December 19, 2010

Obama, McCartney, and the Taxman!

By Ken Blackwell

It was a great event at the White House last June. Sir Paul McCartney came to be honored by President Obama. And he thrilled the glittering company with his rendering of that classic Beatles hit -- "Michelle."

Sir Paul cooed to our First Lady the lines that say, "I love you, I love you, I love you!" He later joked that he might be the first man ever punched out by a president. (That questionable honor actually goes to the unnamed man who tried to assault a nearly 70-year-old President Andrew Jackson. Old Hickory went after the would-be assassin with his cane.)

But maybe we need to invite Sir Paul back. He could dedicate his next song to President Obama. Who can forget the Beatles famous song -- "Taxman"?

Here are just some of the lyrics of that hit, which neared the top of the charts before the days of political correctness hit us all.

Should five per cent appear too small,

Be thankful I don't take it all.

'Cos I'm the Taxman,

Yeah, I'm the Taxman.

(If you drive a car), I'll tax the street,

(If you try to sit), I'll tax your seat,

(If you get too cold), I'll tax the heat,

(If you take a walk), I'll tax your feet.

Taxman.

Now, this may seem unfair of me at a time when President Obama is touting his Grand Compromise with Republicans on taxes. After all, he's willing to extend all the Bush tax cuts (except, of course, the death tax) for at least two more years. In fact, he's even making his progressive cohorts on Capitol Hill eat their spinach.

But -- and this is a big, big but -- the Obama administration is in federal court even now defending ObamaCare as a tax. Recall that all through the fall and winter of 2009, President Obama indignantly dismissed opponents' charges that the fee, fine, or whatever they were going to hit you with if you failed to sign on to ObamaCare was in truth a tax.

Not at all, the president told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, and anyone else who would listen: It's not a tax.

That was before they went over the wall, down the chimney, up through the floor, and around the cracked safe with Speaker Nancy Pelosi to get the blamed thing passed.

Now that ObamaCare has been signed and sealed, this same administration is telling every federal judge who can read that this law is a tax. In fact, it's the sweetest expression of Congress' power to levy taxes, they claim.

The constitutional issue before Judge Hudson in Virginia and Judge Vinson in Florida is this: Can Congress tax a non-activity? Can they tax you for not doing something? Can they fine you? Can they jail you?

And if they can tax, fine, or jail you for not doing something, what limit could there possibly be on the powers of Congress? Tax your street. Tax your seat. Tax your feet.

Why not?

So if ObamaCare is sustained in court, President Obama will indeed merit a solo from Sir Paul. He'll outdo the wildest dreams of "Mr. Wilson" and "Mr. Heath" -- those long-forgotten Brit pols. He will be the undisputed Taxman of the world.

And how should Sir Paul serenade our soon-to-be ex-Speaker Pelosi? How about a soulful rendition of "Fool on the Hill"?

Ken Blackwell is a senior fellow at the Family Research Council. He serves on the board of directors of the Club for Growth, National Taxpayers Union, and National Rifle Association and is a co-author of The Blueprint: Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency.