It’s not about jealousy or class warfare, it’s about values

Mitt Romney was hobnobbing at the home of Papa John’s owner and pizza tycoon John Schnatter recently when he made this comment:

What a place this is, my goodness. Who would have imagined pizza could build this, you know that? This is really something. Don’t you love this country? What a home this is, what grounds these are, the pool, the golf course. You know if a Democrat were here, he’d look around and say, ‘No one should live like this.’ Republicans come here and say, ‘Everyone should live like this…’

Romney is engaging in a timeworn activity Republicans love so much: mischaracterizing their political opponents’ position.

What Romney and other conservatives don’t realize is that this isn’t a matter of jealousy or of “the rest of us” not wanting anyone to live like that. It’s about what we value versus what Romney and his conservative and/or wealthy friends value. It’s also about whether or not the wealthy should be given more tax breaks and benefits so that they can consume like a ravenous beast and accumulate more and more “stuff” like pools and golf courses while the rest of us pay for it with tax increases and reduced benefits.

Don’t be fooled by this. This isn’t jealousy. It’s not class warfare. It’s not that we don’t think they should be able to do what they want with their massive piles of money or to choose the lifestyle they wish to live. It’s that we want a level playing field where the rest of us have a chance to earn a decent living so we can pursue OUR lives according to OUR values.

I, for one, agree with President Obama when he says:

Acts of sacrifice and decency without regard to what’s in it for you create ripple effects. Ones that lift up families and communities, that spread opportunity and boost our economy.

We all make choices about what we value and we live our lives accordingly. Mitt Romney’s comments at the Schnatter mansion tell you everything you need to know about his.