On radio, Buck says Obama wants to create a "majority vote" of people "receiving benefits from government"

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by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Rep. Ken Buck.

Even if you're a just a talk-radio host, don't just say "Yap," as KHOW 630-AM's Mandy Connell did yesterday, when your special guest, in this case, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), insults the President.

"He's a wonderful orator," Buck told Connell during her morning show yesterday. "And he makes everybody happy. The reality is, that he has no intention of flattening the tax code. He has every intention of making sure that he is creating a majority vote, a 51 percent vote, of people who are receiving benefits from the government that they wouldn't otherwise receive."

As I noted, Connell's reply to this was the utterance of "Yap." My own thought was more along the lines of WTF. This is what Buck got from Obama's State of Union Address?

Where's Buck's proof that Obama has a political agenda to create a "51 percent vote" of Americans "receiving benefits from government that they wouldn't otherwise receive."

Is he reading Obama's mind? If Buck has evidence for this wild and insulting accusation, we'd all like to see it. But if he doesn't, it's more grossness from our new Representative from Colorado.

Buck isn't a lonely District Attorney anymore–or a candidate making yet another gaffe that reporters don't have time to dig into. Now he's a Congressman who should be held accountable–even by radio hosts–for his insults and baseless mud slinging.

12 thoughts on “On radio, Buck says Obama wants to create a “majority vote” of people “receiving benefits from government””

BlueCat says:

January 22, 2015 at 1:51 pm

Gee. Buck is a moron. Who knew?

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1. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  January 22, 2015 at 2:34 pm
  
  The majority of permanent morons (51%) I know would be feeling insulted . . .
  
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gertie97 says:

January 22, 2015 at 2:26 pm

Jason, Jason, Jason: when will you get it that radio hosts are not anything resembling reporters. Never have been, never will be.

Buck is a moron. Real reporters should pin him to the wall. But quit expecting similar behavior from radio jocks.

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1. Jason Salzman says:
  
  January 22, 2015 at 4:17 pm
  
  you can't give up on these people or any people.
  
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  1. mamajama55 says:
    
    January 22, 2015 at 4:33 pm
    
    Hear,hear. I wrote to two radio hosts regarding a past diary of Jason's, and one actually wrote back to me, and sort of apologized (at least made excuses for) the lies spoken on the air.
    
    So at least she knew what she should feel guilty about. A small step, but progress.
    
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    1. gertie97 says:
      
      January 22, 2015 at 5:42 pm
      
      Jason, why not just bay at the moon?
      
      Why not instead put your efforts to the almost daily crap coming out of the Post, Chieftain, Sentinel and others in the legislature? Or the Denver TV stations (Eli excepted) who air bullshit sound bites from the likes of Buck and Gardner without challenge?
      
      The radio and TV airheads get most of their material from mainsteam media whether they admit it or not. Go after the source, not the mindless wonders who read it on the air.
      
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Old Time Dem says:

January 22, 2015 at 5:14 pm

Gee, if that were true Obama would have swept the vote in farm country.

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1. MichaelBowman says:
  
  January 22, 2015 at 8:13 pm
  
  Truer words never spoken. I have an acquaintance who is a recipient of vast sums of ag subsidies. He was on his FB page last week railing against Obama and the thought of 'raising his taxes'. It took me about three minutes to go on the EWG website, look him up and see the 7 figures he's gotten from Uncle Sam. I sent him a message and asked him if he'd like me to post the link to his government bounty for everyone to see. (I'm not blocked from his page). The cognitive disconnect in farm country is mind numbing.
  
  Between the years 1995-2012 (latest info available) Buck's CD-4 has received $3.64 BILLION in ag subsidies. Colorado is a net contributor to the federal treasury, meaning the entirety of the federal largess to his district is generated by taxes in Colorado; that means it's almost exclusively the tax-payin' evil liberals on the Front Range (that he loves to hate) that are effectively propping up his ag constituents.
  
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Republican 36 says:

January 22, 2015 at 5:21 pm

Aside from the fact Mr. Buck doesn't know what President Obama is thinking, isn't it interesting that the talk show host, without even a murmur of opposition from the congressman, is spouting the Mitt Romney line about the "47%" who don't pay taxes into and turning it into a baseless assertion that the President wants to put 51% on the dole to win elections. Even though it destroyed Romney's campaign, the right wing, including Buck, have taken up that mantra.

It is true about 47% of all Americans don't pay any federal income tax but of course that doesn't tell the whole story. Two-thirds of Romney's 47% do pay payroll taxes (including Social Security), state, local, sales, and property taxes. To say those people are on the dole is ridiculous. They may not pay federal income taxes but they certainly pay taxes. Many of these people are the working poor (29.2%) or the elderly (11%).

What is more startling are the wealthy who pay no federal income tax and presumably make up part of the 47%. There are 78,000 tax filers who earn between $211,000 and $533,000 who do not pay any federal income taxes. There are 24,000 tax filers who earn between $533,000 and $2.2 million who paid no income taxes and there are 3,000 tax filers who earn more than $2.2 million who paid no income taxes. Since the wealthy in these categories don't pay income taxes but certainly utilize our roads, the air traffic control system and above all benefit from the soldiers who bleed and die for their freedom, shouldn't Mr. Buck openly acknowledge they are on the federal dole too.

Beyond that, reporters need to ask Buck who he includes in the"47%" or the "51%." Does he include those on Social Security retirement, those on Social Security disability, Medicare, Medicaid and Food Stamps? For whom does he want to terminate benefits? What is his eligibility criteria for government assistance of any kind?

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1. Davie says:
  
  January 22, 2015 at 7:41 pm
  
  Excellent review of the facts. However, I'm pretty sure Buck's goal was to spread his own ignorance, prejudice and hate. Facts only get in his way.
  
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2. Jason Salzman says:
  
  January 23, 2015 at 10:03 am
  
  Thanks for this comment.
  
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3. Jason Salzman says:
  
  January 23, 2015 at 10:04 am
  
  excellent
  
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