Obama Goes Toe-To-Toe With Stephanopoulos On “Tax Increases”
On “This Week,” George Stephanopoulos and President Obama have a colorful discussion over Obama’s health care reform proposal. Stephanopoulos takes issue with a mandate that obligates Americans to purchase health insurance, or risk being fined as much as $900. “How is that not a tax?” “A responsibility to get health insurance is not a tax increase,” Obama said. Stephanopoulos then tells Obama that he looked up the definition of “tax” in Merriam Webster’s dictionary. “The fact that you looked up… the definition of tax increase indicates that you’re stretching a little bit right now,” Obama responded.