How the GOP Became the Party of the Rich

How the GOP Became the Party of the Rich [rollingstone.com]

Quote : The nation is still recovering from a crushing recession that sent unemployment hovering above nine percent for two straight years. The president, mindful of soaring deficits, is pushing bold action to shore up the nation's balance sheet. Cloaking himself in the language of class warfare, he calls on a hostile Congress to end wasteful tax breaks for the rich. "We're going to close the unproductive tax loopholes that allow some of the truly wealthy to avoid paying their fair share," he thunders to a crowd in Georgia. Such tax loopholes, he adds, "sometimes made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing, while a bus driver was paying 10 percent of his salary – and that's crazy." Preacherlike, the president draws the crowd into a call-and-response. "Do you think the millionaire ought to pay more in taxes than the bus driver," he demands, "or less?" The crowd, sounding every bit like the protesters from Occupy Wall Street, roars back: "MORE!" The year was 1985. The president was Ronald Wilson Reagan. Today's Republican Party may revere Reagan as the patron saint of low taxation. But the party of Reagan – which understood that higher taxes on the rich are sometimes required to cure ruinous deficits – is dead and gone. Instead, the modern GOP has undergone a radical transformation, reorganizing itself around a grotesque proposition: that the wealthy should grow wealthier still, whatever the consequences for the rest of us. Modern-day Republicans have become, quite simply, the Party of the One Percent – the Party of the Rich. "The Republican Party has totally abdicated its job in our democracy, which is to act as the guardian of fiscal discipline and responsibility," says David Stockman, who served as budget director under Reagan. "They're on an anti-tax jihad – one that benefits the prosperous classes." Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/polit...z1dLjXgLy4

Seems Reagan was a liberal compared to today's GOP crowd.

Quote : The Republican Party has totally abdicated its job in our democracy, which is to act as the guardian of fiscal discipline and responsibility

Agreed, but they have also pursued ridiculous spending increases at home (medicare part d) and abroad (war without end against a phantom enemy).

the irony is that while the GOP is seen as the party of the rich, there are tons of (D) rich contributors.

In the end both parties simply want control. The (R) do it via the military and corporations and the (D) do it by wealth confiscation and buy offs (entitlements).

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-50354...03544.html

Quote : The most popular company among members of Congress, CRP found, was General Electric, in which 82 current members invested. The second most popular company was Bank of America, which 63 members invested in.

Shocking!

"Democrats and the media still brand Republicans as the party of the rich, and Republicans seem to believe it’s true. It’s not.

Today, we get the latest little data point: who are the richest members of Congress? Democrats.

John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee worth $188.6 million is easily the richest lawmaker, outpacing Republican Darrell Issa by more than 10 percent. Of the 12 richest lawmakers, only 3 are Republicans. Drill down a bit further, and it evens out — Republicans are 23 of the richest 50 according to The Hill.

Other data points:

Wealthy Individuals Voted for Obama: CNN reported about election 2008: “High income voters — those who said they make at least $100,000 a year –went in Obama’s favor, 52 percent to 47 percent.”
Wealthy Counties Voted for Obama: American’s richest county, Loudoun County, Va., voted Obama 54-46, thus being more Democratic than the rest of Va. and the nation (which were both 53% Obama). Fairfax, Va., the nation’s second-wealthiest county, voted 60% Obama.
Wealthy States Voted for Obama: The three wealthiest states — Maryland, Connecticut, and New Jersey, all voted overwhelmingly for Obama.

Now, there are plenty of ways in which the wealthy lean Republican, but the idea of the GOP as the party is just a well-worn myth."

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blo...z1dN2ofPbJ

I think both parties are the "Party of the politically connected".

Rolling Stone is right however, the GOP has seriously dropped the ball when it comes to cutting spending.

Even the talks now aren't real 'cuts', they are reductions in growth in the future.

Quote from Kate1240 : "Democrats and the media still brand Republicans as the party of the rich, and Republicans seem to believe it’s true. It’s not. Today, we get the latest little data point: who are the richest members of Congress? Democrats. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee worth $188.6 million is easily the richest lawmaker, outpacing Republican Darrell Issa by more than 10 percent. Of the 12 richest lawmakers, only 3 are Republicans. Drill down a bit further, and it evens out — Republicans are 23 of the richest 50 according to The Hill. Other data points: Wealthy Individuals Voted for Obama: CNN reported about election 2008: “High income voters — those who said they make at least $100,000 a year –went in Obama’s favor, 52 percent to 47 percent.” Wealthy Counties Voted for Obama: American’s richest county, Loudoun County, Va., voted Obama 54-46, thus being more Democratic than the rest of Va. and the nation (which were both 53% Obama). Fairfax, Va., the nation’s second-wealthiest county, voted 60% Obama. Wealthy States Voted for Obama: The three wealthiest states — Maryland, Connecticut, and New Jersey, all voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Now, there are plenty of ways in which the wealthy lean Republican, but the idea of the GOP as the party is just a well-worn myth." http://washingtonexaminer.com/blo...z1dN2ofPbJ

This really need not be this complicated.

