Limbaugh falsely claimed that taxes on "most small businesses" would increase if Bush tax cuts on wealthiest Americans expire
SUMMARY: Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that taxes would increase on "most small businesses" if the Bush tax cuts on Americans making more than $250,000 expire in 2011. In fact, the Tax Policy Center stated that in 2007, about 2 percent of tax returns that reported small-business income are in the top two income tax brackets, which include all filers with taxable incomes of more than $250,000.
During the February 23 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that taxes would increase on "most small businesses" if the Bush tax cuts on Americans making more than $250,000 expire in 2011. According to Limbaugh, President Obama will announce on February 24 that "the Bush tax cuts are going to be allowed to perspire [sic] in 2011, and that will move the current top marginal rate from 35 up to 39.6, effectively 40 percent ... on incomes over $250,000 a year. This is a massive -- in the midst of a recession -- tax increase on small business." Limbaugh later asserted that "[m]ost small businesses file on their personal income tax return. Most of them are Subchapter S corporations, and they file on their personal return. ... [T]heir new rate, will be, in a couple years, 2011 or so, will be 40 percent smack-dab in the middle of a recession." In fact, as Media Matters for America documented, according to the Tax Policy Center's table of 2007 tax returns that reported small business income, 481,000 of those returns -- about 2 percent -- are in the top two income tax brackets, which include all filers with taxable incomes of more than $250,000.
Limbaugh's comments echoed those of Sen. Mitch McConnell, (R-KY) who recently revived the debunked claim, which Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) 2008 presidential campaign repeatedly made.
From the February 23 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: Obama announced -- by the way, this big deal coming up on -- tomorrow night, he's going to announce his tax increases. And the -- folks, the wrong way to talk about this is Obama is going to raise taxes on the wealthy. That is the wrong way to talk about this, because what's going to happen is that the Bush tax cuts are going to be allowed to perspire in 2011, and that will move the current top marginal rate from 35 up to 39.6, effectively 40 percent -- and this is on incomes over $250,000 a year.
This is a massive -- in the midst of a recession -- tax increase on small business. It is not a tax on the wealthy. I mean, it is, but it's that -- it's going to hit far many more small-business people than it's going to hit the wealthy.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: So, anyway, the small-business people who hire the newly happy unemployed are going to be soaked with a 40 percent tax rate. Most small businesses file on their personal income tax return. Most of them are Subchapter S corporations, and they file on their personal return, which makes -- which makes their -- their effective rate's going to be 40 -- not their effective, but their new rate, will be, in a couple years, 2011 or so, will be 40 percent smack-dab in the middle of a recession.
This is -- this is disastrous, but don't call it a tax increase on the rich. It's not that. Small businesses of 250 grand or larger are not rich people. They're going to pay the brunt.
Remember: Rush Limbaugh runs a small business (Club G'itmo apparel, Operation: Chaos apparel, anyone?).
Maybe I'm trying to say "this" is "that," when it's really "this" is "this."
Conservatives are irrelevant. I am no longer going to spend a single ounce of energy worrying about what any conservative thinks. Obama needs to go full-steam ahead and let the conservatives continue to tumble into the dustbin of history. They've lost their right to be listened to in the national debate. Let them continue to bet heavily that Obama is wrong. They will be judged harshly for obstructing a popular president.
once, I couldent have said it better myself
Let them continue to bet heavily that Obama is wrong.
And continue to foment hatred towards Obama among the knuckle-dragging base. They really, really hate Obama...and the man has only been President for one month.
But, he's been a democrat for a lot longer, which is why they hate him. They hate all democrats, it's just that now, again, one is running the country, and will show them how to do it correctly (I hope), and they can't stand that they suck at it.
The level of hatred towards Obama I am seeing and hearing concerns me... And that's what Limbaugh, Hannity and others want. I wanted Bush voted out of office, but the thought of armed revolution or secession never crossed my mind. I know these are nut cases saying these things...but even one nut case talking that way is one too many IMO. I am not necessarily concerned about actual violence but the division in this country, as bad as it was before, has really taken a nasty turn. That's not good for America.
Thing is, America as a whole approves of what Obama is doing thus far, which tends to tell me that people like Beck, and Limbaugh et all, are starting to be marginalized and that the amount of people who actually listen to them, as in, take advice from them, is probably dropping as well, I would hope.
Limbaugh and Beck though, normally we'd expect the severe right wing militia types (thing G. Gordon Liddy) would be preaching about armed revolution, but to hear it on the most popular "news" station on cable is quite another. I don't think Beck is too far away from incitement.
Maybe it's just because I live in the blood-red South that I have become more attuned to the vitriol and hatred directed towards the President. Man, most people really, really hate him down here and aren't afraid to say it. Fortunately there are a few refreshing exceptions...
irony,i agree with you. I too live in the south and the hatred for OBAMA is unbelieveable. Of course you have all the RIGHT WING HATE PREACHERS like LIMBAUGH, LEVIN AND HANNITY down here stoking the fires of hate. They still cant believe they lost in 08.
Amen, brother! These people clamor for revolt, murder and prison for all democrats while they scream about being afraid of democrats calling for revolt, murder and prison for all republicans. The straw man's straw man...
I know of a lot of small business owners who are fed up of the republican promises and now vote democrat. My guess is that Limbaugh is targeting 2% because that happens to be the same number of votes lost that will gaurantee minority status for the republicans. They may sound like they are trying to "warn" the country but in reality they are trying to salvage their voting margins.
If by most, Limbaugh means 2 percent, then he's correct! Of course, that's not what he means at all, and we all know it.
Democrat bad. Republican good.
