Obama, Stephanopoulos Spar Over Definition of 'Tax'

[Zoom-boing]

President Obama and ABC News' George Stephanopoulos got in a testy sparring match Sunday over whether the president's health care plan includes a tax increase, leading the host to look up the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of taxes.

In the interview airing Sunday, Stephanopoulos pressed the president on his plan to require people to purchase health insurance.

"Under this mandate, the government is forcing people to spend money, fining you if you don't. How is that not a tax?" the host asked.

Obama responded: " No, but -- but, George, you -- you can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase."

Stephanopoulos then offered the dictionary definition.

"I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam-Webster's dictionary: 'Tax, a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes,'" he said.

Visibly taken aback, Obama rejected the notion it was a tax increase and said pulling the dictionary out was a sign the host was "stretching" a little.

"No. That -- that's not true, George. The -- for us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase," Obama said.

Obama, Stephanopoulos Spar Over Definition of 'Tax' - Political News - FOXNews.com

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL7ak__MGyw]YouTube - Obama Goes Toe-To-Toe With Stephanopoulos On "Tax Increases"[/ame]


You have to sit through Barry's rambling on to get to the tax thing, it's the last minute of the vid.

Obama denies it's a tax and when GS says to Obama "your critics say it is a tax increase" Obama replies "my critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say I'm taking over every sector of the economy". Note, Obama doesn't even attempt to deny this. Nothing, nada, zilch.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Tim Russert was the first and last person in the LMSM that made Obama look that stupid and incompetent

Let us pray for George Stephanopoulos's health

 

[Zoom-boing]

Note at 1:08 Obama says "what I've been trying to say throughout this campaign, uh, throughout this effort to get health care done . . ." He's in perpetual campaign mode.

 

[The Rabbi]

Strictly speaking I don't think it is a tax. But it is a distinction without a difference: you are making people pay for something they may not want.
But here's Obama once again muffing it when called to think on his feet.

 

[VaYank5150]

Strictly speaking I don't think it is a tax. But it is a distinction without a difference: you are making people pay for something they may not want.
But here's Obama once again muffing it when called to think on his feet.

It's NOT a tax. These morons are spinning again. In fact Obama is trying to help the rest of us out by forcing people WE CURRENTLY PAY FOR to get health insurance. What about this is a BAD thing?

 

[The Rabbi]

You said the magic words: forcing people.
That makes it ipso facto a tax.
Thanks for clearing that one up.

 

[VaYank5150]

You said the magic words: forcing people.
That makes it ipso facto a tax.
Thanks for clearing that one up.

No, dumbass. It's a penalty. The system, as it currently exists is a tax as we are forced to pay for those without insurance. Get it?

 

[The Rabbi]

You said the magic words: forcing people.
That makes it ipso facto a tax.
Thanks for clearing that one up.

No, dumbass. It's a penalty. The system, as it currently exists is a tax as we are forced to pay for those without insurance. Get it?

Hey dipshit. It doesn't matter what you call it. If you are forcing people to pay for something and/or fining them/taxing them/penalizing them for not, then it's a tax.

Besides, what other penalty does the gov't impose on individuals?

 

[VaYank5150]

You said the magic words: forcing people.
That makes it ipso facto a tax.
Thanks for clearing that one up.

No, dumbass. It's a penalty. The system, as it currently exists is a tax as we are forced to pay for those without insurance. Get it?

Hey dipshit. It doesn't matter what you call it. If you are forcing people to pay for something and/or fining them/taxing them/penalizing them for not, then it's a tax.

Besides, what other penalty does the gov't impose on individuals?

Every time we get pulled over here in Virginia for not having a current insepction sticker or vehicle registration, we are forced to pay a fine. I could list 10 "penalties" dealing with just automobiles if you really need me to?

 

[The Rabbi]

You pay a fine because you violated the law. You would still ahve to go back and get your registration. Merely paying the fine won't get you out of it.
This really isn't like that.

 

[Huh?]

You said the magic words: forcing people.
That makes it ipso facto a tax.
Thanks for clearing that one up.

No, dumbass. It's a penalty. The system, as it currently exists is a tax as we are forced to pay for those without insurance. Get it?

Hey dipshit. It doesn't matter what you call it. If you are forcing people to pay for something and/or fining them/taxing them/penalizing them for not, then it's a tax.

Besides, what other penalty does the gov't impose on individuals?

Nothing to see here folks...just more of the LMSM with another gotcha moment going after one of our fine upstanding politicians, LOL.

Funny that none of you mentioned Obama's point regarding car insurance being required to help "protect" each of us from others but I figured it was just a matter of time before one of you would provide an opening to bring it up...it really is the same damn thing.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Obama responded: " No, but -- but, George, you -- you can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase."

But YOU can? YOU can just make up language saying it's NOT a tax increase?

It IS a fucking TAX! The IRS will be levying this health scare TAX! Just call it what it is and stop being so mealy-mouthed!

 

[VaYank5150]

Obama responded: " No, but -- but, George, you -- you can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase."

But YOU can? YOU can just make up language saying it's NOT a tax increase?

It IS a fucking TAX! The IRS will be levying this health scare TAX! Just call it what it is and stop being so mealy-mouthed!

How is it a tax? Will you have to pay it? It is a penalty for not abiding by the system and forcing all of the rest of us to cover those who CHOOSE not to be insured.

 

[Oddball]

Strictly speaking I don't think it is a tax. But it is a distinction without a difference: you are making people pay for something they may not want.
But here's Obama once again muffing it when called to think on his feet.

It's NOT a tax. These morons are spinning again. In fact Obama is trying to help the rest of us out by forcing people WE CURRENTLY PAY FOR to get health insurance. What about this is a BAD thing?

