On Tax Day, Joe Scarborough expressed outrage that President Barack Obama is not paying his fair share.
Obama only paid 18 percent of his income in taxes on an adjusted gross income of $600,000 when he filed his 2012 federal tax return. Of course, it may be worth noting that this is just the beginning: Once he leaves office, the president will cash in bigtime on speaking engagements, memoirs, serving on corporate boards, and whatnot as all ex-presidents do.
In talking about the Obama tax rate on his MSNBC talk show ( Morning Joe ) earlier today, Scarborough recalled how Obama blasted GOP standard-bearer Mitt Romney on the presidential campaign trail for paying less percentagewise in taxes than a school teacher or Warren Buffett’s secretary. But it turns out that Obama also pays less than school teachers or secretaries.
“The hypocrisy is mind-boggling,” Scarborough declared, noting that Obama’s tax rate payment is about half of the tax rate many ordinary people pay.
The MSNBC host also insisted that Obama — who supports the so-called Buffett rule as does Scarborough — or any other millionaire “limousine liberal” could now voluntarily pay more into the US Treasury, including 30 percent of their income that would be required under the proposed Buffett rule if it was enacted into law.
Said Scarborough: “This president plays class warfare for a year and a half on the campaign trail… He attacks Mitt Romney… repeatedly. … And yet this president, after demagoguing this issue for a year and a half, pays an 18 percent tax rate … ”
Added Scarborough, who actually spends a lot (or most) of his airtime slamming fellow Republicans rather than Democrats in concert with the MSNBC corporate culture: ”
“This is a problem with liberals that come forward and talk about raising taxes on the rest of us! And raising taxes on small business owners and having these rich guys come on TV going, ‘Let’s raise taxes. I don’t need tax cuts .’ Those guys that are saying it are paying 16%, 17%, 18%. Barack Obama has been championing raising taxes on small business owners for years! And he is paying 18% in taxes because raising those taxes don’t affect him. And he talks about fairness? This guy, this guy talks about fairness? And he is paying 18%? He wants to jack tax rates up to 39% and if you live in Connecticut or New York or Illinois or California, you’re paying over 50% in taxes after you take the local, the state, and the national! And Barack Obama, class warrior, is playing 18% in taxes.”
Do you think the president’s tax rate payment sets a consistent example for America?
Watch Joe Scarborough’s Tax Day rant on Morning Joe :