Photo Evidence: Ronald Reagan Kept Socialist Books in the White House Library

[JollyRoger]

In this era of blog wildfires, one fast-moving flame can be quenched before it scorches the facts: First Lady Michelle Obama did not stock the White House library with socialist books.

The controversy erupted after a conservative radio host and blogger from North Dakota took the White House tour on Wednesday and spotted two suspicious volumes on the shelves.

Under the headline: "Photo Evidence: Michelle Obama Keeps Socialist Books in the White House Library," Port wrote that the White House tour guide said the library was stocked with books picked out by Michelle Obama.

"Surely this means that every time President Obama is in the midst of important policy deliberations, he goes into the library, dusts off The American Socialist Movement, 1897-1912, and uses it to help him figure out what the most socialist policy would be," mocked New York's Daily Intel blog.

Port, who was in Washington to cover the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), said in an interview it is "never fair to judge a book by its cover" and that you can't conclude Obama is a socialist just by the books in his library. "But obviously there have been question about the Obama administration's politics. You see a few socialist books sitting in the library and, well, that fits in the narrative."

The only problem is the books Port photographed have been sitting in the library since 1963.

The library came into being during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt. In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy asked Yale University librarian James T. Babb to oversee a committee that would select books for the library. In 1963, 1,780 were placed on the shelves.

"The American Socialist Movement, 1897-1912" by Ira Kinnis and "The Socialist Party of America" by David Shannon are included on that original list of books, along with books about the two national parties, communism and still others about socialism.

Is it too late to lynch his ghost?

 

[kosiosko 1]

Was it a trophy collection, perhaps from an early time

 

[amadeus]

Know thy enemy.

 

[Cutlass]

Know thy enemy.

Reagan knew socialism so well he used US tax dollars to try and protect it. Hardly the act of an enemy. The socialists in the world never had a better US president. Not until Bush, anyways.

 

[Merkinball]

I keep socialist books... point?

 

[JollyRoger]

I keep socialist books... point?

You made it for me.

 

[Merkinball]

You made it for me.

I haven't written books or espoused socialist ideals either.

 

[Perfection]

DUDE YOU DON'T LIKE KEEP BOOKS,MAN THAT OWNERSHIP WHICH IS EVIL!

 

[JollyRoger]

I haven't written books or espoused socialist ideals either.

And now I begin to wonder what point you are making.

 

[Merkinball]

And now I begin to wonder what point you are making.

That Reagan ran a presidential campaign and his presidency on cutting taxes and promoting individual responsibility, and Obama ran a campaign predicated on spreading the wealth a little bit, and foisting responsibility for anything negative in the world onto bankers, loan providers, doctors, Republicans, bible beaters, and gun owners. What was your point again?

 

[West 36]

Reagan knew socialism so well he used US tax dollars to try and protect it. Hardly the act of an enemy. The socialists in the world never had a better US president. Not until Bush, anyways.

I feel an intense rage.

 

[JollyRoger]

That Reagan ran a presidential campaign and his presidency on cutting taxes and promoting individual responsibility, and Obama ran a campaign predicated on spreading the wealth a little bit, and foisting responsibility for anything negative in the world onto bankers, loan providers, doctors, Republicans, bible beaters, and gun owners. What was your point again?

Nice to know Reagan and Obama were different, yet they still maintained these books in the Presidential library.

And btw, Obama has cut taxes on 95% of working Americans and we have lower marginal tax rates than under Reagan. For estate tax purposes, you are much better off dying in 2010 than in the 1980's.

 

[Merkinball]

And btw, Obama has cut taxes on 95% of working American - JR

Wat? Total tax revenue rates for the middle class will actually go up this year due to backdoor tax increases and provisions that expired or were eliminated. On top of that, he's talked about raising medicare and social security taxes, Volker is talking to him about raising the retirement age by a year, and he's now "agnostic" about raising the marginal rates for the middle class. It's time stop living in campaign promises land. Unemployment didn't top out at 8%, Gitmo's not closed, we're not out of Iraq, and taxes are goin' up, up, up, and the deficit is going to be the excuse.

Taxes may be lower today than they were under Reagan, but it isn't Obama's doing, and it'll be shocking if they aren't raised. Where would Obama be getting his tax revenue if the debt ceiling wasn't lifted?

 

[Leonel]

Reagan was a sekrit Muslin trrist too?!

 

[JollyRoger]

It's time stop living in campaign . . . land.

Obama has cut taxes on 95% of working Americans

 

[Merkinball]

Obama has cut taxes on 95% of working Americans

President Obama moves to end tax break for the middle class
Published February 2nd, 2010 | 52 Comments

Spoiler :

According to a report by The Hill President Barack Obama is seeking to end a middle-class tax break he once said would be permanent.

The $3.8 trillion budget request rolled out by the White House on Monday would renew the Making Work Pay tax credit for fiscal 2011, but then would have it sunset.

That’s a switch from last year, when Obama’s budget called for making the tax credit permanent. The cut costs the federal government about $63 billion in annual revenue while putting up to $400 in the pockets of workers making less than $95,000. It was approved for the first time in last year’s $787 billion stimulus package.

An administration official said the tax credit reflects changing realities in Congress on climate change legislation.

Read the full report at the The Hill Web site.

How many deductions for the middle class did Obama remove while he was busy "cutting" their taxes.

And how do you cut taxes on 95% of the people when 40% of them pay no net taxes?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

The Wealth of Nations sits on my shelf, does that make me a capitalist? Does the Qur'an make me Muslim, or The Ancient Mysteries a cult worshiper of Amon-Re?

 

[civ_king]

President Obama moves to end tax break for the middle class
Published February 2nd, 2010 | 52 Comments

Spoiler :

According to a report by The Hill President Barack Obama is seeking to end a middle-class tax break he once said would be permanent.

The $3.8 trillion budget request rolled out by the White House on Monday would renew the Making Work Pay tax credit for fiscal 2011, but then would have it sunset.

That’s a switch from last year, when Obama’s budget called for making the tax credit permanent. The cut costs the federal government about $63 billion in annual revenue while putting up to $400 in the pockets of workers making less than $95,000. It was approved for the first time in last year’s $787 billion stimulus package.

An administration official said the tax credit reflects changing realities in Congress on climate change legislation.

Read the full report at the The Hill Web site.

How many deductions for the middle class did Obama remove while he was busy "cutting" their taxes.

And how do you cut taxes on 95% of the people when 40% of them pay no net taxes?

40%! don't pay taxes? [citation needed]

 

[JollyRoger]

And how do you cut taxes on 95% of the people when 40% of them pay no net taxes?

A refundable credit based on payroll taxes - you know, the tax cut that was put in place on his watch that he is not renewing in 2011. He is apparently reverting back to W's socialist level of taxation. Nowhere near Raygun yet, though.

 

[Merkinball]

A refundable credit based on payroll taxes - you know - JollyRoger

Is that like a refundable tax credit to buy a car that you then tax as income?

He is apparently reverting back to W's socialist level of taxation. Nowhere near Raygun yet, though. - JR

How long do you think this will hold true?