( CNN ) -- It 's not often that I agree with Sarah Palin . But when she comes around to a liberal point of view on an issue , that is to be noted with praise . So , good for you , Sarah , for flip-flopping on the issue of hard work . Palin took to Facebook recently to praise the remarks of liberal actor Ashton Kutcher , who has in the past donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democrats and participated in a star-studded video pledging , `` to serve our President ( Obama ) and all mankind . '' So how did this Hollywood liberal become the darling of Sarah Palin ? By speaking out on behalf of a truly liberal value : hard work . `` I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work , '' Kutcher said in a speech he gave at the Teen Choice Awards . `` I 've never had a job in my life that I was better than . I was always just lucky to have a job . And every job I had was a steppingstone to my next job , and I never quit my job until I had my next job . '' Palin and other conservatives lept to embrace Kutcher 's comments , as though they were conservative . They are , of course , profoundly liberal . It is liberals who honor , extoll and reward hard work . That 's why President Obama , Nancy Pelosi , Harry Reid and virtually all Democrats support raising the minimum wage -- to honor and reward those who choose work over welfare , and ensure an honest day 's work pays enough to feed a family . That 's why President Obama and the Democrats cut taxes on working people by $ 3,600 over four years . And that 's why President Obama won the votes of working-class Americans ( those making less than $ 100,000 a year ) by a full 10 points . But perhaps Palin and others on the right have seen the light . Perhaps Kutcher 's bracing and bold statement of liberalism has moved them . If so , let 's see them walk the walk . Because at the present moment Republicans seem to honor wealth and punish work . How else can you explain that they want a tax code in which a billionaire heiress pays nothing on her inheritance , while the hard-working maid who makes the heiress ' bed pays taxes on every nickel she earns ? Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney pocketed $ 42 million during 2011 and 2012 . He did not earn that money from work -- he accrued it through wealth . His investments garnered him tens of millions while he ran around the country campaigning . And yet Romney paid merely 12 % in taxes . By contrast , a cop married to a teacher , each making the median income of around $ 50,000 a year , pays a marginal tax rate of 25 % . Even with deductions they are almost certainly paying a greater percentage of their income in taxes than mega-millionaire Romney . Palin , who famously quit on the people of Alaska when she got too big for the gig of governing her beautiful state , is an especially unfortunate spokesperson for the value of hard work . One hopes she takes Kutcher 's liberal advice to heart , and supports working people in word and deed . And if Palin liked Kutcher 's Teen Choice remarks , she 'll love this statement : `` Success may not come quickly or easily . But if you strive to do what 's right , if you work harder and dream bigger , if you set an example in your own lives and do your part to help meet the challenges of our time , then I 'm confident that , together , we will continue the never-ending task of perfecting our union . '' Those are not the words of Ashton Kutcher . No , the liberal extolling hard work and patriotism in those comments was Palin 's president -- and mine and Ashton Kutcher 's and every American 's president : Barack Obama . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul Begala .
Sarah Jones praised Ashton Smith for his speech about the importance of working hard . Paul Begala : So how did this Hollywood liberal become the darling of conservatives ? He says perhaps conservatives saw the light ; if so , let 's see them walk the walk . Begala : Liberals extoll hard work ; they honor wealth , not poverty .