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Bill Kristol Doubles Down on Taxing the Rich, Says Tea Party Agrees

Nov. 18, 2012 6:10pm Mytheos Holt

Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol made news after the disastrous 2012 presidential election by suggesting it might be a wise plan for Republicans to allow a few tax increases on the very wealthy to go through Congress in exchange for spending cuts.

“It won’t kill the country if we raise taxes a little bit on millionaires,” Kristol said at the time.

Now he’s doubling down, repeating the same argument on Fox News Sunday today, going so far as to invoke Tea Party apathy on the subject of tax increases to back up his point.

“I just don’t think that the Republicans have the leverage — or that it’s worth using whatever leverage they have — to maintain rates at 35 percent instead of instead of 37 or 38,” Kristol said, “especially if you take it up to millionaires.”

It was at this point that Washington Post columnist Bob Woodward interjected, joking that “they are going to burn Bill Kristol’s Tea Party card, hearing him talk like this. You are off the reservation.”

“A lot of the Tea Party guys don’t care that much if a few millionaires pay a couple percent more in taxes, honestly,” Kristol replied.

Watch Kristol’s comments below, courtesy of Mediaite:

Do you agree with Kristol? Weigh in below.

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Comments (152)

Canada_Goose
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:39pm
Ben Stein has been saying the same thing on FNC for years.

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- muffythetuffy
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:37pm
  NOT THE TEA I KNOW
  
  The TEA wants smaller government, reduced taxes, and a Free nation. We want nothing to do with raising the Debt Ceiling and want to see the Government shut down for what ever number of days it takes to balance the spending with revenues. The Democrats did not object to shutting down the Government and Post Office during the Hurricane.
  
  The Ruling Class GOP may have stabbed the TEA in the back but they did not kill us. We are going to see them again in two years.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Jerk
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:01pm
  No kidding. Both Ben Stein and Bill Kristol are international kibbutz seeking Jews. Kristol helped push the propaganda in our war in Iraq, for Israel. Two weeks into that war he said that he didn’t really care how many Americans died for Israel’s cause.
  
  It’s in the Jewish paper Haaretz: http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/white-man-s-burden-1.14110
  
  Report this comment
- longknifed
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:31pm
  Jerk,
  
  How dare you point out Kristol’s tribe’s real loyalty. If you cared about America as much as they care about Israel…we would all live happily ever after.
  
  Report this comment
- Jaycen
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 9:20pm
  It’d be fantastic if Kristol would stick to being the mouthpiece for Progressive Socialist Republicans. He doesn’t speak for this Tea Partier. I’m solidly middle class, and I don’t want to see rich people taxed any more. Give us all a flat percentage and they’ll pay more regardless.
  
  Kristol, please just fade away.
  
  Report this comment
- Babci
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 10:54pm
  Yeah, and they are both wrong. They do not speak for the Tea Party. Fat-cat Republicans pay no attention to us until they need us to “back them up.” We don’t back you up…in fact, most of us are backing right out of your party. Watch for the Founders’ Party where real conservatives will renew our belief in the principles of the Declaration of Independence and swear allegiance to protect the Constitution. Elephants and donkeys are so passe.
  
  Report this comment
- banjarmon
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 11:35pm
  As long as the policies and over regulating on business stay the same , then business will NEVER GROW!!!
  Remove the regulations…. business WILL GROW and More taxes will be collected with out raising taxes!!!
  
  Report this comment
- phil1765
  Posted on November 19, 2012 at 3:16am
  I really wouldn’t care if they raised taxes a little bit on everyone if they stopped the freaking drunken sailor spending, but we all know that they aren’t going to stop spending a dime.
  
  Report this comment
- TAXEVERYONE
  Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:57am
  Bill Kristol, you don’t speak for the Tea Party, you arrogant, panty waist, rich boy prig!
  
  Report this comment
- Leader1776
  Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:03pm
  @Phil
  You don’t get it. We could LOWER taxes if they stopped the spending. Stop giving them an inch.
  
  Report this comment
- paleoconservatarian
  Posted on November 19, 2012 at 5:45pm
  Kristol giving shout outs to his “friends” in the Tea Party? Who might these people be?
  
  The entire GOP ruling class seems to have come to the conclusion a little class warfare is preferable to a lot of it. Lets come to the conclusion in 2 years to see a lot less of the ruling class.
  
  Report this comment
- okienoodlerfan
  Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:26pm
  Kristol, What a dope. “Tea Party…dude” Get the reference? I am middle class as well. I even play the lottery and justify losing to helping to make someone else rich! I am cool with the rich. There are greedy people in all socio-economic groups. Flat tax….already. Everyone needs skin in the game. Voting would go differently if everyone was REALLY paying their fair share. Taxing the rich more and using the words “their fair share” is so subjective. A lot more damage can be done in 4 more years. :-(
  
  Report this comment
justangry
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:38pm
Listening to the likes of Bill Kristol is the reason the GOP is sucking it up lately.

