Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, is the latest in a line of Repubicans to offer the following fallacious argument on tax increases. Speaking of Warren Buffett, tax-increase supporter, he argues:
MORGAN: You know where I’m going at with that. Warren Buffett keeps screaming to be taxed more.
CHRISTIE: Yeah, well he should just write a check and shut up. Really. And just contribute. The fact of the matter is that I’m tired of hearing about it. If he wants to give the government more money, he’s got the ability to write a check. Go ahead and write it.
The natural implication is that Buffett's argument is crap, as he isn't just going to write a check to the Treasury. So Buffett is a hypocrite.
This implication is just garbage, however. Buffett's argument is that everyone of income bracket x ought to pay a higher tax rate. His failure voluntarily to do so is not relevant to the claim that everyone ought to.
I'm afraid to look, but I bet this one is making the rounds through the guts of the internet like so much cryptosporidium.
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Plus, Buffet did write a check (outside of his normal taxes):
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/impressed-delighted-warren-buffett-matches-204656439.html
Your analysis is spot on. Steve Benen has a little more in the same vein:
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/22/10478318-chris-christie-on-tax-fairness-shut-up
The sad thing is that the poor argument Christie makes here has been offered for months (although he's nastier about it, which his fans like). Such serious discussion of tax policy, fiscal policy and wealth inequity by conservatives….
Um… Can you edit, or if necessary delete my previous comment (and this one, too, if the same thing happens)? For some reason, WordPress is adding a bunch of crap in the middle.
Sorry Batocchio–this stuff doesn't appear in the editor.
Thanks for commenting. Meghan McCardle made the same argument years ago. It's just complete garbage.
There I fixed it.
Thanks very much!
If Christie ran for president , i wonder how many times he would put his foot in his mouth. Guys who shoot from the hip as Christie does often shoot themselves in the back side.
He's been getting a pass, however, on his abusiveness. The Press seems to enjoy it when he yells at people. His exchange with Jonathan Capehart on gay marriage was a good example of this: one part evasion; one part abuse; one part distraction.