The race for the next U.S. president was evident on Tuesday night as plenty of potential Republican contenders criticizing President Barack Obama’s tax proposals, while Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, defended the President’s State of the Union address.
Mitt Romney took to Facebook to argue that Obama was dismissing the message that voters sent to Washington when they voted for a Republican majority in November.
Obama tax plan: Middle-class credits, increases for rich
“He ignores the fact that the country has elected a Congress that favors smaller government and lower taxes,” the 2012 Republican presidential nominee wrote. “His tax proposal is a maze of new taxes and complexities.”
In his speech, Obama called for closing loopholes in the tax code that he says leads “to inequality by allowing the top 1% to avoid paying taxes on their accumulated wealth.”
The President is proposing a total of $235 billion in tax credits that are aimed to help the middle class.
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On the Democratic side, former Sen. Jim Webb, who’s announced a presidential exploratory committee, live-tweeted his thoughts during the speech.
We are a country founded on egalitarian principles & should never accept the notion of membership in a defined class– upper, middle, or low.
Veterans deserve more than lip-service. If you want to thank a veteran, hire one. #webb2016 #SOTU2015
Stock market has tripled since '09 recession– wages have been flat. #webb2016 #leadershipyoucantrust
CNN’s Steve Brusk, Terence Burlij, Dan Merica, Betsy Klein, and Alexandre Jaffe contributed to this report.
