THE LATEST ON WHO PAYS WHAT

Well, it's time to put a stop to the whining about income inequality and those big huge tax breaks the evil rich have received from George Bush.  The Treasury Department is about to release the numbers for 2004, and as usual the highest achievers are taking it on the chin.

The Democrats, with no small amount of help from Republicans, are making headway on their goal of shifting the entire federal tax burden in this country onto a minority of income earners.  In 2004 the bottom one-half of income earners paid only 3.3% of all federal income taxes.  That's down from the Clinton years.  In fact, that's the lowest share paid by the bottom half ever.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the majority of American families with incomes less than $40,000 pay no income taxes at all!  When you factor in the welfare program known as the Earned Income Tax Credit, many of these families are coming close to getting a completely free ride!

OK ... but what about the evil rich?

In 2004 the top 1% of all income earners earned about 19% of all income.  So ... the rich really are benefiting from Bush's tax policies, aren't they?  Just 1% earning 19% of all income?   Sorry to burst your bubble, but that figure was higher in the Clinton years.  During the time Clinton was in office this figure went from 13.8% to nearly 21%.  Funny how you didn't read a lot of newspaper stories during the Clinton years about growing income inequality, isn't it?  Now, under bush, the share of total income earned by the wicked rich has fallen!

But what about the income taxes!  Surely George Bush has all but wiped out income taxes for the nasty rich, hasn't he? 

Nope.

In 2004 the top 1% of income earners -- that crowd that earned 19% of all income -- paid 36.9% of all income taxes. The top 5% of income earners paid a whopping 57.1% of all income taxes.  That's an increase under Bush.  So much for "tax cuts for the rich." 

OK .. well how about the super-rich?  What about the top one-tenth of one percent of income earners?  Lordy, I don't even know how much you have to earn to be in this crowd.  From 2002 to 2004, with the hated Bush tax cuts firmly in place, the top 0.1% of income earners saw their share of total income taxes paid go from 15.4% to 17.4%.  That's up a full 2% for those of you who went to government schools.  

OK ... that's income taxes.  But what about capital gains taxes and taxes on dividends?  Bush cut those taxes too, didn't he?  That's where the rich are making out like bandits, right?  Well ... glad you asked.  Since Bush's tax cuts the Imperial Federal Government has seen an increase of 79% in capital gains taxes, and 35% for taxes on dividends.

Just remember these figures the next time you see some Democrat whining about income inequality and the need to redistribute income.  It looks like we're doing quite a bit of redistribution as it is.

LOOKS LIKE THE ISLAMIC FASCISTS WIN ANOTHER ONE

There are reports from the Middle East today that Israel and the Palestinians are discussing a prisoner swap.  One Israeli soldier for who knows how many Palestinians prisoners. 

We all know the scenario from here, don't we?  The Islamic Palestinian goons will continue their assaults on Israel.  Israel will continue to arrest them.  The jails will once again become crowded with Islamic murderers and thugs.  Hamas will kidnap another Israeli soldier.  There will be some fighting .. and then a prisoner swap.

In the meantime, most agree that Hezbollah is busily rearming and strengthening in Southern Lebanon, while the West puts on its ballet slippers to deal with Iran. 

Sooner or later the Islamic fascists have to be destroyed.  The longer we wait, the bloodier it is going to be.

THE ELECTION DAY PUSH IS ON

Let the polling begin.  With only 62 days left until Americans go to the polls on November 7th, the mid-term elections of 2006 are about to heat up in earnest.  So what's the hot issue this year?  That's easy:  Iraq.  Gas prices were a big issue (largely due to the economic ignorance of the American people), but those are headed downward in the past few weeks.  By the time Election Day rolls around, people might not care so much.

CNN has done a new poll in which they report a majority of Americans are angry about something, with less than half happy about the way things are going.  These are the same kind of polling numbers the Democratic Congress had in 1994 before it was bounced.  This can't be good news for the Republican majority.  The facts are what they are:  President Bush is unpopular and people are tired of the war in Iraq.  On top of that, you have the normal losses associated with the second term of an incumbent president.

But the Republicans don't have to lose.  There's still time for them to pick up and run with a signature issue that just might save their hides this fall.  But are they smart enough to do it?  Nope.  According to media reports this morning, GOP leaders in Congress are tabling the issue of illegal immigration and will instead focus on national security.  They're betting that most people still don't trust Democrats with national security, and they're probably right.  Will it be enough to keep control of Congress?  Probably not.

The fact is that Republicans can talk all they want about national security, but with things the way they are in Iraq, it doesn't exactly wash.  Factor in the Bush-bashing, pro-appeasement mainstream media and it makes things extra-difficult. 

