They're Lying
The debate over the economy swung into high gear today as both presidential candidates gave speeches on the topic. That's as it should be: let this critical debate begin.
What's not okay is that one candidate -- John McCain -- and his team are making up damaging stuff that directly contradicts policies Obama has been crystal clear about.
When it comes to taxes, Obama has drawn a firm line in the sand at $250,000. He cuts taxes for the vast majority of families -- more than 95% -- and raises taxes only on those with incomes above $250,000. Whether its income taxes, payroll taxes, capital gains, or stock dividends, his plan does not raise taxes on anyone below $250,000. He articulated this point today: "...if you're a family making less than $250,000, my plan will not raise your taxes -- not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."
Yet, from McCain's speech today: "If you believe you should pay more taxes, I am the wrong candidate for you. Senator Obama is your man. The choice in this election is stark and simple. Senator Obama will raise your taxes."
His top advisor, Doug Holtz-Eakin released a memo implying Obama would raise taxes on low-income families, those "making as little as $32,000 a year," a claim based on Obama's support for the Senate Democratic Budget resolution which contained no individual tax increases actually cut taxes for middle-class families.
McCain's "Jobs First" economic plan says: "If you are one of the 23 million small business owners in America who files as an individual rate payer, Senator Obama is going to raise your tax rates." But 99% of individuals with small business income make less than $250,000, so they won't see their taxes go up at all. In fact, Senator Obama has proposed a new 0% capital gains rate for small business and start ups -- it's McCain that would continue to tax small business capital gains at 15%.
McCain and Obama have very different economic plans, particularly regarding tax policy (read about them here). They have every right to go forth and build support for their plans and attack the other guy's. But this is not the way to do it. If McCain and his staff persist in twisting the truth like this, there can be no decent debate. It's a terrible disservice to the electorate and an abrogation of anything resembling straight talk.
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Here's my question.
He's lying, we know he's lying.
Why is the mass media treating him with kid gloves on this like they always do? If one candidate is lying about the positions of another, and there's mass media coverage of said lies....why is it that no one comes out and calls them out for it?
Why don't we make a big deal about this? The "Straight Talk Express" is full of flip-flops on McCain's own positions and lies on his opponents, if he's supposed to be morale and have integrity, why aren't they tearing him apart for it?
One candidate misrepresenting the other's policy proposals? Unprecedented!
This is all neoconservatives do . They lie for a living. Most of them have no real talent except for lying. What really bakes your noodle is how they get poor misinformed fools, who they could care less about, to support them and recite their propaganda for them. They stole two elections already, that we know of, and have stolen Billions of dollars from the American people to give to the likes of Haliburton and Blackwater. Some of you fools won't be happy until an American city is burning due to their stupidity and greed. Then what? You have to be an idiot to vote for a Republican - definitely McCain.
And for those of you bigots and racists out there, who refuse to vote for Obama because of his skin color and your ignorance. How much is your racism worth to you? How much is your hatred worth? Is it worth your planet, your children or the future of your grandchildren. Do you want to see our young men and women in IRAN for a 100 years. This is real. No games. Get a clue quick before we all go down.
You took the words right out of my brain. Thank you I feel exactly the same way and I have friends that still do not know who they want to vote for. I feel like shaking them until they wake up and smell the Republican Fraud. It is to the point where I am on the verge of losing long time friends over it.
My sentiments exactly. People have got to wake up and get out of that "brainwashed" state of mind and THINK FOR THEMSELVES for a change.
Unfortunately, twisting the truth is the Republican way. That's why the media spent this entire long weekend going on AND ON about Obama's "flip-flop" about getting troops out of Iraq. But not a peep from them about McCain's claims that he will balance the budget by winning the war in Iraq in four years!!! John McCain and the media are both a huge joke...at our expense.
Straight Talk?
Reminds me of Clean Skies, No Child Left Behind, etc., etc.
Same old, same old . . .
"not OK"
well, there is an understatement
Come on, why are you not stating the obvious?
Obama is far far more likely to raise taxes and less like to cut them than McCain. Period.
Who is THAT obvious to? you and the other 1% of the country with 99% of the wealth?
Raise taxes on the people that have been benefiting from not paying fair taxes under Bush, and apparently under the McCain plan. Obama is very clear and explicit about cutting taxes on the middle and lower income folks. So Please Stop lying, PERIOD!
Unless, you are in the 1% of the super rich group, McCain action or inaction is unlikely to benefit your economic interest; in fact, most of those who claim they support the republican platform do not see any direct change in their daily lives. The vast majority of those I've seen in the republican party who it benefits, do so because the republicans are very committed to helping those who are wealthy and who want to make loads of money. But, the average foaming-in-the-mouth self-described republican who favors the republicans because he sees it as merely representing the values of the 'white man' he or she gets absolutely nothing, except what he or she makes up in their minds.
The republican party does represent the white man, but the color they deeply cherish is green, not white. The republican brand works however, primarily because of those who are too ignorant and too racist to recognize that they aren't benefiting from their perceived views of identity politics, and the crooks like Rove, Bush and Cheney then gain and stay in power, buoyed by the various pockets of hate still actively alive in the American electorate.
Jared, they ALWAYS LIE.
