Obama Not A Socialist, McCain Admits (VIDEO)

In an interview with Larry King that aired last night, John McCain admitted that he doesn't think Barack Obama is a socialist, which runs counter to most of his campaign rhetoric for the past week. The admission is reminiscent of when McCain, after days of hammering Obama about a supposedly sexist remark, finally conceded that Obama probably wasn't calling Sarah Palin a pig when referencing "lipstick on a pig" at a campaign speech. Video below, with transcript:

Transcript, via CNN:

KING: You don't believe Barack Obama is a socialist, do you?

MCCAIN: No. But, I do believe -- I do believe that he's been in the far left of American politics. He has stated time after time that he believes in "spreading the wealth around." He's talked about courts that would redistribute the wealth.

He has a record of voting against tax cuts and for tax increases. And I don't think there's any doubt that he would increase spending and he would, sooner or later, we would be increasing taxes. There is no doubt in my mind that that's what his record -- 94 times he voted to cut taxes -- against tax cuts and for tax increases. He voted for -- and that's what matters. Not rhetoric. To raise taxes on individuals making $42,000 a year.

KING: Concerning spreading the wealth, isn't the graduated income tax spreading the wealth? If you and I paid more so that Jimmy can get some for him, or pay for a welfare recipient, that's spreading the wealth.

MCCAIN: Well, that's spreading the wealth in the respect that we do have a graduated income tax. That's a far cry from taking from one group of Americans and giving to another. I mean, that's dramatically different.

Sen. Obama clearly has talked about for years, redistributive policies. And that's not the way we create wealth in America. That's not the way we grow our economy. That's not the way we create jobs.

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And when small business people see that half of their income, half of the income of small businesses is going to be taxed by Sen, Obama, then they're very upset with it.

KING: He says, it's only the personal income tax. If you run a store, if you make $250,000 or more, as a personal income, not a business income, that's where he's (INAUDIBLE).

MCCAIN: And that's where his folks just reduced it to $200,000. And then Sen. Biden yesterday said $150,000. And the fact is that if Joe the Plumber is able to buy the business that he works in, the guy that he buys it from is going to see an increase in capital gains taxes. They're going to see an increase in payroll taxes. They're going to see -- if he reaches a certain level, an increase in his income taxes. And that's what got people concerned. That's what's got Joe the Plumber upset. He wants to redistribute the money.

KING: Doesn't taxes pay for services?

MCCAIN: Taxes pay for services.

KING: (INAUDIBLE) taxes.

MCCAIN: But, do we want -- taxes pay to keep our government secure. To help those who can't help themselves. And other functions of government, which, by the way, expanded by some 40 percent in the last eight years and gave us a $10 trillion debt --

KING: Under Bush.

MCCAIN: And to the last two years, under Democrat majorities in the House and Senate.

But, that's the job of government. But it is not the job of government that I believe in, that would take a group of Americans who have some money and say, we're taking your money, and we're giving it to others. This 95 percent tax cut he's talking about for 95 percent of Americans -- 40 percent of Americans pay no income tax. So he is just going to give them some money. Where is he going to get it? He is increasing taxes for other groups of Americans. That's his plan.

KING: What are you going to do?

MCCAIN: I'm going to keep taxes low. I'm going to ...

KING: Where they are?

MCCAIN: Sure. Absolutely

Comments

[Falbadd]

Funny... this is McCain's own words... he thinks it's OK to tax rich doctors only I guess... ROFL

http://www.itsnotsocialism.com/

[KUjHwk]

All you McCain supporters that are buying into this "socialist" b.s., if you are so much against taxes, then I want you off all public roads, no calling the fire dept when your house catches afire, no calling the police when Bubba beats you down for not having his dinner ready quickly enough, you must homeschool all your little rug rats - no public school for them. I could go on, but I won't.

[KUjHwk]

This interview shows just how confused this man is. He obviously has no grasp of economics or fiscal policy. Elect him and we are certain to see something worse than the Great Depression. With his anti-diplomacy attitude, no one will be there to help us either.

[rightsize2005]

you know what BO's manager & spokesman needs to step up...BO said tax break (pay lower taxes or no increase for 95%)

he said nothing about a tax rebate...why is john mccain lying, he is shameless, he has lost his place in the hearts of Americans, even if he wins the American people will never trust him.

He is as of now, a man without a soul...

[siteyou5]

Maverick Personality Disorder

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/10/maverick-personality-disorder.html

[polson520]

This campaign is so ridiculously out of sync, it's not even funny. This is who we want leading?????

They spend a week spouting off that Obama is a socialist; however, when his back is to the wall, McCain admits that Obama is not a socialist.

They try to have Joe the Plumber in Defiance, OH; however, somebody forgot to call him and tell him to show up...and the "leader" looks like a fool giving Joe a shout out...when Joe's not even there.

Compare that to the perfectly synchronized Obama commercial in the context of its lead in to the live rally in Sunrise, FL.

It's the difference between hiring great people who are focused on the tasks at hand, which Obama has done, and hiring people that are not up to the tasks (McCain).

Do you really want a leader who doesn't surround him- or herself with good people? Haven't we had enough of that already?

[polson520]

Somebody help me out here.

Nowhere in Obama's tax plan have I seen a proposal to give checks to people who aren't working or who aren't already paying taxes. It seems to me that Senator McCain is confusing Sarah Palin's plan in Alaska (where everyone DOES get a check) with Obama's plan to reduce the tax burden off of those middle class people who are already paying into the system.

Yet this is what Hannity and the right wing media is spewing...people getting checks for doing nothing.

