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

[IntelligentDesign]

Beating John McCain is a foregone conclusion and almost a moot point, what is critically important is who we send up to the Whitehouse – Hillary would win in a small landslide and Dems would realize comfortable gains down-ticket, good deal – however, Barack Obama would win with such magnitude as to lock in a veto-proof congress and allow for a reversal of the creeping fascist state that is already upon us, awesome deal.

Please take a moment to let this sink in, it is the choice of a lifetime and it will shape the next 100 years - we who have suffered under the repressive rule of George Bush and the GOP led congress must seize this opportunity as if it were a life preserver thrown to us in storm tossed waters.

[Mike O.]

Obama will not win. He cannot. He is under-qualified and will stumble as he searches for the "correct" answer in he debates against the self-assured McCain.

Hillary would be more difficult, but she still loses against McCain.

It's gonna be heavenly to watch a 40 state landlside against Obama. Heavenly!

[halyscomet]

McCain: release your wife's tax returns and show the world how "sensitive to poor people" you are.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

Prison labor is a proud thing to invest in

[DGregory]

This must be another senior moment of john mccain, im sure olberman will talk about this one. "insensitive to the poor" a man who came back into the community to contribute. wow...

[tsloan]

hmmm.....w­hen you try to hide your true feelings and actions by pointing your finger and accusing the other side of doing what you in fact are doing....i­t's called projection­....it's also called lying...

[RS]

John McCain obviously has not heard of (or has forgotten) this ancient Bible proverb: "Let he among you who has no sin cast the first stone".

[Tonyreg]

Or, stop over at one of his eight houses.

[Tonyreg]

McCain can invite all those people with big old cars to fly with him on his wife's private jet.

[Hobobrown]

I can hardly wait until the fall when who ever the Dems pick kicks his out of touch ass to the curb! Then he can jump in a limo, take it to catch his wife's private jet and fly back to one his six homes!

[Bocababs]

I laughed so hard when I read the latest headline from McCain on HuffPo about Obama and Poor People that my stomach actually hurst this morning.

This is the fight we have going into the Fall??? Against a man who used student loans to get an education and just paid them off? Give me a break!!

[jimi945]

McCain talking about poor people? He thinks beans and carrots grow in cans. Who the hell does he think he is? There isn't a Republican that knows what poor people are going through. They think that cows milk themselves and the chickens bottle it. This man is close to senility and his party is supporting him because they don't know any better. Look at his followers.­....85-105 year old people that have to be led to the chair...My god people....­what is this world coming to?

[Ohg]

Recognizing the need for social solidarity is not elitism...­..........­..........­...
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/04/16/esprit-de-corps-and-elitism/

[JohnnieP]

To be frank, because of their stupidity, McCain's most recent remarks don't warrant a response from
any thinking person. However, because of McCain's blatant hypocrisy, they can only be attributed to
the fact that he, McCain, has had his head stuffed up W.'s ass since he became the front-runner for
the GOP presidential nomination, a few months back. As they say, "If you go to sleep with dogs. you'll usually wake up with with fleas."

[lilith1]

So Mr. "I've never paid for health insurance because the government's covered me since I was born AND we own like seven house AND I haven't pumped gas since the time of leaded gasoline AND I don't know much about economics" McCain is calling Obama out of touch with the poor! God, if he wasn't so scary, he'd make me laugh.

Never mind that many economists argue that this will have little impact on the price of gas and that this will deny the country billions in much needed taxes to fix our roads, (BUT it will be an additional windfall for the long-suffering oil companies.­..). Why does he think that the oil companies will actually "lower" the cost by deducting the taxes from the fuel costs? Please. These companies have enjoyed billions in profit and haven't done much to lower costs today. Show me that they will in summer.

This is yet another example of throwing crumbs at the poor-, working-, and middle-class families and calling it "relief." What it does not address are the long-term structural problems that plague our country.

[ejay579]

This is like giving a $500 or so tax credit for health insurance. As if one can buy health insurance for $500 to begin with.

[Geauterre]

John McCain accusing Barack Obama of being insensitive to poor people is ludicrous. Of course, for him and his Republican cronies, it's all right to dangle a carrot in front of poor people, lord knows they're starving enough, but never mind where that imaginary carrot leads!

[ejay579]

A carrot? How about a bible, a lapel pin, an American flag, etc.

[RThM]

McCain is channeling the ghost of Hillary Clinton's dead campaign. If he's thinks that gonna put some life in his own parade of the mummies, he's deluded.

[LilyK]

"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."

It's not always easy to find something to laugh about on Monday mornings but the idea of McCain's "poor people" worrying about capital gains tax is worth several chuckles. I bet the poor are hoping that McCain will help them find a way to exploit the loophole that allows them more access to their wives' private jets too.

[peggio]

John McInsane and his democratic counterpart Dr. Strangeton are the clearest examples of lunatics attempting to run the asylum, ever. I am certain there are two straight jackets, his and hers with their names embroidered in blood. The only person possibly in contention with them is former human Bill Clinton and when the two aforementioned candidates are safely ensconsed in the "HOME FOR THE FRICKIN NUTSO'S" the left behind spouses can team up. Cindy can cook a yummy dinner of crow (from her family recipee book) to share with Hilbilly, during Barack Obama's inauguration!