I mean, anyone, right, left, or center, can look at where we are now, and how we got there, and who was running the show when everything ran down the crapper, and now they want to criticize, sometimes, OK, most of the time without reason, the man that is trying to fix the republican's mess? And it's only been a month? I have a feeling that MMFA is going to be busier than normal with Obama in the White House working to show the misinformation in the system.
I have a feeling that MMFA is going to be busier than normal with Obama in the White House working to show the misinformation in the system.
Have you heard the latest one? ACORN is going to run the census. Yep...that's the latest lie making the rounds in loony world. Wait until it hits the airwaves...can't be much longer.
Oh dear lord... We'll be hearing that ad nauseum for the next, well, a long time I have no doubt. And they'll proclaim it as some grand scheme to make sure that poor people take over or something like that.
I heard him saying this this morning. What a complete crock. He was also making fun of some article that someone wrote about how the silver lining to getting laid off was they had more time to spend with their kids for a while. Yeah Rush. Its INCREDIBLE. people actually want to spend more time with their kids. I find that hard to fathom, too. (what a maroon)
I heard that, Peebs, The Fat One is trying to portray a single article about "some" who are making the best of their unemployment as the media stretching to write positive things about Obama.
OT, but check out El Lushbo's glamour shot at his website, and compare it to the actual photo above.
It's like they took a template and cut & pasted a human man's head from Rush's gelatinous lump of a noggin. Looks like they trimmed down the walrus-like body as well.
That photo looks like it was taken about 50 pounds ago.... maybe when he was married to that fitness instructor.
This is such an easy bluff to call. Tell republicans that you'll gladly cut taxes on small business by 10% as long as you get to raise taxes on big business by 10%.
This subject raises my blood pressure every time, because conservative tax policy is the #1 thing wrong with America, and it is the #1 easiest piece of crap to debunk. Look at Limbaugh just spout 180 degrees opposite of the truth right out of the gate. It's the only defense to an utterly indefensible position.
Me thinks you need to send that little sugestion to the White House....
Well.... Geitners office anyways....
Did they really expect the Bush tax cuts, which weren't written as permanent in the first place, would stay permanent?
I really wish they wouldn't complain about spending and the deficit and then say tax cuts every 2 seconds. They are aware that they caused the deficit in the first place, right? Long before before Obama came on the scene.
Wow. I'm amazed so many people who can type can find Rush Limbaugh 100% wrong/false on everything. And Obama 100% right on everything. Regardless of issue. What are the odds of that?
Rush is a jagoff...what more could be said. Oh, I got it, so are his dittoheads. I ask the dittoheads...Knowing Rush is a drug addict and you know it, how can you follow believe everything he says. HOW???? Would you trust any other drug addicts. To end, Rush is a jagoff.
This is what the jagoff said about that woman who was beheaded by her husband:
That N.O.W. gang is out there saying "Ah now that’s not domestic violence, that’s just uh, that’s just uh, what'd they call it, “culturally honor killing” and this woman was gonna divorce him…it’s against the law, and, and, and, that's that's…that's his diversity."
Absurd and apalling, sick and twisted and outrageous. Guy's a major creep.
well does that suprise you, the man has been married and divorced how many times?
The graph speaks for itself...
Anybody else notice that, on threads like this, where The Fat One is objectively, indefensibly, factually wrong, the dittoheads are nowhere to be seen?
But as soon as there's a Rush item with some plausible deniability, or some subjective angle to his BS, they all flock here to screech about the MMFA witch hunt?
Facts are as toxic to them as sunlight is to vampires. But, hey, who could possibly defend Rush Limbaugh with a straight face? Was there ever a time when Limbaugh told the truth?
even sheep need some sleep once in awhile
Awe.... Rush is just mad off that his stupid little "Operation Chaos" DID NOT WORK AS PLANNED and also that with Obama as president instead of Grampy and Caribu... he's gonna have to pay a little more of a fair share of the tax burden!!
Seriously... that is what this is all about!
I dare anyone to come up with any proof what so ever that I'm wrong on this!
Oh... there may be other reasons on top of my thoughts on this... but I doubt that I'm wrong on my assertion!
If you'll notice, the people leading the charge for more tax cuts just happen to be the ones who will benefit most from those tax cuts. Coincidence? I don't think so.
This untrained Idiot is nothing but a "Snake Oil" Salesman! For the love of me, I cannot understand Republicans. They constantly yak about being qualified for various positions..yet they allow a Radio Announcer with no formal training to RUN their sad Party...a party associated with the incitement of its followers to shoot our newly elected President....What Sycophants!
But you have to understand, by current republiCANT standards, 2% or so is a vast majority and an utter disaster. The earth was also created in 6 actual working days, is only 6,000 years old (give or take a little), is flat, and the sun revolves about us. Lord help us. It is not that the barbarians are at the gates, the problems is that there are no gates (exported offshore to avoid taxes and increase profits).
Hannibal ad Portus
Hannibal is one of the patron saints of Limbo and others like him. As a group, the RepuliCANTS are enamored with Hannibal, along with Gen.MacCarther, Cluthu, and the Flying Pretzel Monkey. It shows in their (lack of thought) governing policies.
Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but the Bush tax cuts, which Obama is allowing to expire naturally, effects the entire payscale.
Any small business that makes $250,000...these owners are certainly NOT what anyone in America would consider to be "rich."
If you review Rush's show, not just the snippet provided here, he bluntly states something similar.
Also, take the Bush tax cut. Dare to do your own research, did it only effect the rich? You may be surprised to see you're own taxes rise when it dies...
Please, don't respond in flames, if media does matter, so does free speech. And with no criticism (EVEN false criticism) any ruling power becomes corrupt.