WH: Individual mandate now a tax.

Democrats, administration apologists hardest hit.

(H/T: Hot Air Headlines) If you are surprised at this… [deep breath] well.  You should not be.

When Congress required most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty, Democrats denied that they were creating a new tax. But in court, the Obama administration and its allies now defend the requirement as an exercise of the government’s “power to lay and collect taxes.”

[snip]

Administration officials say the tax argument is a linchpin of their legal case in defense of the health care overhaul and its individual mandate, now being challenged in court by more than 20 states and several private organizations.

Continue reading WH: Individual mandate now a tax.

‘Read my lips: no new tax increases?’

AoSHQ linked to this piece mostly to highlight the Warren Buffet quote on cap and trade:

“it’s a huge tax and there’s no sense calling it anything else. I mean, it is a tax. So it — and it’s a fairly regressive tax.”

– Real quickly, Mr. Buffet: how did you vote in the last election, again? –

…but I wanted to actually highlight the following exchange between George Stephanopoulos and Obama crony David Axelrod. In the interests of fair use, I am going to executive summary this one; feel free to compare it against the original. I think that I’ve captured the sense accurately, at least. Continue reading ‘Read my lips: no new tax increases?’