Posted on 09/08/2011 12:49:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In his continued effort to separate himself from the increasingly radical wing of the Republican Party, Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman continues to attack what he feels are extreme views from his own party. Recently, Huntsman took aim at Tea Party darling Sarah Palin's extreme view of the corporate income tax. The former Alaska governor, in an apparent attempt to remain relevant and in the news, argued this weekend that the United States should effectively lower the corporate tax burden to zero. Interestingly, her comments came at the same time that she attacked Rick Perry for his apparent connections to what she called "crony capitalism."
Huntsman accused Palin of an unrealistic approach to government revenue. While he noted that people would all love tax rates to go to zero, the adults in the room understand that there are basic functions of government that must be funded. Clearly, Huntsman has history and the Constitution on his side, as he can note the first power the Founding Father's gave to the United States Congress was the authority to tax. Huntsman, who has credibility as a fiscal conservative who led the state of Utah in prosperity and progress, acknowledges as Burkean conservatives do that "the revenue of the state is the state."
Huntsman certainly has ample reason to criticize the former governor on the idea of corporate taxations, as Palin's ideology has seemed to erase her memory of funding the government of Alaska with royalties from the oil industry. And, while he argues for lower taxes overall as a way to encourage prosperity, he is not naïvely portraying corporations as victims of burdensome regulation. While many in the GOP like Palin lament the 35 percent corporate tax rate, Huntsman acknowledges that the effective rate is below 17 percent because of corporate accounting skills, and he knows many Americans are aware of companies like GE who paid zero taxes despite more than a $100 billion dollars in revenue. Huntsman also acknowledges how corporations benefit from a strong infrastructure and safe society that allows them to do business.
Thus, despite the extreme swings in the GOP primary race, Huntsman remains the one pragmatic and rational conservative who understands the government still needs revenue to function. He argues that corporations have a responsibility to pay a fair share of taxes in exchange for the tremendous benefits they receive from functioning government. Corporations use the infrastructure that is maintained by the government. If he wanted, Huntsman could remind Palin that in the 1950s - during America's second greatest economic expansion - corporations provided as much as 30 percent of government revenues. Now, that percentage is down to 11 percent and inching toward single digits. In fact, many corporations already pay zero income taxes as a result of the generous deductions that riddle the tax code.
Thus, Sarah Palin continues to draw media coverage in anticipation of her announcing a presidential bid even as polls show 75 percent of American Republicans don't want her to run, and two-thirds of all Americans say they would never vote for her. So, while Huntsman is still only polling around 1 percent in the primaries, he's got nothing to lose in taking shots at truly naïve statements from Republican firebrands like the former Alaska governor.
Keep an eye on Huntsman.
Huntsman's right eyebrow is perpetually reaching for his hairline.His fanatic proselytizing for global warming/climate change as "settled science" is animatronic.
I think Craig Ferguson's robot could beat him in debate.
Huntsman? Never heard of ‘em.....
Huntsman remains me of Romney, less the smile, without a nit of wit, and significantly less intelligent. Huntsman is as bit a Zero as is the Big TOTUS Reader.
That’s because he is trying to cover the fart he made by supporting Obama, Reid, and other Democrats. It’s really hard to say you are a conservative Republican with those type of issues in your background. I can forgive being a Democrat in your past and other foolish error but to be currently supprting Reid is just too much for me to stomach.
I’ll bet his campaign is secretly feing funded by George Soros and his minions.
I was flipping the channels and landed on MSNBC for 45 seconds because they were talking about the debate.
They were decided if RINO Myth or RINO Huntsman won -— it was almost funny.
They dismissed Bachman and Perry as contenders -— like they were “running for the president of the Texas panhandle and not a national campaign.”
It was almost funny at how out-of-touch the MSNBC people are with the country.
Irrelevance on parade.
Correction... he is a commie pu$$y.
LLS
Huntsman just qualified himself for the third tier of candidates. He should quit while he has some money in that War Chest. He could at least make a little profit on it by putting it into gold.
Or a year’s supply of food & water from Deseret...
Proof of this is that the Lapdog Misleadia Presstitutes and Lib/RINO triumverate are now convinced that Palin will shortly throw her hat into the ring. We know this by the way they've all trumpeted that fake "poll" claiming that 74% of all Americans don't even want her to enter the race.
Obviously, were this true, they would simply never mantion her, and she would sublimate into the ether never to be seen or heard from again.
The more insistent the chorus of "Everyone hates her," and "She just cannot get elected," and "Palin has no chance of being nominated," the more certain we can be of precisely the opposite. That said, it is nice of the mouth-breathing inbreds to continually reassure us of how easily Palin will walk away with this when she announces.
Call them "useful idiots."
8^D
_________________________________
If there were no tax how could there be loopholes?
Sometimes it is hard to “Stay Classy” but it seems like it will get worse. Huntsman is not going the distance but wants attention so go for invisible soon to be visible elephant in the room. Give him credit for noticing though.
Jon who?
He was better last night than I have seen him before, but he needs to go away.
Yeah, the left would love to have him as the GOP nominee.
Loopholes involve more than just the corporate income tax. Although there would be no federal income tax on corporate profits, all government subsidies and other forms of largess from the government would be eliminated including 'bailouts' for failing corporations. In effect, we would have 'separation of business and government'. Not only would corporations save the millions and millions they now spend on lobbyists and tax attorneys but the economy would greatly benefit and unemployment would plummet. As an added bonus, liberals would probably start committing suicide in large numbers.
My guess is his dad and Dingy Harry.
Having the same tax policy for ALL corporations across the board is NOT crony capitalism. Crony capitalism is when you give special considerations to certain businesses as repayment for donations or giving favors to friend, relatives, etc. Crony capitalism is the politicians deciding who the winners and losers are.
Huntsman certainly has ample reason to criticize the former governor on the idea of corporate taxations, as Palin's ideology has seemed to erase her memory of funding the government of Alaska with royalties from the oil industry.
Royalties on oil are NOT taxes! The royalty payments go to the owner of the oil, in this case the state of Alaska and its' people. Something to consider, the royalty for drilling on federal lands would go to the federal treasury thereby decreasing the debt.
Idiots
“Jon who?”
Some wierd guy from China. He don’t look Chinese though.
Yeah, but ups, remember that we bee teh Tee Party and two stoopid too no that stuf.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.