House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (John Gress/Reuters)
Last night President Obama provided a bit more detail for the "Buffett Rule" he's been talking about for several months, presenting the idea that anyone making more than $1 million annually should pay at least 30 percent in taxes. The passage was punctuated by the presence of Debbie Bosanek, Warren Buffett's secretary, the woman made famous as an example of tax unfairness, because she pays more than her billionaire boss.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was not impressed.
“You know, I care about Warren Buffett’s secretary,” said Cantor on CBS’s “This Morning.” “I want her to do well. I want her to do better, just as I think everybody in this country should have an opportunity to achieve and pursue their dreams.” [...]
“I don’t think anyone wants to pay higher taxes. I think the reality is the reason why Warren Buffett’s secretary and so many millions of other Americans are frustrated is they see policies that have been promoted for the last three years by this White House that, frankly, don’t work,” said Cantor. “What do most people do when you reach a point and see that things aren’t working? You try something new.”
I'm sure Ms. Bosanek is delighted to know that Cantor only wishes the best for her, even though that best doesn't include basic fairness. But Cantor's problem, all of the GOP's problem, isn't Debbie Bosanek. It's the American people who really seem to like the idea of the Buffett Rule, if the Colorado voters Stan Greenburg tested are any indication. To reiterate from DemFromCT's post:
The dials spiked when the President made his strong populist pitch for the “Buffet Rule,” with Democrats exceeding 80 on our 0-to-100 scale and both independents and Republicans moving above 70. There was no polarization here, as voters across the political spectrum gave Obama high marks.
Republicans are doing their damnedest to follow the Romney line, that demanding economic fairness is an attack on capitalism and, as Sen. Marco Rubio said last night, trying to "pit Americans against each other." Here's a news flash for elected and wanna-be elected Republicans: Even Republican voters like the idea of the rich paying their fair share.