Obama’s Charity: At Least He’s Consistent
April 19, 2010
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden released their tax returns last week. They reveal that Biden and his wife earned $330,000 in income in 2009, but gave only four-tenths of one percent of their income in cash and in-kind contributions to charity. The Obamas gave only five percent of their $5 million joint income to charity. Much of their income came from his best-selling books.
This should come as no surprise, because Obama and Biden don't believe in the adage, "charity begins at home." They believe charity begins and ends with government. They want fewer deductions allowed for charitable giving by individuals, because their goal is to cause more people to be dependent on government. This, they think, creates the possibility of more votes for the Democratic Party. To them, God is not God. Government is god.
When you think of it this way, there is no hypocrisy in either the Obamas' or the Bidens' charitable giving.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
Originally published April 19, 2010.
