Fivethirtyeight.com captures America's valiant press corps hard at work, defending the Republ-... er, the people from the power.
"It's a unique moment." :eyes:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/02/breaking-press-corps-incredulous-that.htmlThere were many questions that seemed quizzical about Obama's budget proposal following in line with his campaign rhetoric, but this exchange between Gibbs and CBS' Chip Reid is illustrative:
Reid: On jobs, which is the big complaint up on Capitol Hill right now from Republicans, that this plan is a job-killer. I mean, the $787 billion plan was all about jobs, more than anything else. And now you have a plan in place that -- how can you possibly tax people making people over $250,000 something like $667 billion over the next ten years and not have a downward effect on jobs?
Gibbs: Well, Chip, how did it work in 1994 and 1995 and 1996 and 1997?
Reid: Well, I guess the argument would be, imagine if they didn't have those taxes... how much better it would have been.
Gibbs: Well, isn't it interesting that there's always some little slip? ... There isn't a member of Congress, if they were to file a single-taxpayer form, who makes above $200,000 a year.
Jake Tapper: There are a lot of millionaires up there.
Gibbs: Well, that's true, but not on their income. I mean, I think it's interesting as people listen to those complaining about some aspects of the budget, I think it's just interesting to note. I think the President was pretty clear on Tuesday. We are talking about people who earn in excess of a quarter of a million dollars a year.
Reid: And a huge percentage of those people are small business owners.
Gibbs: Some of them are, sure. Some of them are big business owners. Some of them are home run hitters in Major League Baseball. Some of them run kickoffs back for a living. Some of them are the President of the United States.
Q (off mike): -- create jobs?
Gibbs: Certainly some of them, that's what their job is. But I would reject this overall premise that when we're asking for tax fairness from the American people, that this is going to kill jobs. I guess if I follow the logic of the Republicans on Capitol Hill, how do you explain last month's unemployment figures? (Pause.) Under current tax rates? 550,000 jobs.
Reid: (Long pause) It's a unique moment.
Gibbs: (Laughs heartily) Apparently, it always is.... The president ran specifically on the promises that are contained in what he believes is a blueprint and a vision for our future. And that's what the the American people, that's the result they rendered in November.
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