Axelrod Won’t Rule Out Tax Increase | washingtonpost.com — Gee, how could this happen with all the campaign promises of lower taxes.

President Obama’s top political adviser refused today to rule out the possibility that the White House might agree to a tax hike on health insurance plans that would hit middle-income Americans.

Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” program, David Axelrod declined to repeat Obama’s “firm pledge” during the campaign that families making under $250,000 will not see “any form of tax increase, not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”

Instead, Axelrod said the president has no interest in “drawing lines in the sand”

And, is Axelrod running the country now?

Found by Matthew Duvall.




  1. It goes to show you that Woody Allen’s two comments about politicians ring true in today’s global situation. Guess its all about marketing even in today’s world wide web and internet.
    The two comments / jokes were that he always admired politicians that they could do to the country what he could never do to his girlfriend.
    The second line of advice and record was that overall in the scheme of things politicians were after all only one notch below child molesters
    Its all about marketing , hype and spin I guess
    Even if the the average American fell head over heels over Obama
    “My daddy voted democrat and so do I”

  2. gquaglia says:

    Obama better be careful. Breaking a no taxes pledge is what sunk George Bush senior’s reelection.

  3. faxon says:

    This must be a mistake. Surely no President would ever raise taxes after getting elected by promising not to do so…

  4. RealitasMordet says:

    “Obama better be careful. Breaking a no taxes pledge is what sunk George Bush senior’s reelection.”

    That’s because George H.W. Bush’s base was made up of fanatics who would rather see the country burn than see income taxes raised by a tenth of a percent. Clinton broke his pledge to cut taxes on the middle class (raising them instead) and he was re-elected by an 8.5% margin.

  5. Jägermeister says:

    #3 – faxon – Surely no President would ever raise taxes after getting elected by promising not to do so…

    Sure didn’t work for Bush.

  6. pedro says:

    #4 Unlike the las election? Really? I never saw the black panthers bully people on GB senior’s election.

  7. ReclusiveGeek says:

    Is it even possible to recognize that the president is not the same as his staff? When Obama starts…I guess *not* saying things in this case…himself, then it might be worth making note of. Though more noteworthy is the fact that until the bill is actually written, it’s all just sausage making; it’s always going to look bad before it’s done.

    People keep damning this bill before it’s even remotely finalized, and they keep doing it over bad assumptions, or third hand information. You want to bitch about a bill, then do it about a bill that’s actually been written.

  8. Animal Mother says:

    Obama!
    Taxes!
    Radical!
    Socialist!
    Birth Certificate!
    Muslim!
    Them Jews!
    Hussein!
    Welfare!
    Bill Ayers!
    Debt!
    Bailout!
    Big Government!
    Hamas!
    Weathermen!
    Rev. Wright!
    Kenya!
    Collapse!
    Income Redistribution!
    Surveillance!
    Marxist!
    Reparations

  9. Cirdan says:

    #7 Remotely finalized? Didn’t they just vote for it in the house? I hope it’s finalized before they vote on it.

  10. jbenson2 says:

    Tax increases bad enough.

    But doubling/tripling the current electricity rate for homeowners, thanks to the Obama Cap and Trade fiasco is even worse.

  11. nikgare says:

    Why is it that people from the US seem to hate paying even the smallest of taxes?
    Well, thinking about it, what would you expect of a country built solely on greed the pursuit of wealth.

  12. Sea Lawyer says:

    And of course, they will start taxing health insurance benefits provided by employers, but I bet any government provided plan wouldn’t be considered income and therefore not subject to tax. Would be just another way of the government using it’s power to stack the deck to gain more support for a future government program.

  13. Sea Lawyer says:

    #11 “Why is it that people from the US seem to hate paying even the smallest of taxes?”

    Can you give any rational justification for needing to fund a $3 trillion dollar federal budget, on top of the hundreds of billions that go to state and local governments also?

  14. pedro says:

    #11 Nope. Seeking the ability to prosper for one’s self instead of waiting for handouts. That’s why they’re proud of being who they are.

    Did you forget that the US was formed from English men & women who were fed-up of the British shenanigans. Nah, you just chose to skip that one, right?

  15. Jägermeister says:

    #10 – jbenson2 – But doubling/tripling the current electricity rate for homeowners…

    Stop whining. Buy some CLFs and/or LEDs… and be frugal.

    #13 – Sea Lawyer

    Play with the thought of not having any taxes… great, huh?! Well, 了解如何讲中文,因为美国将很快成为中国的一部分.

  16. dusanmal says:

    “And, is Axelrod running the country now?
    … by Matthew Duvall” – No, but sleazy (or is it cowardly) politicians do not want their voice and face associated with the bad news…

  17. RTaylor says:

    The healthcare fiasco is doomed. It’s half assed at best, protecting too many special interests. Expand Medicaid for a few years and start rebuilding the system. You have to dismantle most of the system, and rebuild slowly. It should take five to ten years, bringing the new system on line slowly.

  18. Sea Lawyer says:

    #15, Jägerbomb, It must take an extraordinarily large brain to invent positions not taken by others in an attempt to appear clever.

  19. Jägermeister says:

    #18 – Sea Monster

    I guess you could play with the thought. Good try though.

  20. Matrixghost1286 says:

    @#7 Is it even possible to recognize that the president is not the same as his staff?

    Yes, but Obama’s staff just happens to write what Obama reads off the prompter.
    ————
    As to the no tax increase for Americans, I would like to know if Obama was only talking about income tax or all taxes? Govt has INCREASED taxes on cigs, a $.50 per 6 pack of beer increase, and now that wish to indirectly tax people with Cap and Trade.

    @#15 Well one could cut cost using environmentally bad mercury filled CFL bulbs, what about the other things needing to be plugged to a outlet. Last time I checked, computers ran on electricity. Just wonder if John is going to be able to afford to keep this blog up and running if/when the cost of energy begins to increase? Maybe Obama will seek to control the web and then the government can determine what/who is given energy to power their severs.



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