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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:55pm
  its funny that they will put up with stuff like this and his wild foreign policy statements – but he is still given a seat at the table….Meanwhile those who want to reduce the size of the federal government are excluded
  
  Report this comment
- gsp9993
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:29pm
  Agree. This is what the RINOS don’t get.
  
  STOP THE SPENDING
  STOP THE SPENDING
  STOP THE DAMN SPENDING
  
  WE HATE BIG GOVERNMENT AND GUYS LIKE MR KRISTOL FEED OFF OF IT.
  
  Report this comment
- longknifed
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:37pm
  Well you had a choice this primary season, but you said NOOOOOOOO
  
  Report this comment
rdk
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:37pm
Reagan raised taxes. That is good enough for me. Sure he lowered them at first, but we are at the low point of tax rates. There is no argument for allowing low tax rates for millionaires. They will not change their spending or investing habits one iota. Those millionaires who operate with Subpart S provisions, need only to change to full Part C status.

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- BTC55
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:09pm
  Ok, then let’s go back to Reagan’s rates.
  
  Report this comment
- For my Liberty!
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:54pm
  ONE PROBLEM….the “Millionaires” they want to raise the taxes are are NOT MILLIONAIRES!! The “over 250K” –SMALL BUSINESSES are the ones that pay the bill…..While the TRUE MILLIONAIRES get a FREE PASS because they hire lobbyists and high dollar CPA’s to get OUT OF PAYING A DIME… JUST like GE, who made BILLIONS in profits, yet paid ZERO in Taxes! SICK of the “Tax the rich” and “Tax the MILLIONAIRES” when there is a group in there that is neither “rich” OR a MILLIONAIRE!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- Al J Zira
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:42pm
  I heard a report on the local news radio that: “Obama is holding his promise to keep taxes down for 98% of Americans”. Now that’s a quote. The next sentence from the reporter was: “Obama is looking to raise taxes only on those earning $250k or more”. Now, I don’t know where these people get their numbers but I’m willing to bet they’re just made up lies. The really sad part is people bought into it.
  
  Report this comment
- yeahook
  Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:36am
  Yeah Reagan rates were 50% on highest income. Imagine how much leverage that would give the GOP on spending cuts if they agreed to that kind of a tax hike? They’d lose a lot of primaries though.
  
  Report this comment
GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:35pm
This cartoon gives an idea of the possible outcome:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=528076667216502&set=a.131276366896536.18165.128268590530647&type=1&theater

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- sparkyrules
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:47pm
  I wonder what them rich Democrats taste like…ewwwwww.Imagine eating Pelosi or Reid.I’d hate to be that Dragon.
  
  And Bill Kristol? I remember him talking glowingly about the ‘Arab Spring’,he had butterflies and pretty flowers when speaking Muslim Brotherhood ‘democracy’.
  
  Report this comment
John 3:16
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:32pm
What kind of moonshine you drinking Billy boy? The Tea Party Motto is, Just say NO to new taxes period, Crystal is a fool RINO just like Boehner. They’re just Republican socialists and Obama is a DemocRAT communist, kinda like inbred cousins.

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- For my Liberty!
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:55pm
  AMEN! Kristol needs to STOP TALKING FOR AMERICANS, HE, like the rest of DC have NO FREAKING CLUE!!!
  
  Report this comment
PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:30pm
Since when does he speak for anyone but the MEDIA and the RINOs and the Trilateral Commission??

He is a harlot in sheep clothing. Where does he get his information..who in the Tea Party would even talk to him?

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- TRILO
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:41pm
  agree 100%
  
  Report this comment
progressiveslayer
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:29pm
Sounds like Kristols been doing some crystal because raising taxes won’t do a thing to help our deficit,it will however raise our deficit because when government extracts money from the private sector it wastes it on the public sector,usually to the tune of billions.

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mtnhimike
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:29pm
Bill Crystal is the reason i will not renew my Weekly Standard.

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- longknifed
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:24pm
  Bill Kristol is the weekly standard.
  
  Report this comment
Mudd
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:29pm
Well, maybe it won’t kill the country but it really won’t help either. Take everything from the millionaires and it still won’t help. The problem is spending and higher taxes on anyone, or everyone won’t solve the problem. So, I guess I agree with him but I don’t think it matters.

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TROLLMONGER
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:28pm
You see. Even the extreme right wing GOP members are starting to realize its a good idea. Just takes a little persuading…LOL!

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- progressiveslayer
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:46pm
  Yes you and the other idiot Kristol agree raising taxes in a recession is a great idea,thanks for your input you economic illiterate.
  
