Legal Commentary

Who's "Wealthy" Now?

By Big Tent Democrat

Eric Boehlert takes apart an outrageous AP piece on Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Read Eric for the gory details of the racism and unfairness, but I want to focus on AP's new definition of "wealthy." From the article:

There are two sides to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor: a Latina from a blue-collar family and a wealthy member of America's power elite. . . . She now earns more than $200,000 a year . . .

200,000 a year now is "wealthy" for the AP? Let's hope so. It was not always this way. Funny that when the AP discusses President Obama plan to return the tax rates for person earning over $250,000 a year to Clinton era levels, that is not considered raising taxes on the "wealthy," but on "middle class" Americans. An example:

Obama wants workers making more than $250,000 to pay payroll tax on their income over that amount. That would still protect workers making under $250,000 from an additional burden. But it would raise much less money than removing the cap completely.

(Emphasis supplied.) "Workers" ay? Like Joe the Plumber I suppose. No mention by the AP about people making more than $250,000 a year being "wealthy." Hmmm. Here's another example:

Obama's budget proposal would effectively raise income taxes and curb tax deductions on couples making more than $250,000 a year, beginning in 2011. By not extending former President George W. Bush's tax cuts for such wealthier filers, Obama would allow the marginal rate on household incomes above $250,000 to rise from 35 percent to 39.6 percent.

"Wealthier?" Why not just "wealthy?"

Here's one where the AP agrees that those making 250,000 a year are wealthy:

President Barack Obama is asking Congress to raise taxes on the wealthy and cut Medicare costs to provide health care for the uninsured while making the just-enacted $400 tax cut for most workers permanent.

Now all we need is some consitency from the Assoicated Press on this. From now on, when discussing persons who make $200,000 a year or more, like Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the AP needs to refer to such people as "wealthy." Who counts on that? If you do, I have a bridge to sell you.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on May 29, 2009 (boomark / email).