McCain calls Obama insensitive to poor people

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Sunday called Democratic rival Barack Obama insensitive to poor people and out of touch on economic issues.

The GOP nominee-in-waiting rapped his Democratic rival for opposing his idea to suspend the tax on fuel during the summer, a proposal that McCain believes will particularly help low-income people who usually have older cars that guzzle more gas.

"I noticed again today that Sen. Obama repeated his opposition to giving low-income Americans a tax break, a little bit of relief so they can travel a little further and a little longer, and maybe have a little bit of money left over to enjoy some other things in their lives," McCain said. "Obviously Sen. Obama does not understand that this would be a nice thing for Americans, and the special interests should not be dictating this policy."

The Arizona senator deflected questions about his record on the Bush administration's tax cuts _ he initially opposed them but now supports extending them _ by again criticizing Obama.

"Sen. Obama wants to raise the capital gains tax, which would have a direct effect on 100 million Americans," McCain said. "That means he has no understanding of the economy and that he is totally insensitive to the hopes and dreams and ambitions of 100 million Americans who will be affected by his almost doubling of the capital gains tax."

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," Obama said McCain "not only wants to continue some of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, he actually wants to extend them, and he hasn't told us really how he's going to pay for them. It is irresponsible. And the irony is he said it was irresponsible."

Obama also said he would not raise the capital gains tax higher than it was under President Reagan and added, "I'm mindful that we've got to keep our capital gains tax to a point where we can actually get more revenue."

Comments

[iPolitics]

McCain hates poor people. McCain said their jobs are never coming back. He doesn't understand the economy. He will sent them to Iraq them Iran to die though.

[rjean]

ipolitics.....can you post anything MORE ABSURD...sure you can

youre a dem

[CyrusBeaucephus]

Absurdity could well be defined as defending Bush, you absurd fool

[tathagat]

classic case of pot calling the kettle white ;)... and shamelessness. McSame is equal partner in Dubya's mishandling of Katrina's victims, criticizing Dubya in New Orleans was a farce and hoodwinking the people... cutting cakes and celebrating his birthday... and if that wasn't enuff he opposed some relief measures as well... Republican must be deluded that after a disastrously stupid idiotic govt., for 8 long years and messing up everythiing... they got the nerve to even think of coming back in power...

Both Houses lost republican majorities... Mr Gun dead... the gun gets orphaned... their propaganda techniques exposed... irrational religions and gods getting busted by the day... I smell GOP dying out in a matter of few years... America having loads of electoral reforms... multiple parties and proportional or full representation of voting system... and btw the second black prez will fix white superiority syndrome and settling scores... social justice can't be reconciliation without some form of punishment for the atonement of white folks sins of the past...

[bluesman49]

Do the republicans have buyer's remorse yet?

[scorpioleidy]

How asinine is this????!!!!! Just goes to show how out of touch this old man is ... while he flies around with his wife who's worth over $100 million dollars ... aboard her corporate jet ... and Obama's insensitive to the poor??? Yeah, right ...
Stop The Drama: Vote for Obama
OBAMA '08

[NatiGirl]

Come on McCain............... you dump your 1st wife for a younger richer model. Jetsetting around the country in her private jet. Yeah just like all us poor people. When was the last time you actually got out of the car and filled your own tank, shopped for your own groceries, called the gas and electric company and asked for an extension on your bill til you get paid. When was the last time you had to borrow 20 bucks for your children's lunch money for the week. Do you even know how much bread, eggs, milk, cheese etc has gone up. Cut the crap McCain, you don't even know what poor looks like.

[Grunty1]

How would McCain know if anyone was out of touch on the economy. McCain has already said that he has no understanding of economic issues!

[britethere]

Yeah...McCain is sensitive...that's ahy he voted against Katrina aid.

[IndependentMeans]

LOL..........that is what he is going for, correct?!

[scorpioleidy]

Yeah ... now the old man's doing stand-up comedy!!!

[sarasoon]

How can anybody take McCain seriously, for God's sakes? Grandpa McCain who opposes any and everything especially because he does not understand the issues, and then makes an about face turn when he finally is able to grasp the consequences of his opposition, really believes he is credible criticising anyone?! What does McCain understand about the suffering of the poor when he jets about in private aircraft and violates his own rules? When the horrors of Katrina were unfolding, did McCain raise his voice loudly in support of the people, especially the poor in New Orleans? Did he not have to make an about face turn just a few weeks ago over helping people facing foreclosure? Isn't he facing criticism over his failure to support assistance to war veterans? He is now preparing to enter the public financing system to finance the rest of his campaign but is talking nonesense and flogging the Rev. Wright horse that has already been done to death the way McCain is going to waste hard earned taxpayers' money? This man is a clown and should quit running for president and go join a circus.

