Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin say the Obama tax plan would redistribute wealth and is therefore–what’s the word?–oh, yes: “socialist.”

So can someone please explain why Palin isn’t a socialist, too? A few months ago, with world oil prices rising dramatically, the Alaska governor raised taxes on oil companies operating in her state–and then handed out the cash to Alaskans, even those who are unemployed. “Palin’s administration last week [in August] gained legislative approval for a special $1,200 payment to every Alaskan to help cope with gas prices, which are among the highest in the country,” the Seattle Times reported. “That check will come on top of the annual dividend of about $2,000 that each resident could receive this year from an oil-wealth savings account.”

Are Republicans seriously untroubled by this massive government transfer of capital from hardworking, productive oil companies to people who did not earn the cash? Or is it enough that the state officials doing this called themselves “Republican”? Let the rationalizations begin . . . .

Tags: Karl Marx, mccain, Obama, oil, palin, redistribution of wealth, socialist, taxes