Author: Larry Elder Link: Townhall (Full article) Date Published: October 30th, 2008 Excerpt:
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama wants you -- to redistribute your wealth.
In Obamas highly publicized encounter with Joseph Wurzelbacher -- aka Joe the Plumber -- the candidate said he wanted to use taxpayers money to spread the wealth. A gutsy local Orlando television anchor interviewed Democratic vice presidential contender Joe Biden:
Anchor: You may recognize this famous quote: From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. Thats from Karl Marx. How is Senator Obama not being a Marxist if he intends to spread the wealth around?
Author: NY Post Editorial Board Link: NY Post Date Published: October 16th, 2008 Excerpt:
Who was the big winner in last night's presidential debate? That would be Joe Wurzelbacher - "Joe the Plumber" - who Sunday demanded that Barack Obama explain why he should pay higher taxes for "fulfilling the American dream."
Obama confessed to the aspiring Toledo businessman that the taxes are important to "spread the wealth around."
To which John McCain said last night: "I'm not going to spread his wealth around. I'm going to let him keep his wealth." He added, "We need people like Joe the Plumber to create jobs."
McCain went on repeatedly to invoke Joe's name as he discussed health care, education and cutting federal spending.
It was Joe the Plumber as Everyman - and it seemed to work.
(Not surprisingly, Wurzelbacher came away from the evening saying that, on taxes, McCain "got it right.")
It remains to be seen whether the electorate agrees - but it was a confident McCain on display last night against an oft-defensive Obama.
Author: NY Post Editorial Link: NY Post Date Published: October 15th, 2008 Excerpt:
An unscripted moment with an Ohio plumber produced a startling confession from Barack Obama Sunday: The Democrat's "middle-class tax cut" is in fact a scheme to "spread the wealth around."
Obama dropped the mask long enough to tell the truth to Toledo plumber Joe Wurzelbacher - who had asked the Democratic nominee why he wanted to jack up his taxes just for "fulfilling the American dream."
"I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year," Wurzelbacher had told Obama. "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?"
"It's not that I want to punish your success," Obama replied. "I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success, too . . . When you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
