How the GOP Became the Party of the Rich

[hue]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-gop-became-the-party-of-the-rich-20111109

By Tim Dickinson
November 9, 2011 7:00 AM ET
Party of the Rich


The nation is still recovering from a crushing recession that sent unemployment hovering above nine percent for two straight years. The president, mindful of soaring deficits, is pushing bold action to shore up the nation's balance sheet. Cloaking himself in the language of class warfare, he calls on a hostile Congress to end wasteful tax breaks for the rich. "We're going to close the unproductive tax loopholes that allow some of the truly wealthy to avoid paying their fair share," he thunders to a crowd in Georgia. Such tax loopholes, he adds, "sometimes made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing, while a bus driver was paying 10 percent of his salary – and that's crazy."

Preacherlike, the president draws the crowd into a call-and-response. "Do you think the millionaire ought to pay more in taxes than the bus driver," he demands, "or less?"

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-gop-became-the-party-of-the-rich-20111109#ixzz1eLKeob27

[rgbecker]

1. Force Democrats to take the pledge!

"I will raise taxes on the Wealthy." This to counter the "No new taxes" pledge of the GOP.

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. With respect, "I will restore taxes on the wealthy" might be

better...

[Demeter]

8. As a 99%er, I Support

SOAK THE OBSCENELY WEALTHY!

[Fumesucker]

2. I don't recall a time in my life anyway when the Republicans were not the party of the rich. n/t

[liberal N proud]

3. As long as I can remember the were for the rich

I have always said, I will never be rich enough to be a republican.

[izquierdista]

4. Coming up on 100 years

It was 1912 when they came to the fork in the road, side with Roosevelt and the Progressives, or go with Taft and Big Business. Teddy ended up bolting to a third party and the Repubs had to wait 8 years, but then their man was in the White House, Taft was to become the Chief Justice, and Big Business had what they wanted.

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. I always understood the wealthy voting for repugs because it was in their interest.

I understand the ignorant voting for repugs because they are easily manipulated emotionally, typically some version of fear.
I'll never understand the rest that do.

[kemah]

6. False Hope that you will somehow become one of the 1%

Most of the GOP supporters really believe that they will join their social circle. But the game is rigged for the wealthy. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, from a 1930's song.
Even during the civil war, the poor were the ones fighting. And even then, they were starved, ill equipped, and their families were also starved. The plantation owners refused to plant
food but only planted cotton and tobacco. The smugglers did not smuggle weapons, because they would get paid in confederate dollars, but instead smuggled commercial goods which they bartered with
the plantation owners for cotton and tobacco.
I worked for the Salvation Army and these people down on their luck, were southern civil war supporters. I would point out to them if slavery existed today, they would not have jobs, because the non skilled
jobs these guys usually do, would be replace with slave labor. Here they are collecting food stamps, unemployment, getting free medical care and still voting GOP.

[kkg253]

9. sign the petition against Grover Norquist

http://www.change.org/petitions/us-congress-tell-the-us-congress-to-stop-signing-the-americans-for-tax-reform-pledge