The Question of Taxes
—Michael Medved

While telling ABC higher taxes were "patriotic," Joe Biden repeated Democratic claims that Obama's proposed tax hikes meant wealthy people are "still going to pay less taxes than they did under Reagan."

In truth, the Reagan presidency twenty years ago ended with a top marginal rate of 28percent; today it's 35 percent; Obama would raise it to 39.6 percent. The Democrats would only provide "less taxes than Reagan" if you focus on the Gipper's first months in the White House--before he radically lowered rates. After inheriting a top rate of 70 percent, Reagan slashed it several times to produce the '80s boom. The Obama tax plan shouldn't be associated with Reagan but with Carter--who presided over a dysfunctional economy even worse than today?s troubles. Dishonest references to Reaganomics dishonors a great president, and demonstrate the Democrats' shameless mendacity."