It's a breakthrough! A Tea Party leader endorsed the same plan for corporate taxes that Obama proposed in his last State of the Union address.
Matt Kibbe, president and CEO of the Tea-Party-creating FreedomWorks, argued on Real Time with Bill Maher that there are too many loopholes for special interests in the tax code. He thinks the loopholes should be eliminated and the corporate tax rate lowered.
Obama made the same argument in his 2011 State of the Union speech.
"Over the years a parade of lobbyists has rigged the tax code to benefit particular companies and industries. Those with accountants or lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. But all the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and it has to change."
Obama called on Congress to close the loopholes and lower the corporate tax rate, which would still increase revenue. He pushed for the same thing during debt ceiling negotiations but the idea was rejected by House Republicans.
Another guest on the show, Elliot Spitzer, pointed out to Kibbe that he was arguing for something Obama has already proposed. Kibbe seemed unaware and/or in denial.
Of course, the Tea Party and FreedomWorks claim to be non-partisan, so I'm sure they won't have any trouble supporting Obama's proposal now that Kibbe was informed that they're on the same page. They should send out the word to Tea Party groups across the country to call their Congressman in support of President Obama's plan to close special interest loopholes and cut corporate taxes. They'll demand that Tea Party members of Congress stand up to Speaker Boehner and get behind Obama's tax plan!
That's the only logical thing for them to do. Right? What else would they do since they're non-partisan issue activists? I'm sure they'll get to it any day now.
Cross-posted from There is a way and Democrats for Progress.