Envious Positions

CLASS warfare reared its ugly head again in Washington this summer. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, long the chairman of the greed-and-envy caucus in Congress, continues to refer to the most affluent and successful Americans as having “won the lottery of life.” Gephardt unmercifully savaged the GOP tax-cut plan as a “windfall for the well-off.” The White House enthusiastically joined the class-warfare assault. Before the budget compromise, President Clinton complained that the GOP tax plan was “unfair” because “two-thirds of the economic benefits go to the richest 20 per cent” of Americans.

The rich-baiting message showed signs of resonating with voters. A July USA Today poll found that a majority of Americans think the GOP tax cuts were weighted too heavily in favor of the wealthy-even though three-quarters of the savings are directed to families with incomes below $75,000.

About the Author

Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore is a co-founder of Unleash Prosperity, a senior visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and a senior economic adviser to the Trump campaign.

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CLASS warfare reared its ugly head again in Washington this summer. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, long the chairman of the greed-and-envy caucus in Congress, continues to refer to the most affluent and successful Americans as having “won the lottery of life.” Gephardt unmercifully savaged the GOP tax-cut plan as a “windfall for the well-off.” The White House enthusiastically joined the class-warfare assault. Before the budget compromise, President Clinton complained that the GOP tax plan was “unfair” because “two-thirds of the economic benefits go to the richest 20 per cent” of Americans.

The rich-baiting message showed signs of resonating with voters. A July USA Today poll found that a majority of Americans think the GOP tax cuts were weighted too heavily in favor of the wealthy-even though three-quarters of the savings are directed to families with incomes below $75,000.

About the Author

Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore is a co-founder of Unleash Prosperity, a senior visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and a senior economic adviser to the Trump campaign.