BEHusseinM777
I don't think most people have any idea how taxes work. If they knew, they'd likely throw all the bums out of office. For example, if an average citizen earns $50,000, they pay the income tax rate on that money -- let's say 25%. If a rich person doesn't have to work, and just earns $50,000 on their investments, they only pay 18% (capital gains tax rate). Nothing fair about that. The percentage of Americans who are so rich they have capital gains taxes? Very small.
Estate taxes: if mom gives son $1.0 during her life, he pays taxes on $990,000 of that ($10,000 tax exempt gift). If she dies, no taxes. Of course there should be estate taxes. If we're going to eliminate anything, it should be income taxes on people who make relatively little money. By not raising the standard deduction, the effect has been radical tax increases on the working class. Mortgage write-offs are a gift to the lenders who pay bribes to our politicians. And so on.
Mr. Bernstein appears to have the credentials to write some articles and educate the public about this big Gimme More tax-cut scam being run by the neocons. Let's hope he does.
You are correct about the tax cut scam, it only benefits the wealthy. The middle class does not benefit from tax cuts for capital gains and dividends. Only the top 1% garner the majority of those benefits, the rest of us do not. The vast majority of the middle class who own stocks have them in retirement accounts such as 401Ks and IRAs. These investments are deferred until retirement and then afterwards are taxed as ordinary income. Here are a few sites that bypass the smoke and mirrors.
http://www.ctj.org/pdf/capgainsdivtaxcuts.pdf
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=388x275
http://www.irregularnews.com/senate/senObamaIL.html
http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/05/john-mccain-revolving-door.html
http://www.irregularnews.com/senate/senMcCainAZ.html
"...if you're a family making less than $250,000, my plan will not raise your taxes -- not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."
Given all the programs that Obama plans to initiate you can't possibly take him at face value that he won't raise your taxes unless you are part of the 1.5% of the households that make $250K or more per year. The numbers simply don't playout. Now he's even talking about tax cuts? Don't believe it. Also, remember that Clinton is on his side now, so you have to look at his language very very carefully. He only states that he won't "raise your taxes", he doesn't say anything about initiating new taxes against the great middle class. Expect a future "healthcare tax" a "carbon footprint tax", and many more. Let's hear him say that he won't raise any taxes or initiate any new taxes that will impact anyone making $250,000.00 or less. Also note that he says this only applies to a "family", so what is the screw point for a single individual - Is is 100K? 90K? Let us know. Does "family" only include those with dependent children? I want to hear that "No New Taxes" pledge from Obama for everyone making less than $250K.
He's realistic, not stupid like GHW Bush who pledged "no new taxes" . I hate to break it to you anti tax at all cost folks, taxes are inevitable. But who they are collected from is not. I have NO problem paying more in taxes if it meant universal health care for all. I DO however have a problem paying more if it benefits for profit health care companies.
The wealth gap in this nation is the greatest it has been since the 1920's. That gap needs to be corrected. If part of is taxing more appropriately, then so be it. The stock market reflects the inequities in its volatility. When few own most of the wealth in a country, its only a matter of time before a correction happens. Unless of course this disproportionate wealth is perpetuated by policies of an administration. McCain not only wants to extend tax cuts to the most wealthy, he wants to expand on them while also giving tax breaks to corporations. How can ANYONE see this as beneficial to America. It only continues the downward spiral of our economy.
He has said so repeatedly. But of course you would rather have people cut taxes on the rich, spend trillions of dollars on stupid wars. Neglect needed services for Americans and saddle my children and my grandchildren with a mountain of debt. Look, the expenditure of just one year in Iraq would probably pay for all necessary programs necessary to improve the lives of our people that Obama is proposing. No, It high time that people who benefit the most from this country pay their share of taxes. Honest rich people like Warren Buffet agree. Enough of this calling the middle class and the poor to sacrifice while the rich reap the lion's share of the benefits.
What percentage of income is a fair share for everyone, and I mean everyone-you, me, Buffet, everyone?
Semper fi
McCain doesn't think there are people that make less than $250,000 a year.
He simply lives on another planet.
His wife spends $750,000.00 a month on her credit cards.
What does that tell us?
Another group of out of touch brats.
Can we afford it?
And the lying will continue until the media stops carrying McCain's water. Like that will ever happen. They just take what he says as fact and spin it over and over in the tarring of Obama and don't even have qualms about journalistic malpractice.
People who are complaining about businesses who make a profit >where do you think we get our tax dollars?
Often NOT from businesses that make a profit.
Hello bloggers: I understand democrats want to take more of my paycheck. Re-distribution is the name.
no, running smaller deficits is the name, fiscal responsibility is the name, and the dems are telling you te truth
So how is it different from the redistribution the GOP has been doing for the last 25 years?
In the GOP version, the poor and middle class give money to the rich.
In the Dem version, the rich give money to the middle class and poor.
Middle class, those making less than $250K, by BO definition.
So money is ALWAYS being redistibuted. The question is, which way do YOU want it to go?
John McCain - heading up the "spin talking", flip flopping and clueless Express.
Really... If, as a nation, we're dumb enough to elect still another "trickle down economy" Repug to office, we'll have earned our "third world status".
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