Dems want to increase tax rates and tax burden on the rich.

GOP wants to decrease them.

QED !

Quote from Deusxmachina : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-50354...03544.html Shocking!

Members of congress, while in congress, should only be able to hold treasuries. (I should tell the OWS guys that, I think they could reach a wiggly finger up consensus on it).

Quote from TRNT : This really need not be this complicated. Dems want to increase tax rates and tax burden on the rich. GOP wants to decrease them. QED !

Except that leaves out the part where Dems want to increase taxes and tax burden on everybody and the GOP wants to decrease them.

Dems wanted to reverse all the Bush tax cuts for years. That means the poorest payers would pay 50%(!) more. Political pressure was enough to make them switch to reversing the taxes only on "the rich." You know, "the rich" who make more than $250k a year. Or is it more than $200k a year. Or is it more than $150k a year. Funny how that number kept creeping lower....

And don't forget to look past just income taxes. Higher vehicle registration fees, property taxes, beer taxes.... they just never stop. If they promise not to raise taxes, they create new ones. If they promise not to create new ones, they raise the old ones.

Quote from Dr. J : the irony is that while the GOP is seen as the party of the rich, there are tons of (D) rich contributors. In the end both parties simply want control. The (R) do it via the military and corporations and the (D) do it by wealth confiscation and buy offs (entitlements).

Both Reps and Dems collect taxes ("wealth confiscation").

Quote from Kate1240 : "Democrats and the media still brand Republicans as the party of the rich, and Republicans seem to believe it’s true. It’s not. Today, we get the latest little data point: who are the richest members of Congress? Democrats. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee worth $188.6 million is easily the richest lawmaker, outpacing Republican Darrell Issa by more than 10 percent. Of the 12 richest lawmakers, only 3 are Republicans. Drill down a bit further, and it evens out — Republicans are 23 of the richest 50 according to The Hill. Other data points: Wealthy Individuals Voted for Obama: CNN reported about election 2008: “High income voters — those who said they make at least $100,000 a year –went in Obama’s favor, 52 percent to 47 percent.” Wealthy Counties Voted for Obama: American’s richest county, Loudoun County, Va., voted Obama 54-46, thus being more Democratic than the rest of Va. and the nation (which were both 53% Obama). Fairfax, Va., the nation’s second-wealthiest county, voted 60% Obama. Wealthy States Voted for Obama: The three wealthiest states — Maryland, Connecticut, and New Jersey, all voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Now, there are plenty of ways in which the wealthy lean Republican, but the idea of the GOP as the party is just a well-worn myth." http://washingtonexaminer.com/blo...z1dN2ofPbJ

The point is not the wealth of the political leaders. It is whose interests they serve.

Reps def serve the interests of the wealthy more than Dems.

Quote from Deusxmachina : Except that leaves out the part where Dems want to increase taxes and tax burden on everybody and the GOP wants to decrease them. Dems wanted to reverse all the Bush tax cuts for years. That means the poorest payers would pay 50%(!) more. Political pressure was enough to make them switch to reversing the taxes only on "the rich." You know, "the rich" who make more than $250k a year. Or is it more than $200k a year. Or is it more than $150k a year. Funny how that number kept creeping lower.... And don't forget to look past just income taxes. Higher vehicle registration fees, property taxes, beer taxes.... they just never stop. If they promise not to raise taxes, they create new ones. If they promise not to create new ones, they raise the old ones.

Meanwhile Reps increase spending and just borrow the money....

Quote from 124nic8 : Meanwhile Reps increase spending and just borrow the money....

Hence the formation of the Tea Party to whip them back in line. No wonder the big-government elite hate the Tea Party. We can't have government have any actual accountability on its spending, you know.

Quote from 124nic8 : Meanwhile Reps increase spending and just borrow the money....

As if Dems don't massively increase spending and borrow money.

Quote from hsjpatman : As if Dems don't massively increase spending and borrow money.

They had to pull us out of the hole that 30 years of Reagan Revolution (tax cuts and deregulation) created.

Your alternative of doing nothing failed miserably in the Great Depression.