Following is the statement of Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate on U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson’s public statement of support for GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney telling a group of wealthy donors that we cannot worry 47 percent of all Americans because they view themselves as “victims,” entitled to handouts, and unwilling to take “personal responsibility” for their lives.
“Nothing proves more clearly that Tommy Thompson is drastically out-of-touch with Wisconsin voters than his stunning embrace of Mitt Romney’s now infamous ‘47%’ video comments,” said Tate. “Even as Republican Senators and Senate candidates, the GOP leadership on Capitol Hill, conservative media commentators, and rational observers across the spectrum condemn these divisive remarks, Thompson has doubled down and rushed to Romney’s aid.
“You cannot represent all of Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate when you so flippantly write off nearly half of the state. Tommy Thompson’s shocking embrace of Romney’s ridiculous statement insults soldiers, seniors, veterans, students and low-income working families, and couldn’t paint a clearer contrast to Tammy Baldwin, who is committed to the economic security of everyone.
“We all know Tommy Thompson falls in line behind everything the Romney/Ryan ticket stands for – from ending Medicare as we know it to giving millionaires and billionaires massive tax breaks. Now we know he really doesn’t care about half of the people of Wisconsin.”
GOP Lie: About 50% of Americans do not pay taxes.
Fact: Although 46.4% of Americans did not pay federal income taxes, they still pay other taxes like payroll taxes, sales taxes, and other state and local taxes. Only 18.1% of Americans do not pay income or payroll taxes. Of these people, about 57% are seniors. The rest are mainly the extremely poor who make less than $20,000 a year.
Additionally, Thompson Senior Advisor, Brian Nemoir, has said Thompson Would Increase Taxes on Middle Class to in Order Cut Taxes for the Top 1%: According to a June 2012 PolitiFact fact check, Thompson campaign spokesman Brian Nemoir said Thompson’s plan ‘better balances the nearly half of all Americans that don’t pay income taxes against the nation’s top 1 percent of earners.’ [PolitiFact, 6/10/12]
View a graphic on who does and does not pay taxes here.