  Report this comment
- longknifed
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:25pm
  troll you have no idea about anything. but then again you are a leftist, so you are doing really all you can do.
  
  Report this comment
Isis79
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:28pm
Bill Kristol might as well just become a liberal Democrat because his words are just that. Taxing the wealthy will do nothing to pay down the deficit or national debt. SPENDING IS THE PROBLEM and that’s all the Democrats want is more and more money for their freebie programs which gives them more votes. America the Pathetic should be our new motto.

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Noah_fing-whey
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:28pm
After 8 of 10 of the wealthiest counties voted for Obama and Obama got the so called millionaire vote I say let the dogs out and let the millionaires fend for themselves. I’ve been defending the wealthy for decades only to find out the wealthy crapped in their own mess kit this election.

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- Restored One
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:53pm
  I have to agree with you Noah, go after Hollywood first. Tax people like Eva Longoria, Ashley Judd etc who have not built anything. The only thing that they built are their egos.
  
  Report this comment
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:09pm
  Start taxing the people who campaigned and endorsed Obama. Clooney, Sean Penn, etc. should be first in line. Pelosi, Reid, and those in both Houses should be 2nd in line, as half are millionaires. Leave corporations alone, as they are the job-creators. If any millionaires should be paying, it should be the do-nothing crowd.
  
  Report this comment
possom
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:28pm
Leave the rich alone unless they support king barry then tax’em 99.9%! Especially clooney and and his idiot hollywood commie buddie’s!

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DougHuffman
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:27pm
If there is a TEA Party then the party and its leaders/spokesmen must ZUMBO Billy Kristol.

Good people ought to be armed as they will, with wits and Guns and the Truth. Hope4Change doGDamn progs

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ExLawman
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:26pm
Bill is a hard line party guy. It’s the likes of him, Fred Barnes, ect who isolate independent voters. Just slither away Billy Boy.

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Individualism
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:25pm
Bill Kristol’s only reason for being gop is because of his job and his loyalty to Israel and not America as much.

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- longknifed
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:36pm
  Kristol is the essence of the “biblical people” that these beck sheep get all gooey-eyed over. Unbelievable. Since when did the litmus test of Christianity become having to be more willing to die for Israel than America? Well, Reagan said so…even though he raised taxes higher than any president, spent more money than any other president, granted amnesty to 3.5 million illegal mexicans so they would join the GOP?
  
  Report this comment
HKS
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:24pm
If it takes the liberal Hollywood types money, I’m good with that. Looks like Jerry Brown will get the rest, a broke liberal is a goog liberal.

“Remember Benghazi”

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joan k
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:22pm
Billy Kristol is a New World Order Republican. He has already sold out to the Powers that Be. I bet he is also for Global Warming and UN Agenda 21.

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- longknifed
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 8:28pm
  This is how loyal Kristol is to the Republican Party.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aUI436aF5k
  
  There is a limit that these neocons will put up with resistance within the party before they cross over and vote democrat.
  
  Report this comment
mlgunner
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:21pm
Kristol is a trained monkey who doesn’t speak for the Tea Party, but is the lapdog of the GOP elitists. That being said, if you ask someone in the Tea Party about it, you would probably learn that they know O-mob-a’s Tax increases will affect people who WORK for a living, like small businessmen and professionals. His super rich friends, who already have all the money they need in the billions, do not pay taxes, they don’t need to because they don’t EARN a WAGE.

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SacredHonor1776
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:21pm
He is a bastard…

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- kickagrandma
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:41pm
  You nailed it, SACREDHONOR1776!
  
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BlackCrow
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:18pm
The Tea Party AGREES????

Ain’t right to be smokin’ that stuff and not sharing there Billy boy.

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StormRider
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:16pm
Bill Kristol talking through his azz, you don’t speak for us, so shut up!

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- CatB
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:17pm
  What the H does he think he knows about the TEA Party ??? What an a$$.
  
  Remember BENGHAZI!
  
  Report this comment
- 338lapua
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:49pm
  Oh yeah, Billy was at the rallies(not). When are you establishment types going to wake up and realize…..you are on the wrong side of this issue. And most others as well.
  
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DEFCON4
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:15pm
We need to fix the spending problem first, then the taxing problem will fall in line.

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Psychosis
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:15pm
like he has ever talked to anyone in the tea party

TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY

when you treat 1 or 2 % of the population differently, you open the floodgates to abuse , which WILL eventually INCLUDE YOU

stop treating people differently under the law

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Thatsitivehadenough
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:12pm
Bill Crystal is a DEMOCRAT. It’s no secret.

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- justangry
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 6:36pm
  He’s a Neoconservative. So yeah, he’s basically a democrat that likes to bomb people.
  
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