DAVID SHUSTER: Most of their protests camps may be gone for the winter, but the Occupy movement continues to have a huge impact on the conscience of America.
In our number-one story — the notion of a conflict between rich and poor has now reached its highest point in 25 years. The Pew Research Center asks respondents if there was conflict between the rich and poor in America. A staggering 66 percent indicated they thought there are "strong or very strong conflicts." And that's a 19 percent jump from two years ago.
Part of this is due to the higher percentage of respondents who believe the rich are not sharing the appropriate economic burden. It's a notion billionaire Warren Buffett expressed in an op-ed in August.
Using his own office as an example, Buffet showed how the tax burden is disproportionately placed on the backs of the middle class. "What I paid was only 17.4 percent of my taxable income — and that's actually a lower percentage than was paid by any of the other 20 people in our office. Their tax burdens ranged from 33 percent to 41 percent and averaged 36 percent."
This set off a firestorm of criticism from Republicans. Now, they claim Buffett's words were merely a case of "rich man's guilt".
(Excerpt from video clip) MITCH McCONNELL: With regard to his tax rate, if he is feeling guilty about it, I think he should send in a check.
SHUSTER: Senator John Thune went as far as to introduce the Buffett Rule Act of 2011 which would add a space on tax forms, asking for contributions to pay down the debt.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Buffett responded. First, he mocked the Republican's idea of bringing down the debt through public donations. Then he issued a challenge to all Republicans, and he singled out the top Republican in the U.S. Senate.
(Excerpt from video clip) WARREN BUFFET: I'll match the total contribution made by all Republican members of Congress and I'll even go three-for-one with McConnell.
SHUSTER: Unfortunately, it doesn't seem the Republicans will take Mr. Buffett up on his offer.
A spokesman for Senator McConnell said, "So I look forward to Mr. Buffett matching a healthy batch of checks from those who actually want to pay higher taxes, including Congressional Democrats, the president and the DNC."
Ah, yes, shift the burden again.
Joining us now is Lizz Winstead — comedienne, co-creator of "The Daily Show," and author of the upcoming book "Lizz Free or Die." She is also a host on weactradio.com, 1480AM in Washington, DC. Lizz, thanks for your time tonight.
LIZZ WINSTEAD: Good to see you, David.
SHUSTER: Lizz, this drastic 19-point jump in the Pew poll of people who think there is a strong conflict between the rich and poor — is this because the Occupy movement brought income inequality to the forefront of people's minds, or was this a feeling that was, essentially, already growing?
WINSTEAD: You know, I really give the Occupy movement, like, 99 percent of the credit, no pun intended. I didn't mean that to be a joke.
I think that it was on the consciousness of people's minds and it was, you know, these Americans finally just said, "You know what? Why aren't we talking about this, when the promise has been — through the Bush tax cuts, that the reason we were giving rich people these tax cuts — was they were going to create jobs and then there was no jobs."
It became blatantly obvious there was no jobs and rich people were getting richer and that enough was enough.
SHUSTER: And, perhaps, was this feeling of conflict inevitable — with the top one percent's income climbing so quickly, while middle-class wages have, essentially, remained relatively stagnant.
WINSTEAD: Stagnant and fallen and, you know, I think — as people were looking at how the country was going and even, you look at Romney's tax plan, you know, nothing — there is not one bit of the tax plan that even remotely closes any loopholes. And actually, taxes will go up on those people even more.
I just feel like, also, the promise — if you will recall — when Boehner was so hopped up on making sure we made the tax cuts permanent, he said the way we could pay for them is to have people working until they are 70. And it's like — people aren't working now.
I don't mean to — I am no economic person, but seems that they have to be working at some point. And 70-year-olds are not the new college kids. I don' think that it's the new place you want to go for hiring. It's just ridiculous.
SHUSTER: In the same Pew poll, 46 percent of respondents suggested the majority of the rich have their money because of "personal connections" or "inherited from their family." Does this mean that people will begin to reject the Republican idea of "Don't tax the rich," because they are the "job creators?"
WINSTEAD: Yeah. And when they see, I think part of, I think, what doesn't get talked about enough is that — nobody cares that someone gets rich by working hard and making a lot of money. I think what people get affected by is that very thing you just said, which is that you were just given this wealth. It's not like you worked hard and you made all this money and you are going to create jobs and give it back.
Not to mention the other things. All of the people that affect us in our daily lives aren't making nearly as much as people who push money around and make money off of investments. Nurses, teachers, doctors, firemen, cops are barely scraping by on the money they make, and I think that's the part that gets very insulting.
You know, you and I are overpaid, you know, blabbers. And we know that. We know that. And so, when I look at what I do — which is tell jokes to drunks about politicians for money — and I get paid more than a teacher? I feel obligated to give back. I just do.
And the fact you don't leads me to ask the question — are there just two kinds of people? Are there people who have a moral responsibility, that they know they are overpaid for their job, to give back and those who say, "What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine sometimes?"
SHUSTER: Turning to Warren Buffett's challenge, why don't think Republicans won't accept it?
WINSTEAD: 'Cause they don't have to. If none of them accept it, then they are fine with it. They can keep on with their meme of, "Oh, Warren Buffett is just somebody who is complaining."
Not to mention, I think that the only thing these Republicans are going to respond to is that the folks who make a lot of money actually vote for people, vote them out of office and vote for people who say, "You know what? I am willing to pay more. I am rich. I want to vote people in who want to make me pay more." Then there is a wake-up call to them. Then I think they will reconsider.
Until then, there is kind of no proof that wealthy people are going to take the bait and go along with it. They need to vote guys out of office to show they are serious.
SHUSTER: Lizz Winstead, comedienne, co-creator of The Daily Show, and author of the up-coming book "Lizz Free or Die." Lizz, thanks so much. We really appreciate it.
WINSTEAD: Thanks, David.
SHUSTER: Be sure to listen to Lizz's show at weactradio.com, 1480AM on the radio in Washington, D.C.
