House Republicans are flapping their jowls across the airwaves today complaining about Barack Obama's proposal to raise taxes on the super-rich, because it's a lot harder to survive on half a million dollars than your average middle-class hobo socialist who lives on a salary of $40,000 thinks it is. Louisiana Rep. John Fleming will make this point with math, by explaining that he grosses $6.3 million a year from his businesses, but he only takes home around $400,000 per year after expenses. And then he stares at anchor Chris Jansing blankly, because, uh, yeah, that was his point. What part of that wasn't clear? Only $400,000, that's what he wanted to say. Helloooo?
Might people not be entirely sympathetic to someone complaining about taxes being raised on his $400,000 a year income, Jansing asks? To which John Fleming replies that he should not be punished for having "virtue" in the form of millions of dollars, like Jesus. [ ThinkProgress ]
Plus, if his net earnings are only $400K then he doesn't qualify for the millionaire tax. This stupid asshat is bad at math and basic reading comprehension.
And wedgies.