[nevergiveup]

Yeah, if anyone is insensitive to poor people it sure can't be someone who grew up poor. Ultra-rish, ultra-conservative Rethugs have always demonstrated what they think of poor folks. Rethugs think poor people deserve to be poor just like Rethugs deserve to be rich.

I am sick of Rethug's illogical thinking. Can we possibly continue to vote against our own best interests as citizens AGAIN???!!!!

[maxwellinformed]

McCain didn't sign new GI Bill which would pay for soldiers college. McCain doesn't care about the troops.

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/15174.html

[elbzee]

Ah, but Max, he's so sensitive to the poor. Look at the wonderful employment plan he's putting into place! Why, he's setting it up so that the children of the poor can be gainfully employed for the next century securing all that Iraqi oil we're grabbing. As the sensitive republican he is, he's doing his best to improve the plight of the poor. The McCain plan is actually a long term employment plan! And there all this time you thought he was an insensitive hypocrite!

[moonwatcher]

Obama should respond to McCain and Obama's answer should be publicized. We see too much of these allegations and not enough publicized responses. Why is Obama against McCain's proposal?
We know Obama is not against poor people. He worked for the poor in Chicago but he must respond.

[dnail]

Obama, like 99% of economists, is against waiving the gas tax for 3 months because it is an imperative part of our revenue system that repairs roads and bridges and the like. Plus it is only 18 cents a gallon and nothing is stopping the oil companies from just hiking the price up by that much and put the money in their own pockets. No one will benefit.

This is not the answer, just a way to seem concerned and win votes. Congrats Obama for not pandering to the poor, but really working for them.

[OkieMon]

until obama apologizes and renounces his "americans use religion as a crutch" philosophy he will take the whole dem party down with him.

[IntelligentDesign]

Your time would be better spent picking a few knee-slapping hoe down tunes on that banjo sitting you got sitting in the corner - what you must try and understand is that you come off as an angry bigoted ignoramus, you're not selling any soap here Billy Bob.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

ha ha Why do you hate Hoedowns you commie! I think people who believe in stuff that was obviously made up by other people to control the weak-minded owe the rest of us an apology, but then I'm a big Sam Harris Type Atheist, and I am not very tolerant of irrational belief whether it is Muslim , Christian, Hindu or whatever. In America people like Okie are free to believe anything they want. Gravity is a myth! The Earth is Flat! etc.. And the rest of us are free to ignore them. Thank God our skeptical founding fathers forbade theocracy when they wrote the Constitution, or all us free thinkers would be roasting on a spit in the public square

[OkieMon]

how does it feel to be flat-out bigot?

[Grunty1]

He did apologize to those his comment offended, but he isn't going to back down from the stated truth.

[OkieMon]

your "stated truth" is marxism 101....is that what you want the american people voting on this november?

[SCG2]

I never heard or saw a direct quote where he used the word "crutch" He said people turn to...

Everyone loves to characterize his words, to feign insult , McCain included.

[Mike O.]

No, he said people "cling to". Much different. Either way, he doesn't understand that they neither "turn" nor "cling". Their religious beliefs and their belief in their individual right to keep and bear arms, as enumerated in the second amendment, are a part of them. These beliefs constitiute their core values. Conversely, elitist liberals hold no core values and therefore, the only way that they can understand these beliefs in others is to attribute them to an outside force. That is what makes them elitist.

[1differentdrummer]

OkieMon, try to broaden your horizons a bit. Try thinking about what is good for the country, not just one class, what's good for the world, not just one nation. If you disagree politically with the man, just stand up and say so. Looking at things differently isn't bad, superior or inferior, it's okay. I switched parties because my party went off the rails and quit helping those in need in favor of helping those in greed. I'll vote for whoever runs on the D ticket because the lessons the current administration, and McCain would just be more of the same, has taught us are so seriously bad. Are we better off today than we were before Bush? No one in my world is as well off as they were in 2000.

[elbzee]

Careful Okie, your crutch is showing!

[NCGigi]

Classic RNC strategy: attack at the strength to deflect attention to its candidate's weakness. The appropriate response is laughter.

[MagnaCarta]

About McCain's charging Obama with insensitivity to poor people: This is the pot calling the kettle black.

[donttasemebro]

I agree with you, except that there's not even a kettle in this equation.