Congressional Democrats and the Obama administration have been engaged in a blatant class warfare campaign when it comes to taxes. They vilify the "rich", coddle the "poor" and in the process of inflicting more financial damage to the country than the greedy investor-gamblers who created the sub-prime mess.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has issued a report that breaks down the 2006 tax burden and shows that the current tax system is already extremely "progressive" and has the "rich" giving roughly 30% of their income to support ineffective government programs.

In 2006, the top 20 percent of earners paid 70 percent of all federal taxes. On average, they paid 26 percent of their income to the government. The very richest -- the top 1 percent of taxpayers, with household incomes of over $332,000 -- paid 28 percent of all taxes, with an effective tax rate of 31 percent. The middle three quintiles paid rates of 10, 14 and 18 percent. The lowest 20 percent of households paid only 0.8 percent of all federal taxes -- and the bottom 90 percent of households paid only 45 percent.

Based on these numbers, it would be hard to argue that the country doesn't already have a significantly progressive tax system. (WP ref)

America doesn't need class warfare. America doesn't need more draconian tax policies. America needs real leaders who are willing to make tough decisions to cut spending & eliminate waste. This administration cannot end soon enough. The question is: will America finally be smart enough after these four, horrible years to find a worthy candidate to elect instead of another smooth-talking snake-oil salesman.

Melissa Irwin provided one of the best responses to Obama's "Special Olympics" gaff on The Tonight Show. This is a key excerpt:

I know you didn't mean to stick your foot in your mouth and you didn't mean to criticize an entire sect of our population. I know that you didn't mean to knock your popularity ratings down a notch and that you didn't desire to offend a single person. I know that you didn't use the word "retarded" and I know that all you really meant to do was to be humble about the fact that your bowling game has room for improvement. Your intention was to show humility and maybe even bring a light-heartedness to your message where the challenges you face as President, and the challenges we are facing today as over-spent, over-extended Americans, could use a little light-heartedness. But you should have known better than to ever make light of a person with special needs. You offended every mother, father, brother, sister, special education teacher, cousin, neighbor, friend, church member, and every other advocate for people with special needs.

...

You have already apologized. But you did more than offend. You have shown me that you may not be as sensitive as I thought you were. You may be not as intelligent as I thought you were. And you may not be as trustworthy as I thought you were. You didn't just make a regretable remark, you revealed something about your true character. Good luck with that in 2012.