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.

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[the430movie]

Barak Obama healthcare premiums did go up, because of your attack on this economy with hit and run legislation on insurance co's and the banks, and this housing market. that does nothing for anyone, and has done nothing for no one. Unemployment went down, because of the devalued jobs market. Now people are forced to take minimum wage servicing jobs. Wheres the energy plan for the US??? You put a stop on drilling! It's now 2011 and food prices, taxes, and insurance premiums are through the roof!

[jordan19822000]

@LNSmithee sounds like a successful and influential 3 years to me. Your just putting a negative slant on his accomplishments. You have to be influential to get these bills through Congress. Healthcare reform, wall street reform, repealing dont ask dont tell, stimulus bill, job creation act, killing Osama bin laden. potentially the jobs bill and the millionaires tax. this is more legislation than both clinton and George W got thru. Healthcare reform is a tremendous achievement. 

[LNSmithee]

@jordan19822000 It doesn't matter how smart Obama is. In the words of Forrest Gump's mama, "Stupid is as stupid does." The first indication was how swiftly the allotted cash for "Cash for Clunkers" went, far faster than their projections. Then the massive stimulus that didn't stimulate, and the shovel-ready jobs that didn't exist. The numbers games and brazen bribery to get ObamaCare passed. Finally, creating zero jobs in August, as low as you can go. And that's just his fiscal failures!

[LNSmithee]

@jordan19822000 I don't know how old you are, but you weren't paying attention during the runup to Clinton's impeachment. The one & ONLY reason to impeach is "high crimes and misdemeanors" per the Constitution. Was having an affair with a staffer a "high crime"? No, it's not a crime at all! The crime was when Clinton, after having gone to the Supreme Court to try to avoid a sexual harassment suit, committed perjury -- the same crime that put VP Cheney's aide Scooter Libby in prison!

[jordan19822000]

a intellectually mature person would understand the honor that the marriage to his wife brings and understand that as the leader of the american people u cant commit adultery. Sounds like a morally immature person to me. thats why congress tried to impeach him because him because you cant have a immoral man as president plus he lied to the american people "i did not have sexual relations with that woman" sounds dumb to me.

[mkrulic517439]

@jordan19822000 how does monica lewinski make clinton dumb? he might have impulse control problems but what does that have to do w/ intellectual maturity?

[jordan19822000]

I dont understand why people will say Obama is dumb when he's obsiously smarter than George W. (Weapons of Mass Destruction), Clinton (Lewinsky scandal), George Sr.(Read my lips), Reagan (hollywood actor) Nixon (watergate) Carter, and pretty much all the other presidents. We finally have a intelligent and articulate president and there still are haters. Then you cant name a President who was actually like during his time in office. You only get respect in the retrospect.

[AnnAAngel1564]

Now george get your dickionaire out.

[texastylerw]

"You used a reliable definition to prove me wrong - this obviously makes you stupid."