Sen. Tom Coburn targets 'welfare for the well-off' in new report

[alp227]

Source: LA Times

As the congressional "super committee" works to overcome divisions on a deficit reduction deal, a leading conservative lawmaker is blasting billions wasted on "welfare for the well-off."

Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who served on the president's bipartisan fiscal commission and has been a member of the so-called Gang of Six, released a report Monday detailing the kinds of subsidies and loopholes that he says benefit those least in need of a government safety net.

Coburn calls his 37-page report, which features a number of charts along with clip art of the Monopoly man, "Subsidies of the Rich and Famous."

"We should never demonize those who are successful. Nor should we pamper them with unnecessary welfare to create an appearance everyone is benefiting from federal programs," Coburn writes.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-coburn-welfare-20111114,0,4302490.story

[BlueToTheBone]

1. What's his angle? This is no reformist. Coburn is Pig to the bone.

He would steal the opium suppository from his dying grandmother's cancerous ass.

[SoapBox]

10. Ditto.

You said it for me.

[lib2DaBone]

12. What's Coburn up to? He's a Repuke Bankster all the way...

[naaman fletcher]

13. meh..

he is a religious a-hole, but he is generally pretty honest and seemingly one of the few in congress who is not corrupt. To the question of, what's his angle, the answer is he wants to gut social security and medicare, and this is part of the cover story. That being said, I think he genuinely believes what he is saying here (and he is right) and he genuinely believes in the need to gut social security and medicare (which he is totally wrong on), but again, I don't think he is generally corrupt like the rest of the GOP and most of the Dems.

[SemperEadem]

14. I'd agree with you...

if he wasn't busted for running interference for Ensign when he was up to his eyeballs in affairs and scandals... but he is just as morally corrupt as they come.

[rfranklin]

16. this is a PR effort to keep the Bush tax cuts by "closing loopholes"

They will offer up this and work it until they get those tax cuts in place permanently.

It is a smoke screen.

[indepat]

2. Surely we can agree that all persons (including corporations deemed by the SCOTUS as persons)

who are not required by law to bear a reasonably equitable share of the Federal income tax burden necessary for the government to fund its operations, service its debt, and meet its other obligations, is receiving direct governmental welfare, i.e., they are pampered by being allowed to suck at the governmental welfare teat rather than share the burden. This thesis would seem to a simple, valid, and essential starting point for a tax policy that every rational person of good faith and sound mind could fully embrace. :patriot:

[russspeakeasy]

3. What a dickhead...he belongs in history with john mccain.

[zalinda]

4. Maybe OWS has gotten to him and

he is afraid he will lose his seat.

zalinda

[tcaudilllg]

9. Either that or he's actually thinking.

The tales of injured vets have given many cons pause.

And I agree with him, we need to stop that crap.

[provis99]

5. defines well off as poor people who get welfare.

Have to get rid of the welfare for those well-off poor people!

[elleng]

6. He's right.

'Among the most egregious offenses of "reverse Robin Hood" handouts: $20.8 million in unemployment insurance paid to millionaires in 2009; $16.4 million in subsidized student loans for millionaire college students from 2007 to 2010; $27.7 billion in mortgage interest deductions for millionaires.

Coburn estimates that $9.5 billion in government benefits has been paid to millionaires since 2003.

"From tax write-offs for gambling losses, vacation homes and luxury yachts to subsides for their ranches and estates, the government is subsidizing the lifestyles of the rich and famous," Coburn writes.'

[FarLeftFist]

7. Credit where credit is due. Hopefully no alterior motive/hidden agenda

[truthisfreedom]

11. I can tell you what the alterior motive is. He's trying to kick-start the rethug presidential race.

They're dying out there. He's trying to change direction mid-course.

[tclambert]

15. Nice word alterior. Looks more sensible than ulterior.

Ulterior means "beyond what is obvious or evident." Ulterior motive would mean someone has a hidden purpose in addition to the their stated purpose. I suppose alterior could come from "alternate" so it would imply his stated motive is false. I like that. It would have wide application in politics. Like every single time a Republican says they want to "save" Social Security.

[Muskypundit]

8. now what is that about broke clocks?