Ain’t That What You Said?

By Jeff Rutherford

(Turn your speakers up before you read this article.  Start both videos simultaneously, then start reading.)

Speaking in Dover, New Hampshire on 12 September 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama said:

“I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”

.

“Ain’t that what you said?”

I suppose the Obama administration believes the statute of limitations has expired on his 2008 firm pledges, as U.S. citizens have much bigger things to regret nowadays. But some of us don’t forget so easily.

.

“Ain’t that what you said?”

If you were paying attention when you did your 2013 tax return, you saw two more violations of President Obama’s “firm pledge.” They were in the fine print for lines 40 and 42 of IRS Form 1040:

First let’s look at line 40. If you itemize your deductions, look at what suddenly appeared at the bottom of Schedule A for tax year 2013:

Line 38 of Form 1040 is your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). When you track down the fine print, you’ll discover that if you’re married filing separately and your AGI is more than $150,000 then a complicated formula may limit the amount of your itemized deductions. That would result in a tax increase.

“Ain’t that what you said?”

Next let’s zoom in on Form 1040 line 42:

Once again, the fine print says if you’re married filing separately and your AGI is more than $150,000 then another complicated formula may limit your exemptions. That also would result in a tax increase.

“Ain’t that what you said?”

Candidate Obama didn’t just say his plan had no tax increases for families making less than $250,000. In order to get your votes, he called it a pledge.

But not just any ol’ pledge. My fellow Americans, he made a firm pledge.

“Ain’t that what you said?”

He didn’t just have his fingers crossed. He had his fingers firmly crossed.

(photo credit)

 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Footnote: In 1970, the U.K. band Argent released the first known tribute song to Barack Obama and his now-disillusioned supporters.  Prophetically, British singer/guitarist Russ Ballard wrote this song when Barack Obama was only 8 years old.

 

I won’t ever leave

If you want me to stay

Nothing you could do

That could turn me away

 

Hanging on anyway

Believing the things you say

Being the fool

 

You’ve taken my life

So take my soul

That’s what you said

And I believed it all

 

I want to be with you

Long as you want me to

But don’t move away

 

Ain’t that what you said?

Ain’t that what you said?

Ain’t that what you said?

 

Liar

Liar, liar

 

We have seen no night

We have seen no day

If I ever leave

Would you want me to stay?

 

You can believe in me

I won’t be leaving

I won’t let you go

 

Ain’t that what you said?

Ain’t that what you said?

Ain’t that what you said?

 

Liar

Liar, liar

Liar

 

You’ve taken my life

So take my soul

That’s what you said

But who are we to know?

 

I want to be with you

Long as you want me to

But don’t move away

 

Ain’t that what you said?

Ain’t that what you said?

Ain’t that what you said?

 

Liar

Liar, liar

.