RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Vice President Biden is in New Hampshire today to talk about the “Buffett Rule.” The “Rule,” which is really just a tax, has one purpose in the eyes of Democratic operatives: divide and distract voters.
President Obama cannot run on his record of failure, so instead he has chosen to wage class warfare, pitting groups of Americans against each other in a cynical attempt to make us forget about his broken promises. This is the worst kind of politics.
Since the Buffett Rule tax would pay for only one tenth of one percent of Obama’s projected deficit for this year, the president and vice president were forced to admit it’s not about deficit reduction. Now they say it’s actually about “fairness.”
But there’s nothing “fair” about Obama’s political gimmickry. It’s not fair to Americans who voted for hope and change that he’s now campaigning on division. It’s not fair to New Hampshire that the president prefers tricking voters to solving our most pressing problems-jobs, energy, and the national debt.
Sadly, this is nothing new. The Buffett Rule is just the latest episode in Obama’s 2012 campaign of desperation.
Last week, he was out vilifying his opponents. He called Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, “radical” for passing a budget that actually saves America from a debt crisis, makes government live within its means, and ensures prosperity for future generations.
Compare that to Democrats’ record. They have controlled the Senate for the entire Obama presidency, but they have failed to pass a budget for three years. And when President Obama proposes a budget, it’s so bad it receives a swift bipartisan rejection in Congress. His 2013 budget was voted down in the House of Representatives 0-414. His 2012 budget failed in the Senate 0-97. It’s an abysmal record for a president who once promised to cut the deficit in half by the end of his term.
As a candidate, President Obama told supporters, “We are the change we’ve been waiting for.” But now he just wants to change the subject, attacking his opponents any and every way he can.
The economy is an especially sore subject for him. Despite an $831 billion stimulus, unemployment is still higher than when Obama took office. Families are seeing their incomes shrink, while prices for groceries, gas, and health care increase. Three years ago, Obama and his advisers projected that the national unemployment rate would be below six percent by this year. Today, it’s nowhere near that.
Obama’s economic policies have taken us in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, he still calls for higher taxes. Democrats have spent three years mishandling taxpayers’ money, and now they want more of it. Again, how is that “fair”?
ObamaCare, the president’s biggest legislative “achievement,” has been one of the largest culprits in dragging down the economy and growing government. But it, too, will not even live up to Obama’s own promises.
He vowed that it would reduce costs and allow individuals to keep their current insurance plans if they liked them. In reality, families’ insurance premiums are expected to skyrocket for the foreseeable future. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, as many as 20 million Americans could lose their existing employer-based insurance coverage. On top of that, ObamaCare is expected to cost $1.76 trillion over the next 10 years-nearly double the promised price tag.
The list of broken promises goes on-energy, ethics, housing, entitlements, and more. But the most insulting part is that President Obama turned out not to be the person he promised-a post-partisan uniter and a selfless leader.
Instead, with tactics like the Buffet Rule, he’s revealed himself to be a selfish, cynical politician. Obama and Biden will say anything in their quest to get reelected. But after breaking countless promises from the last election, nothing they say is believable.
To promise one thing and do another is unfair to the millions who put their trust in this administration. If a president and vice president cannot live up to the standards they set for themselves, then it’s time for a new administration and a new direction.
Read more: http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120412/GJOPINION_0102/704129748/-1/FOSOPINION