As we told you Monday afternoon, the Daily Mail had a story about the mother of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that might be of interest to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is quite concerned about residents fleeing the state for more welcoming taxation climes:
‘Smart lady’! Interview with AOC’s mother contains a taxing letdown for NY libs (meanwhile, a NYT journo runs cover for Dems) https://t.co/kPedZ4i5dB
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 4, 2019
NEWS: @DailyMail interviewed @AOC's mom, and she's glad she relocated from NY to FL because her taxes are lower now: "I was paying $10,000 a year in real estate taxes up north. I'm paying $600 a year in Florida. It's stress-free down here." Lots more —> https://t.co/EOo1Hd4nOf
— David Martosko (@dmartosko) March 4, 2019
In our original story, New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman added something that sounded as if it could have been written by the Dem spin machine because it made it sound as if AOC’s mother moved because of the Trump/Republican tax cut bill:
So she’s one of the people who recognizes that New York got soaked in the federal tax bill that potus championed? https://t.co/qi2gOeMqPq
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 4, 2019
And later, Daily Mail political editor David Martosko had a reminder for Haberman:
No, she moved before that.
— David Martosko (@dmartosko) March 4, 2019
Haberman defended her tweet this way:
It’s been a high-taxed state for a very long time. Just ask potus.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 4, 2019
Oh — that wasn’t really clear from that initial tweet.
But your tweet connects the tax cuts with her decision to move. https://t.co/9uNAVqdh43
— William (@LastWordWilliam) March 4, 2019
It does. But Haberman was again questioned about it, and took the “it was just a joke” route:
Oh @maggieNYT You are smarter than this.
Here's how it worked:
Dems/Libs: Raise taxes on the rich! Raise taxes on the rich!GOP: Okay, let's stop subsidizing high tax states by closing a tax loophole!
Dems/Libs: No! We didn't mean actually do it! https://t.co/RA4WOvAHeY
— Glen Bolger (@posglen) March 4, 2019
Glen – it’s a tongue-in-cheek tweet. Everyone really is very sensitive today, my goodness! So sorry you didn’t get the tone. https://t.co/MTrB2n4VRO
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 4, 2019
Ah, good, I feel better. Sorry — the number of whiney tweets I've seen about SALT over the past few years. . .just assumed everyone bought into the Blue State spin.
— Glen Bolger (@posglen) March 4, 2019
New York is a high-taxed state and was well before the tax bill.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 4, 2019
And another:
*real estate taxes ?
— StillStandingPodcast.com (@MichaelRCaputo) March 5, 2019
* tongue-in-cheek.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 5, 2019
Switching to “it was just a hyperbole and it’s your fault because you didn’t get it” sounds a lot like Team AOC’s modus operandi after something backfires (see: Green New Deal FAQ). Not everybody’s going to buy that.
Riiiight pic.twitter.com/SNSSkO61LK
— T.D. (@TwitmoDenizen) March 5, 2019
So busted spewing partisan BS. Don't try to act like it was a joke when we all know it was partisan spin. It makes you look stupid.
— AmericanGirl (@AmericanGaGirl) March 4, 2019
How is it only the liberals can claim that a serious tweet is a joke after the fact? At the same time they’ll claim an obvious joke by a Republican is obstruction of justice?
— JC (@jmlucyc) March 4, 2019
Maggie, were you just joking about the Covington Kids too? @Barnes_Law
— TRM (@trm10trm) March 5, 2019
YOU make the call!