2 years ago Fox News called taxing the rich immoral. One Obama reelection later, they support it.

Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 11:30 am

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On Fox News Sunday, Bill Kristol floated Fox News’s complete cave on taxing the rich,’It won’t kill the country if we raise taxes a little bit on millionaires.’

Fox News has gone from calling raising taxes on the wealthy immoral in 2010, .

to one Obama reelection later saying that it won’t hurt the country if we raise taxes on millionaires.

Transcript:

KRISTOL: You need to have a totally vigorous and open debate, I believe. And I don’t think the answer is to be more moderate, nor is the answer to be more conservative. The answer on some issues is going to be fresh thinking, which will be taken as moderate, and some issues actually to be more conservative.

I think we have a huge middle class problem. There, the particular nominee Republicans had was, you know, unfortunate in that respect. Four years after a huge Wall Street crisis, you nominate someone from Wall Street.

But I think honest debate, fresh thinking — leadership in the Republican Party and the leadership in the conservative movement has to pull back, let people float new ideas. Let’s have a serious debate. Don’t scream and yell what one person says. You know what? It won’t kill the country if we raise taxes a little bit on millionaires. It really won’t, I don’t think.

I don’t really understand why Republicans don’t take Obama’s offer to raise taxes for everyone below 250,000…

WALLACE: Or a million?

KRISTOL: Make it a million. Really, the Republican Party is going to fall on its sword to defend a bunch of millionaires, half of whom voted Democratic and half of whom live in Hollywood, and they’re not…

Bill Kristol isn’t just any regular old Fox News talking head. He is a double Rupert Murdoch employee. He is both one of the founders and editors of The Weekly Standard, and a Fox News contributor. Kristol’s remarks today signal a potential shift in the winds over at Fox News.

Kristol’s comments today were an omen that Republicans know that Obama is going to get his way on raising taxes on the wealthy. They’ll still be bluster and noise out of people like Sean Hannity about how the economy will be ruined if we raise taxes on the rich, but Kristol’s remarks can be viewed as Rupert and Roger preparing their audience for something that they know is going to happen.

Of course knowing it is going to happen, and having a few conservatives on to voice support for the idea, won’t stop Fox News from endlessly bashing Obama after taxes are raised on the wealthy.

Post-Obama reelection, it’s a new political landscape out there. The Republican Party’s main propaganda outlet doesn’t like getting their butts handed to them in elections, so you can expect more of these kinds of whispers to keep coming Fox News contributors in the future.

First, Hannity announces that he supports an immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship. Now, Fox is mumbling about supporting more taxes for the rich.

Obama’s reelection has truly and completely turned Fox News world upside down.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association