Obama Mocks Tea Partiers: You should thank me for cutting taxes

Via Dan Riehl, this may well be the single most obnoxious soundbite he’s uttered since his immortal bitter/clinger bon mot during the campaign. Which, if I’m not mistaken, also occurred at a fundraiser. Funny, the thoughts that bubble up when he’s among friends.

You’re welcome, America.

President Barack Obama said Thursday he’s amused by the anti-tax tea party protests that have been taking place around Tax Day.

Obama told a fundraiser in Miami that he’s cut taxes, contrary to the claims of protesters.

“You would think they’d be saying thank you,” he said.

At that, many in the crowd at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts stood and yelled, “Thank you!”

Let’s see. For starters, he’s lying: He has raised some taxes, contrary to his campaign pledge two years ago. But more than that, he seems almost to be laughing at people for being concerned about deficits. Did we or did we not learn just last night that a majority of tea partiers think their taxes are fair? They’re not some fanatic “zero tax” movement, in other words. They’re willing to pay what they’re paying now; what they want is a government small enough to make ends meet with what they’re paying. By The One’s logic, if he lowered the top marginal income tax bracket to one percent, we should expect tea partiers to fall on their knees and shout hallelujah even though it would mean annual deficits many times the trillion-dollar leviathans we’re currently saddled with. Anyone think that would happen? Anyone except Obama not yet grasp that conservatives want fiscal responsibility, not lower taxes at any and all costs?

What’s most amazing about this is that everyone understands the feds will need to raise taxes, and soon, to try to put a dent in our Everest of liabilities. That was the entire point of Paul Volcker, Obama’s own advisor, whispering about a VAT a few weeks ago. Tax hikes are simply a fait accompli, due in no small part to The One’s own unprecedented spending, and we’d probably have them already if not for his political cowardice in refusing to demand them before his reelection bid. And yet here he is, actually patting himself on the back for being a tax-cutter. Unbelievable.

Source: HotAir.com

Palin & McCain: The Dynamic Duo Back Together Again

PHOENIX — Sarah Palin and Sen. John McCain plan to campaign together again.

The Arizona Republican announced Wednesday that the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate will join him in Phoenix on March 26 to help campaign for his re-election to the U.S. Senate.

Palin is scheduled to attend a private fundraising event that evening. The next day, she and McCain will appear together at a public event, likely a rally, according to McCain spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail with my former running mate, and I know my fellow Arizonans will welcome her, as well,” McCain said in a statement. “Sarah energized our nation and remains a leading voice in the Republican Party.”

Since their failed bid for the White House, McCain and Palin have had a couple of public appearances together, including a dinner in Washington. But the March events will mark the first time the pair will be on the campaign trail together since 2008, Buchanan said.

Palin has criticized McCain’s campaign since their loss, saying in her book “Going Rogue” that there was substantial tension between her advisers and McCain’s. She also details how she was prevented from delivering a concession speech in Phoenix on Election Night, and how she’d been kept “bottled up” from reporters during the campaign.

Palin hasn’t criticized McCain himself, and the senator has stood by his decision to choose Palin as his running mate and has staunchly defended her.

Earlier this month, McCain refused to discuss material in “Game Change,” a book that says Palin’s vetting was “hasty and haphazard.”

“I wouldn’t know,” McCain said on NBC’s “Today” show. “The fact is, I’m proud of Sarah Palin and I’m proud of the campaign she waged. She energized our party.”

During the interview, McCain predicted Palin will be a “major player” in GOP affairs.

Obama’s Prepared Remarks for School Event

Here are the prepared remarks that are to be given by President Obama tomorrow morning to all the schools in the nation. Unless the teleprompter goes down and he deviates from the remarks, it sounds like one hell of a speech.  Kudos Mr. President…

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning. … Continue Reading

No Townhall Meetings for Doris Matsui…

While many members of Congress have spent their summer recess getting yelled at by constituents at unruly town-hall meetings, Rep. Doris Matsui has opted for a quieter approach.

The Sacramento Democrat has not hosted a single town hall meeting this month and has no plans to do so before Congress returns to work in September to tackle a $1 trillion health care bill. She’s sponsoring only one event next week, where constituents can call her on the telephone to ask questions.

Matsui’s absence on the town hall circuit stands in contrast to how most other members from the Sacramento region are handling Washington’s most volatile issue of the year.

On Wednesday night, Republican Rep. Dan Lungren was in Rancho Cordova, hosting his third town hall meeting. Last week, an overflow crowd packed a meeting at Citrus Heights, prompting Lungren to use a police microphone to address a crowd gathered in a parking lot.

Next week, Republican Rep. Tom McClintock is planning four face-to-face meetings with constituents. And Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson has had five town hall meetings during the recess, with another planned in Eureka next week.

Matsui said her telephone meeting will allow her to reach out to more constituents without having to turn anyone away due to space constraints.

“I’m not taking away anything from some of the town halls that have been going on,” Matsui said Wednesday. “But it seemed to me that not everybody got heard and sometimes the loudest people in the room overwhelmed some of the thoughtful ones who really wanted to ask a question. So I felt this is the best way to proceed.”

Nice job Rep. Matsui! Way to show that you want to hear what your constituents have to say…

BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Ted Kennedy Has Died of Brain Cancer at Age 77

Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died Wednesday at his home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77.

“We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever,” a family statement said. “We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice.”

R.I.P.