I was in the car listening to Limbaugh the other day when a dude called in agreeing with taking these bonuses. Limbaugh asked him how much money he thought they should make instead. The caller had no answer. Limbaugh asked him how much money the caller himself wanted to make. The caller brushed it off saying it wasn’t about how much he made personally, and Limbaugh disagreed or else he wouldn’t have a problem with how much someone else made. So the caller said $200k to $250k. Limbaugh then asked him what was stopping him. The guy muttered something about having to go back to school and switch careers and Limbaugh repeated the question: what’s stopping you? The caller hung up.

This deal with taxing the bonuses bothers me. The government is singling out private citizens and threatening to tax at 100% any compensation they deem unnecessary. They are considering drafting legislation that would give them that power. Why stop with the AIG exec’s? I get an annual bonus. Is my bonus unnecessary too? This class warfare and have’s vs have not’s envy is going to destroy this country. Once this practice becomes acceptable, how long until it becomes acceptable to take mine? Those bastards never should have been bailed out, but that’s another topic.

I don’t remember any other administration targeting private citizens like this one is. You can argue that Rush Limbaugh and Rick Santelli aren’t “private” citizens by virtue of their occupation, but I disagree. Limbaugh, Santelli, Cramer, these AIG executives… is this the behavior that we accept from our government? Even Dick Cheney; I don’t remember any other presidency blaming the prior administration like this one. GWB said the nation was asleep prior to 911. He said things like the nation was lethargic with regards to national security but I don’t ever remember them blaming Bill Clinton. I don’t remember Clinton blaming GHWB. I don’t remember Reagan blaming Carter. Although, he had more than enough reason to. Correct me if I’m wrong. But, it bothers me deeply that this administration is quick to put individuals publicly in the crosshairs.