Does Romney really hate redistribution?

(CBS News) Over the past two days, Mitt Romney has attacked President Obama over a 1998 video in which the president said, "I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot."

"He really believes in what I'll call a government-centered society. I know there are some who believe that if you simply take from some and give to others, then we'll all be better off. It's known as redistribution," Romney said in Atlanta Wednesday. "It's never been a characteristic of America. ... I believe the way to lift people and help people have higher incomes is not to take from some and give to others, but to create wealth for all of us."

Whether redistribution is a "characteristic of America" is potentially up for debate, but one thing is clear: It has long been built into the American system of government. The progressive tax code, for example, is a clear example of income redistribution. Under a progressive tax system, the more money you make, the higher tax rate you are expected to pay - at least in theory. (As the Buffett Rule debate has illustrated, it doesn't always play out that way.) You can also find redistribution in means-tested entitlement programs like welfare, Medicaid, and food stamps, which are funded by all taxpayers but available primarily to the poor.

"There's plenty of redistribution in the system already," said economist Dan Mitchell, senior fellow at the Libertarian CATO Institute. "We have one of the most progressive tax systems in the world."

Taking redistribution out of the system would mean, at the very least, replacing the progressive tax code with a flat tax and eliminating means-tested entitlements. Asked if Romney advocates taking those steps, campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul responded in an email: "This election presents a clear choice between Barack Obama's vision of a government-centered society and Mitt Romney's vision of an opportunity society."

"Governor Romney will spur economic growth and create more wealth, while President Obama believes in redistributing wealth," she added.

It's worth noting that Romney has also criticized Mr. Obama on one specific program that falls under the "redistribution" umbrella: Welfare. Romney alleges that the president has gutted welfare to work requirements, suggesting Mr. Obama has instituted policies in which the government will "just send you your welfare check." (This has been deemed false by fact checkers.) Underlying this criticism is the idea that the president is willing to redistribute your wealth even to those who are unwilling to work for it. 

Political economist Nicholas Eberstadt, of the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, suggested that Romney's attacks on redistribution are grounded in an appeal to the American belief "that anybody can start at the bottom and rise to the top" - that any American can pull themselves up by their bootstraps if they are willing to do the hard work, like the characters in the Horatio Alger novels of the 19th century. Romney has reason to believe this message will resonate: A Gallup poll out this week found that a majority of Americans believe government is meddling too much in American lives. And redistributing wealth from one person to another would certainly qualify as meddling.

Yet there is a disconnect between the emotional appeal embedded in Romney's anti-redistribution rhetoric and the reality of the American way of life. Polls show that Americans do not favor the institution of a flat tax or the elimination of programs like Medicaid - indeed, two in three want Medicaid expanded. People seem to like some degree of redistribution in practice, even if they might oppose it in theory. Both Eberstadt and Mitchell said they did not believe Romney's comments should be taken to mean he opposes all redistribution.

"It's not that people are necessarily against the level of redistribution we have now," said Mitchell. "It's more that people are concerned that we are on an unsustainable trend that will end badly."

[burresor]

Facts here that so many ignore:

1. Unless you are of the upper class, it takes more than one income to make it in today's economy if one has a family. Even with two incomes it is sometimes just not enough.

2. Most companies are not hiring full time when they can get by hiring part time. Why hire someone full time and pay more when you can hire and work someone for less?

3. The costs of living more often than not exceed one's pay, again if you are not of the upper class.

4. Not everyone on some form of government assistance is lazy. While there are some who abuse the system that does not apply to all.

I personally am low income...not proud of it. At least, I am trying to do something about it. At the time I am in school full time, my husband is at home with the kids until he goes to work. Then we trade off. Then...if we are such a country against medicaid, food stamps, and tanf...we might as well do away with grants and student loans too. Do not want to help a bunch of lazy people out now do we?

[booooooCBSboooooooooooo]

Crimony, we're still waiting to see how the hell this anti-American got into office. We're still waiting to see why the hell Pravda/CBS won't vet those around him.

You want to see his taxes? Nice diversion from the truth of this treasonous ba***** in office!

How dare you change the subject!!!

[dj_chi]

Your elitist, class dividing fauntleroy is sinking in the polls - even in the right wing-friendly polls. You'll have to hate harder if you really want to help him!

[Verascity]

Romney LOVES redistribution. He's be redistributing American jobs overseas and redistributing his private wealth offshore for ages.

[AOCGUY]

by apu20 September 20, 2012 7:52 AM EDT
I pay eighty dollars every time I feel up my truck. I had enough of hope and change. I am just praying for change.


Maybe if you filled up your truck more often you wouldn't pay as much each time you went to the gas station. But if you are really bothered bythe proce of oil (gas) you might want to complain to the peple whu actually impact the price and it isnt the USG

[JonnyChepe]

Then stop FEELING up your truck. Maybe Sandra Fluck will let you in.

[JonnyChepe]

In support of Obama 1998 policies on redistribution, Steny Hoyer has recently said that:
'I Don't Know That Any Democrat Believes Redistribution of Wealth is the End of Gov't'

Election Day is on Tuesday, November 6, 2012....
Wake up America before it's all gone.

TO: CBS news...Brian Montopoli: You definitely have the leftist ideology broom handle stuck up your as.

[AOCGUY]

And you my friend seem to have the Tea Party/FOXNews broom handle firmly implanted in your rectum while you moan "sir give me more please sir."

[JonnyChepe]

To: AOCGUY: Are you calling Steny Hoyer a liar? More free government cheese for you as well...

[ThomasSense]

The discussion always starts at where the tax BREAKS are now. Let's go back before Reagan and enact the 70% tax rate that was on the high income earners. Or go back before the recent past, and reinstall the 90% rate. Today's rates are obscenely low, and they want more!

Hey, how about letting history repeat itself!

[JonnyChepe]

Before Reagan:
inflation rate of 11.8 %
interest rates of 20.5 %
Tax rate of 70+%

Maybe you not getting enough government free cheese...

[sjc_1]

No one can believe a word Mutt says. He will flip flop tomorrow and have something completely opposite to say next week. His credibility was shot LONG ago.

[omnibus66]

Until this week, it actually seemed a possibility that George Bush, part 2, might be elected as the next president. After all, this nation put George Bush, part 1, into office twice, although he never got a majority of the votes. But now Willards phoney outer covering is coming off in chunks and the stinking, ugly core is showing. Too bad for the pugs that it's too late to replace him with another of their loonies.

[hypnotoad72]

He hates having to pay people money. Our work and our money as customers keep companies going. Anything else is wealth redistribution (tax breaks, taxpayer-funded subsidy, bailouts, etc, but he and other company bigwigs are so used to their handouts they they are blind to so much...)

But he's rather have everything for free, right down to unpaid internships for workers, then keep any money in tax havens because he doesn't want to pay his fair share for the roads, police, military, and other niceties...

Amongst everything else...

[booooooCBSboooooooooooo]

He paid more taxes than Obama's buddy Jeffory Immelt, so shut up.

[Crimony]

booooooCBSboooooooooooo

We're still waiting to see what Mitt pays in taxes.

[booooooCBSboooooooooooo]

Headline should read,

"Why another Obama term would put the final nail in America's coffin."

http://www.humanevents.com/2012/09/20/the-creepy-obama-cult/

[dj_chi]

Willard's still losing the election according to the right wing polls. Not enough people are buying the hate mongering and fake end-of-the-world prognosticating.