THE ESSENCE OF TODAY’S CONSERVATISM?….Hillary Clinton told a group of her wealthy supporters on Monday that she supported rolling back some of Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy:
“Many of you are well enough off that … the tax cuts may have helped you,” Sen. Clinton said. “We’re saying that for America to get back on track, we’re probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”
Andrew Sullivan teed off on this yesterday but then thought better of it. Today he admits that he was a little too snippy, but excuses it with this:
Why cannot Hillary end agricultural subsidies, abolish corporate tax shelters, or means-test social security and Medicare? That would be for the common good. But it’s easier to raise taxes. Her invocation of her agenda with the “common good” is also part of what galls me.
This is actually more revealing than his original comment: he was annoyed because HC invoked the “common good.” This is apparently all it takes to drive some conservatives nuts these days.
What a sad commentary. Of course the purpose of taxation is to provide for the common good and of course Hillary believes her agenda coincides with that common good. What else would she believe?
Apparently, though, a mere acknowledgment that she believes in advocating for the common good is anathema to Sullivan. But if that was really his gut reaction, what does he think we’re all here for?
