Tea party groups push Republicans not to accept tax increases
Washington (CNN) - Several tea party-aligned groups are pushing Republican members of Congress not to support tax increases as a congressional super committee tries to come up with a proposal to cut at least $1.2 billion from the nation's debt.
Republicans serving on the committee that is charged with cutting $1.2 trillion in federal spending over 10 years have proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes balanced against a reduction in tax rates and tax reform.
Americans for Prosperity is pushing 40 House Republicans who have previously indicated a willingness to support new taxes to reverse course and is going up with a $50,000 radio ad campaign on Thursday targeting five House Republicans who serve on the Appropriations Committee. The ad says in part the members "recently joined 40 Republicans and 60 Democrats signing a letter asking the congressional super committee to consider 'all options for mandatory and discretionary spending and revenues.' Americans for Prosperity is concerned that this could make higher taxes. And, tax increases would be disastrous."
The ad is airing in the districts of Reps. Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri; Charles Dent of Pennsylvania; Frank Wolf of Virginia; Steve LaTourette of Ohio; and Ander Crenshaw of Florida.
Wolf's spokesman Daniel Scandling said in reaction "Congressman Wolf does not support raising taxes. He does support closing loopholes and ending the practice of tax earmarks" and said Wolf "has been talking about putting everything on the table for almost six years." Emerson's chief of staff Jeffrey Connor told CNN in reaction to the ad: "Revenues are not necessarily taxes - revenue includes things like expanding offshore oil leases and selling unneeded federal lands, eliminating fraud in the Additional Child Tax Credit and bringing U.S. corporate revenues back to American shores."
The offices of Dent, LaTourette and Crenshaw did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, members of another group, Tea Party Patriots, visited more than 200 congressional offices around the country earlier Thursday to push the message that the first priority for the super committee is to pursue what it considers "real spending cuts, not accounting gimmicks" and that tax increases should not be part of that equation.
"Reducing the government's future spending is not a real cut," said Mark Meckler, the group's national coordinator, said in a statement. "Tea Party Patriots demand gimmick-free reductions in federal spending in the Super Committee's November 23 plan. Activists across the country know we are headed the way of Greece if we do not immediately face fiscal reality."
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The Tea Party can't be patriots, they don't care about anyone but themselves.
They just don't get it. But, they will get plenty of time to reflect upon the damage they have caused in 2012.
there really is something wrong with these people.
Cut subsidies from oil companies, cut corporate jet subsidies,cut loopholes, let the Bush tax cuts expire. Raise taxes a little to Clinton year levels. The Tea Party is the worst thing to happen to this country. They want everyone to be greedy and uneducated like them.
There they go...defending their rich masters again. Rupert Murdoch, what should we protest next?
I agree, especially as the only tax increases favored by the Republicans on the committee would raise the taxes of the middle class and lower them of the top 2%.
The Tea Party is trying to ruin the economy for the election and to enslave the working class and divide America into a gated community.
It is absolutely amazing that these Tea Party members would be working against their own interests by opposing a small tax increase on the super-wealthy. They are simply being duped by the Koch Brothers and the other 1%ers to support them and work against the interests of ordinary Americans.
I wish republicans will listen to Tea party. So far tea party is very helpful to republicans. They made Romney favorable rate below 30 points and every month they propose new front runner.
If the Tea Party would get over the petty issue of protecting the top 1% of earners, I wouldn't have anything negative to say about them. But they don't, and they won't. They are simply infants.
Politicians that sign "pledges", and who are beholden to special interest groups, or in this case, Teabaggers (domestic terrorists), should be recalled from office immediately, or not permitted to run in the first place.
Trying to reduce debt by keeping revenue low is like trying to save a sinking ship by drilling a hole in the bottom to let all the water out.
The Tea Party doesn't care about the deficit or America. Just their own money. Figure it out people.
wow for once the picture got it right. The tea party IS America.....The very WORST of America