When all we get is soaring rhetoric from this charlatan and goals hat extend well beyond any term to which he could legally be elected it is perfectly acceptable. Not so for anyone else.

    And speaking of "soaring rhetoric", we can only wonder if the acceptance speech was really moved back indoors because the Greek Columns that are so indispensable to any display of soaring rhetoric were no longer available. They were reportedly repossessed from the Greek Government. Hmmm...

    And, of course, his wife tells us that he really knows what it was like to be poor. Give me a break!!! Pounahou School in Hawaii?? Columbia?? Harvard?? Poor?? The justification in support of requests for financial aid that got him through those not so inexpensive schools would likely make some really interesting reading. Indeed...

    D'ya think??