Yes.....And we all know how helpful forcing completely peaceful people to do this or that is, don't we?

Sheesh.

 

[VaYank5150]

Strictly speaking I don't think it is a tax. But it is a distinction without a difference: you are making people pay for something they may not want.
But here's Obama once again muffing it when called to think on his feet.

It's NOT a tax. These morons are spinning again. In fact Obama is trying to help the rest of us out by forcing people WE CURRENTLY PAY FOR to get health insurance. What about this is a BAD thing?

Yes.....And we all know how helpful forcing completely peaceful people to do this or that is, don't we?

Sheesh.

I see where you are going with that, but in all honesty, are you OK with paying for individuals' health care knowing that many simply CHOOSE not to pay for it?

 

[The Rabbi]

Nonsense.
About 2% of health care costs come from uninsured people.
It is a tax. There is no way to avoid it, other than buying health insurance, whether you want it or not.
Any mandate the gov't puts on people to make them pay is a tax. It is a huge tax increase.
I ask, where will the money from the penalty go? To the Feds, right? If that isn't a tax stream, then what is it?

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Obama responded: " No, but -- but, George, you -- you can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase."

But YOU can? YOU can just make up language saying it's NOT a tax increase?

It IS a fucking TAX! The IRS will be levying this health scare TAX! Just call it what it is and stop being so mealy-mouthed!

How is it a tax? Will you have to pay it? It is a penalty for not abiding by the system and forcing all of the rest of us to cover those who CHOOSE not to be insured.

Dems, please stop this stupid and dishonest talking point now.

Use your noggin. Read the dictionary. Look up "Tax." Wait, I'll do it for you:
tax

1. a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, levied upon incomes, property, sales, etc.

2. a burdensome charge, obligation, duty, or demand.
–verb (used with object)

3. (of a government) a. to demand a tax from (a person, business, etc.).b. to demand a tax in consideration of the possession or occurrence of (income, goods, sales, etc.), usually in proportion to the value of money involved.

4. to lay a burden on; make serious demands on: to tax one's resources.

Obama trying to play the semantics game is insulting, is dishonest, and is just plain stupid. It's Clintonian, "what's the definition of 'is'?"

It's a fucking TAX.

 

[Oddball]

It's NOT a tax. These morons are spinning again. In fact Obama is trying to help the rest of us out by forcing people WE CURRENTLY PAY FOR to get health insurance. What about this is a BAD thing?

Yes.....And we all know how helpful forcing completely peaceful people to do this or that is, don't we?

Sheesh.

I see where you are going with that, but in all honesty, are you OK with paying for individuals' health care knowing that many simply CHOOSE not to pay for it?

So, that means you have to force people who aren't burdening the system to pay for that?

Hint: It's only a relatively small percentage of the much ballyhooed "47 million uninsured" who are the burden upon the system.

Moreover, they aren't the exclusive, nor even a significant, reason for the high costs.

 

[VaYank5150]

Yes.....And we all know how helpful forcing completely peaceful people to do this or that is, don't we?

Sheesh.

I see where you are going with that, but in all honesty, are you OK with paying for individuals' health care knowing that many simply CHOOSE not to pay for it?

So, that means you have to force people who aren't burdening the system to pay for that?

Hint: It's only a relatively small percentage of the much ballyhooed "47 million uninsured" who are the burden upon the system.

Moreover, they aren't the exclusive, nor even a significant, reason for the high costs.

So, are you saying we should not attempt to get these people off the hook? Continue making people like myself pay for health insurance for not only MY family, but for those who CHOOSE not to buyu health insurance?

 

[Midnight Marauder]

I see where you are going with that, but in all honesty, are you OK with paying for individuals' health care knowing that many simply CHOOSE not to pay for it?

So, that means you have to force people who aren't burdening the system to pay for that?

Hint: It's only a relatively small percentage of the much ballyhooed "47 million uninsured" who are the burden upon the system.

Moreover, they aren't the exclusive, nor even a significant, reason for the high costs.

So, are you saying we should not attempt to get these people off the hook? Continue making people like myself pay for health insurance for not only MY family, but for those who CHOOSE not to buyu health insurance?

You fail to see the bigger picture.

ONLY those above a certain income (Something like 40K) who don't get health insurance will have this tax. The rest? DON'T have to get insurance and WON'T have this tax!

So see? You will STILL have the "burdens on the system" you had before this idiotic tax and they WON'T be paid for by the tax!! Because not enough folks will be paying the "fine!"

Try some honesty: The TAX on cigarettes and tobacco products, and alcohol: They CALL it a TAX because that's exactly what it is. The purpose of the tax is to punish you for doing these mean old, nasty and unhealthy habits. BUT THEY DON'T TRY TO LIE AND SAY IT ISN'T A FUCKING TAX BECAUSE IT IS!

Taxing soda pop. They CALL it a tax. The purpose of the tax is to punish you for feeding your kids this mean old sugar water. BUT THEY DON'T TRY TO LIE AND SAY IT ISN'T A FUCKING TAX BECAUSE IT IS!

This is the same goddamned fucking thing. It is a TAX whose purpose is to PUNISH your ass for not having health insurance! CALL IT A GODDAMNED FUCKING TAX THEN!!!! BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS!!!

If you don't have auto insurance, is that verified by the IRS? NO.

THIS IS! AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A APPROVED HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY THEY ARE GONNA TAX YOU!

Have just one tiny amount of honesty about you! Stephanopoulos did! You REALLY think the folks out there are gonna BUY this bullshit of it not being a tax?

C'mon now...