After Biden, The Economic Debate Takes Shape
The least wealthy member of the Senate took the stage of the Democratic convention hall Wednesday night to accept the vice-presidential nomination, and sharpened the contrast between the progressive and conservative economic visions. The pressure will now be on Sen. John McCain next week to either defend the conservative vision or acknowledge its failures and respond with new ideas.
In introducing himself to the broader electorate, Sen. Joe Biden sought to show that he got what's going on in America, not with stats, but with clear sense of what goes on around middle-class kitchen tables. From the prepared remarks:
Almost every night, I take the train home to Wilmington, sometimes very late. As I look out the window at the homes we pass, I can almost hear what they're talking about at the kitchen table after they put the kids to bed.
Like millions of Americans, they're asking questions as profound as they are ordinary. Questions they never thought they would have to ask:* Should mom move in with us now that dad is gone?
* Fifty, sixty, seventy dollars to fill up the car?
* Winter's coming. How we gonna pay the heating bills?
* Another year and no raise?
* Did you hear the company may be cutting our health care?
* Now, we owe more on the house than it's worth. How are we going to send the kids to college?
* How are we gonna be able to retire?
Biden then juxtaposed McCain's support for corporate tax cuts and opposition to raising the minimum wage:
When John McCain proposes $200 billion in new tax breaks for corporate America, $1 billion alone for just eight of the largest companies, but no relief for 100 million American families, that's not change; that's more of the same.
Even today, as oil companies post the biggest profits in history--a half trillion dollars in the last five years--he wants to give them another $4 billion in tax breaks. But he voted time and again against incentives for renewable energy: solar, wind, biofuels. That's not change; that's more of the same.Millions of jobs have left our shores, yet John continues to support tax breaks for corporations that send them there. That's not change; that's more of the same.
He voted 19 times against raising the minimum wage. For people who are struggling just to get to the next day, that's not change; that's more of the same.
And then he argued that Obama would invest in jobs and education, while cutting middle-class taxes and making health care affordable for everyone.
Barack Obama will reform our tax code. He'll cut taxes for 95 percent of the American people who draw a paycheck. That's the change we need.
Barack Obama will transform our economy by making alternative energy a genuine national priority, creating 5 million new jobs and finally freeing us from the grip of foreign oil. That's the change we need.Barack Obama knows that any country that out teaches us today will out-compete us tomorrow. He'll invest in the next generation of teachers. He'll make college more affordable. That's the change we need.
Barack Obama will bring down health care costs by $2,500 for the typical family, and, at long last, deliver affordable, accessible health care for all Americans. That's the change we need.
The ball is now in McCain's court.
With many conservatives insisting the economy is good, regardless of how most voters feel, McCain has struggled to come up with an economic case that appeals to both conservatives and swing voters.
He has even told conservative audiences that Americans are better off than seven years ago, then told others the opposite.
Such contradictory statements won't fly during his convention, where he has to address both conservative delegates in the hall and swing voters outside the hall at the same time.
McCain will need to offer a single view of how the economy is faring that voters find credible.
He will have to decide if he really thinks more tax cuts for corporate executives are what voters think the economy needs, or if he needs to put more on the table to convince voters he will help increase wages, reduce costs and create jobs.
And he will need to deal with the fact that what resonates with most voters in his television audience isn't what will resonate among conservatives in his convention audience.
We'll see who he ticks off more.
Check out more convention coverage, including live streaming and video interviews, at OurFuture.org and LiberalOasis.com.
For more Huffington Post coverage of the Democratic National Convention, visit our Politics @ the DNC page, our Democratic Convention Big News Page, and our HuffPost bloggers' Twitter feed, live from Denver.
Follow Bill Scher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/billscher
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Great article. Am looking forward to hearing the Repubs response. So far, McCain has not spoken on any issues....except off-shore drilling. The economy? I have not heard him say one thing for "the people".
Note: I'm aware Biden is a senator, but if HR 5244 makes it pass the house to senate, I hope he and Obama will support it.
I also here there is a Repub senator coming up with some kind of credit reform bill...
Plot thickens...
"After Biden, the economic debate takes shape"
I hope Biden supports additional credit reform that protects consumers, such as what is suggested on Obama's website (if these measures are still up). Many of the credit reforms suggested are in line with HR5244 which passed committee this year and will be coming up for votes.
HR 5244 - you can find out more on the house website, coming up for vote in the house next session possibly. The bill:
"Seeks to improve consumer protections against credit card industry abuses. Among its many proposed policies are better regulation of interest rate increases, increased protections for cardholders who pay on time, stricter guidelines against misleading terms in contracts and new congressional reporting requirements on industry profits, rates and fees. "
This is especially interesting considering Biden's connection to Delaware (well known for its Delaware Corporations). About 60% of Fortune 500 companies have incorporation papers in Delaware. Many of them credit card companies because (this is from a site offering info about incorporating your biz):
"Registering as a Delaware corporation offers a definite benefit, not just legally, but also in charging terms. The laws of Delaware are very pro-business, and the State of Delaware also has very lax interest laws. Banks and companies can basically set any interest rates they wish. This may be one reason for the high number of credit card businesses operating from the state. This is good news for the business, but not such a benefit for the customer."
He won't say anything about his plans, except that he "won't raise taxes". All he will do is attack Obama with distortions and lies.
Biden plagarized himself here... He said the same thing 20 years ago and again he is dead wrong... No greater percentage of poverty and unemployment and economy is better
Unemployment is better? ROFLMAO.
The economy is better? ROFLMAO.
That's not even a good try.
All the Dems can say to get peoples attention is that "the middle class is getting smaller". This is NOT a bad thing, people assume that that since it's getting smaller that they must all be becoming poor. It CAN go the other way, the middle class is getting smaller because a lot of them are jumping UP a class, even though the economy did only IMPROVE 0.6% last quarter!!!!
20 years ago?!!
Bill : Respond with new ideas ?
The Rethugs ??
LOFL ! ( Who are they going to steal them from ? )
From Porgy and Bess : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SZuwxT2omw That's all they got.
They'll be flinging feces, as it's all they've EVER had... And Rover was their posterboy !
Reaganomics trickle down Bushonomics is a disaster for our country ! Stick a fork in 'Em, see if they're quite done yet !
Time for our country to be on the mend. Time to wrest it from the corporatists. Time for positive, progressive change !
Another inciteful post Mr. Scher, thank you for your input.
More to follow. -ralph
Wow. That ad for John McCain in the middle of the article is kind of scary, with the Iranian leader and a misleading question.
Do you think he is trying to frighten us into not thinking about what a disaster the economy is and who has better ideas for getting us back on track?
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