Illegal immigration?  That just might have been their golden ticket.  It is an issue that excites the conservative base and will send them to the polls.  But Republican inaction on the illegal alien invasion is just the kind of thing that will keep Republicans home on Election Day and put the speaker's gavel in Nancy Pelosi's hands.

And don't even get me started on the FairTax.  Talk about something that will get people to the polls.

One thing is clear.  The Republicans are not showing one ounce of courage in this election year.  Not a bit.  It takes courage to defend this country, and courage to make the changes that need to be made to preserve this country for those to follow.  The Republicans don't have it.

Imagine that...Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  The only thing that might give you more nightmares than that is President Hillary Clinton.

TALKS WITH IRAN GO NOWHERE

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has concluded his much-publicized trip to Iran to speak to Mr. Crazy himself, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmajithingy.  Kofi was trying to persuade Iran to give up it's nuclear weapons program and stop enriching uranium.  These are the sort of direct talks that the Democrats and other Bush Administration critics have demanded.

So Kofi went to talk to Iran.  The result?  Nothing.  Well, Kofi did announce that Iran was ready to talk about its nuclear program...but we knew that.  But that's all they're ready to do...talk.  The Iranians are all-too happy to talk about how they're not going to get rid of their nuclear program. 

In spite of all the talking and nothing getting accomplished, Kofi-the-Korrupt did share with us his wisdom to the effect that the issue of Iran's nuclear program should be resolved through ....  talks. 

More talks?  That's his solution?  Isn't it clear now that the United Nations Secretary General is just another in a long list of stooges for Islamic terrorism?    It's good to have friends in high places, isn't it?

Sadly, the writing is on the wall here.  Neither the United Nations  nor the Security Council is ever going to do anything about Iran.  All we'll hear is more talks are being scheduled.  The Euro-weenies are going to be negotiating with Iran next.  We might even hear about a breakthrough in which Iran agrees to some proposal, but they'll break it.  Iran will only do what they have to.....that is, they'll make it look like they're the ones being reasonable while the United States isn't.  So much for our hard line on Iran.

Kofi did get one thing right on his trip.  He told Iran that the Holocaust was an "undeniable historical fact."  Next up:  Kofi is going to appoint a mediator to handle talks between Hezbollah and Israel over a prisoners-for-soldiers swap.  He may already have a good one:  Jesse Jackson is already in the region and says Hezbollah should prove the Israeli soldiers are alive as a good will gesture.

Who knows .... maybe Jesse will convert to get the job done.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

If you are at a BBQ and your burger tastes like crap, this might be why. I think I prefer someotherrednecksolutions. More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

Well, tonight's the night:  Perky Katie Couric debuts as the new anchor on the CBS Evening News.  We'll find out at 6:30 just what CBS spent all that money for.  According to one report, The Godfather is set to make an appearance.

John Edwards (remember him?) is going around saying Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should resign, because of how things are going in Iraq.  Edwards also says we should raise the minimum wage to $7.50.  That's it?  You can't' raise a family on $7.50 an hour anymore than you can on $5.15 an hour, sir.

Republican candidates around the country are running as fast as they can from President Bush, whom they once embraced.  Now you're going to hear how all these GOP members of Congress are "independent."  It may be just a bit too late for that.

President Bush is saying once again that the United States is dependent on oil from parts of the world that do not like us.  He says we need to develop technology to break the habit.  He's also pushing ethanol and nuclear power.  That's right, nuclear power...the kind that gives leftist environmental types nightmares.

The Valerie Plame affair has come to a close, and as Rowan Scarborough tells us, the left's dreams of another Watergate-type scandal have been dashed.  Should they have even had their hopes up in the first place?  Read on.

Did you know that the presidential contest in 2008 will be the first race in which neither the president of the United States nor the vice president is running?  Michael Barone notes the significance and says the conventional wisdom on who the front-runners are going to be may very well be wrong.

Victor Davis Hanson asks whether or not the West still needs convincing of the seriousness of the threat Islamic terrorism poses.  Evidently we do, because appeasement is once again the order of the day.  Hanson says all people need to do is listen to the terrorists themselves to know the threat they pose.

Democratic activist Susan Estrich says there may be a woman on the Democratic ticket in 2008, but it just might not be Hillary Clinton.  Estrich says Hillary might not run, so it's time for Plan B.  Just who else would fit the bill?  Read on.

David Limbaugh has a new book coming out about the Democratic Party and he talks about it in today's Townhall column.  He says the Democrats have no ideas besides attacking President Bush and  must not be trusted with our national security.

Professor Mike Adams says he's never called for the immediate firing of a university president...until today, that is.  Adams says the president of the State University of New York in Fredonia has to go.  What did this guy do to deserve the boot?  Find out in today's column here.

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