[Noworries2008]

" In the middle of October, when speaking to "Joe the Plumber," Obama justified higher taxes this way:

"It is not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everyone who is behind you, that they have a chance for success too. I think that when you spread the wealth around, it is good for everyone."

I am sure you can justify that statement to make it fit your agenda.

You want income? Get a job.

[polson520]

But that still doesn't indicate that individuals who aren't paying taxes are going to get a check.

I actually have a job (VP at a Fortune 500 corporation) and pay a pretty good amount of taxes into the system. My only desires are to save for my daughter's education and my retirement. I don't need a bigger house, a fancier car, or the newest toys. Although my household income puts me in a position where I would actually get a cut from Obama's plan, I actually don't care if I receive that cut or not. I would rather see our government pay down its debt and actually fund its programs with taxpayer dollars...rather than from other countries buying up T Notes, T Bills, and other treasury securities. During World War II, our top earners paid 94% (in 1945) in taxes to fund the effort...and they are called the Greatest Generation...What are we going to be called? The most selfish generation?

[Rog49Thomas]

Well of course he's not a socialist.

The slur of the day is that he is a Palestinian terrorist.

You've got to get up early in the day and keep your eyes open to keep up to date with the latest smear.

[elizlucinda]

Okay...I'm a Canadian..so perhaps I don't get it....How can you have a defecit running in the trillions and give tax breaks to anyone while sustaining the same level of services?

[miatch]

borrow money from China.

Republicans have locked themselves into the absurd case that they can always lower taxes and increase services. The original theory was lower tax rates equals growing economy which actually amounts to more money to the government.

They maintain faith in this theory, even though in no way has it worked out. So they stick to their faith, and cover up the inconvenient truth by borrowing money. From communist china. Their pals.

[miatch]

Here is the REAL breakdown of wealth distribution:
http://democraticactionteam.org/redstatesocialism/index.html

Note that Alaska gets back $1.84 for every dollar they send the federal government.
Note that Arizona gets back $1.19 for every dollar they send the federal government.

California and New York get back $.78 for every dollar they send the federal government.

SO, where do the wealth re-distributors live?

[drheelin]

I love the slight manipulation of words McCain/Palin ALWAYS use. When they are quoting Obama, they correctly quote with the words, spread the wealth, meaning, make more of what is out there available for others to earn, but as soon as it becomes part of a discussion, and the quote is already out there, it becomes redistribute the wealth, meaning take away and give.

Pay attention, it is, contrary to popular thought, an extremely disciplined message coming from those two

[Noworries2008]

" In the middle of October, when speaking to "Joe the Plumber," Obama justified higher taxes this way:

"It is not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everyone who is behind you, that they have a chance for success too. I think that when you spread the wealth around, it is good for everyone."

No manipulation there....check the facts.

[wiithejury]

Before anyone rushes to call Obama a would-be Robin Hood, though, let's remember that the Robin Hood story was not about a common thief who targeted folks with deep pockets and then decided to share some of the loot with the poor from a desire to have good PR. Robin Hood's story was that when King John's minions stole from the poor, Robin Hood stole the loot back from them and returned it to its rightful owners -- the poor. I have no problem with Obama playing Robin Hood.

[MargaretO]

Exactly!

[wiithejury]

I agree with McSame's contention that taxation is theft, but I've never heard McSame say that the government ought not to be stealing a third of our income off the top, and then forcing us to tithe to the government at the cash register from our net pay. Unless or until McSame takes a stand against ALL taxes, he has no right to call anyone a socialist.

If you take as a working hypothesis that taxation is theft, though, then this entire conversation about taxation can clearly be seen to run off the rails because most participants in the discussion keep using the wrong verbs.

Let's consider Obama's plan to reduce taxes for 95 % of working, tax-paying Americans (BTW, McSame stubbornly refuses to acknowledge those two important noun-modifiers when he brings up the ridiculous distraction that a bunch of Americans pay no taxes. I guess that would include some of McSame's buddies at Exxon and Mobile).

When Obama says he wants to reduce taxes for most people, he's not saying, as it is so often expressed by McSame and his cronies, that Obama would GIVE money to them or to anyone. He is simply saying that government ought not to be taking as much away from them. He would take a slightly higher percentage from those best equipped to cope with a higher tax rate to be able to afford to not take as much from those who can't make ends meet as things stand.

[wiithejury]

McSame has a mote in his eye the size of a Sequoia tree. It's socialism to impose a minimal tax increase on the wealthiest, but it is not socialism to print up a trillion dollars out of thin air, money not backed by any tangible goods or services of value, and hand the counterfeit cash to bankers and wall street speculators?

Although those newly printed trillion dollars are not presently backed by anything at all, they ultimately will be paid for by everyone who spends money in this nation because inflation will be the inevitable result. The dictionary definition of inflation, in fact, is counterfeiting by government. It is a hidden tax on all of us, rich or poor. But the ones who get the most value from the counterfeit funds are the ones who get to spend it first -- in the present case, the aforementioned bankers and speculators that McSame keeps confusing with Joe the Puppet.

[Likipedia]

Damn this gut, I have yet to hear a damn plan!
Everyone can say "obama says, if you make under 250,000 blah, blah", but when you ask McCain, he just says, "I'm gonna fix it", or "I'm gonna lower taxes" and then attacks Obama without giving any specifics of his own plans. And then whines because noone is discussing the issues! WTF!
What's the plan ol' man?

[MargaretO]

He knows how to win wars, too! He has never won a war, but he claims to know how to win. He's such a phony.