OFA’S GIFT TO THE RIGHT: Biden Claims Middle Class “Buried” the Last Four Years

Photo credit: Marc Nozell

What would this election be without the gaffes of Vice President Biden?  We’ve reported extensively on Biden’s “Foot in Mouth” disease, but his statement yesterday – before the first 2012 presidential debate – might be his worst/best.  While in North Carolina on the campaign trail yesterday, Biden told supporters “How they can justify raising taxes on the middle class that’s been buried in the last four years?”

Maybe Biden forgot his team has led the country for the last four years?  (We’d like to forget too, honestly.)  Beyond the collective “hand slap to forehead” heard throughout the Obama campaign, his attempt at accusing Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan of wanting to raise taxes on the middle class is simply inaccurate.  The only campaign planning to raise taxes on the middle class is the Obama/Biden ticket.

Americans for Tax Reform kindly published an article outlining the top five Obama tax hikes “burying” the middle class, all of which stem from Obama’s Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”).  Of course, that’s not really even taking into consideration the fact that Obama has layered on over $5 trillion in debt, which all Americans (including the middle class) will have to repay.

Then, there was that time when we crossed the $16 trillions in debt threshold.  According to the Heritage Foundation and U.S. Department of Treasury:

• When President Obama took office, the total national debt was nearly $10.6 trillion. Today, it’s over $16 trillion. That’s more than a 50 percent increase in the national debt in less than four years.
• Debt held by the public was $6.3 trillion on Inauguration Day. Today, that number is about $11.3 trillion. That is an 80 percent increase and sets a new record.

No wonder the middle class is buried.  It’s suffocating under the tremendous amount of debt President Obama has incurred for how many jobs?  None.  That’s right, we have five million fewer Americans in the labor force than we did when President Obama took office.  All in all, a shameful record for the middle class.