Boehner Admits That Obama Is Not A Socialist

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele sent out a recent fundraising letter claiming the Democrats are aiming for a "socialist power grab," trying the the familiar GOP scare tactics (many Americans do not understand what socialism really is, or how it differs from communism, and also equate it to becoming a new U.S.S.R.). Today on NBC's "Meet the Press," House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) was blunted asked about his opinion of such rhetoric, to which he had to admit, Barack Obama is not a socialist.

Socialism is a word often used by the GOP when speaking about initiatives that Democrats are trying to push through that would help those of us who need aid. Rather than speaking of these issues in terms of morality, such as "is it moral to allow 45,000 Americans to die annually due to lack of health insurance," they pull out the socialist card, which scares people because, as I said, they equate socialism with COMMUNISM and the former U.S.S.R.

While Boehner tried to sidestep Gregory's question, here's what he finally said:

GREGORY: But, Leader, don’t they get even more scared when you got the head of the Republican Party sending out an e-mail that, you know, to challenge the president and Democratic leaders for a socialist power grab? I mean, is that appropriate conversation? Is this, did you really think the president’s a socialist?

BOEHNER: Listen, when you begin to look at how much they want to grow government, you can call it whatever you want, but the fact is ...

GREGORY: Well, what do you call it, though? This is important.

BOEHNER: This is unsustainable. We’re broke.

GREGORY: That’s fine. Do you think the President is a socialist? Because that’s what ...

BOEHNER: No.

GREGORY: Okay. Because the head of the Republican Party is calling it that.

BOEHNER: Listen, I didn’t call it that, and I’m not going to call it that.

Yes, you're not going to call it that on MTP, but you have called it that in the past. In February, at the CPAC conference, Boehner said:

"It's all a down payment on a new American socialist experiment."

Make up your mind!

Barack Obama addessed the socialist argument himself on CNN's "State of the Nation" this morning, saying to John King:

“You know, I’m amused. I can’t tell you how many foreign leaders who are heads of center-right governments say to me, I don’t understand why people would call you socialist; in my country, you’d be considered a conservative.”

Watch Boehner on MTP: