Beware of Socialism! For the rich, that is...

All this talk of Barack Obama wanting to "redistribute the wealth" is hilarious. That's what taxes do -- redistribute the wealth -- always have. The question is, do we redistribute it to the poor and middle class, or to the rich? Teddy Roosevelt, John McCain's hero, instituted the progressive income tax, where the rich pay a higher percentage than the poor. It only makes sense -- our culture and society created the infrastructure for some people to make it rich, and they should pay back into that society.

We've always had elements of "socialism" in our society, as do all societies. You don't have to pay the fireman to put out the fire in your house before he acts, do you? That's because we've all agreed to put something in the kitty so that the fireman is paid, can buy the equipment he needs, and is ready to put out fires, wherever they occur (on the rich OR poor man's property). Same with police, school, roads and infrastructure. Same with health care -- in every industrialized country but our own, that is.

Meanwhile, since Reagan, those with the biggest incomes have been benefiting from a kind of "socialism" for the rich. The wealth has been getting redistributed UPWARDS! Tax cut after tax cut for the rich over the last eight years have been put in place by Bush and the Republican congress, up until two years ago, when the Dems took over congress. Obama merely wants to rescind those cuts, and make the tax code more fair again. He also wants to stop rewarding corporations for outsourcing jobs, by eliminating their tax loopholes, which makes sense to nearly everyone who isn't stinking rich -- except for a few nearsighted middle class Republicans, who seem to like voting against their own economic self-interests.

90% of gains in recent years went to the top 10%, 40% of the top gains went to the top 1%. Talk about redistribution of wealth! That's our middle class wealth that's been getting redistributed to the top 1% of the wealthiest people!

I say, it's time to stop subsidizing the rich, time to stop the downward slide of the rest of the population. No more welfare for the rich! Vote Obama!

Palin no working class mom

Palin does her best to sell her appeal as a working hockey mom to hard-working people everywhere. Only problem with that scenario: she and her husband are millionaires. The governor of Alaska gets paid $125,000 a year, and the couple's combined estimated property, investment values and income for 2007 are worth at least $1.2 million, according to the AP:

The Palins' assets seem enviable: a half-million-dollar home on a lake with a floatplane at the dock, two vacation retreats, commercial fishing rights worth an estimated $50,000 or more and an income last year of at least $230,000. That compares to a median income of $64,333 for Alaskans and $50,740 for Americans in 2007, according to the Census Bureau.

She also employs lawyers to find creative ways to avoid paying taxes. According to the New York Times:

One big issue that tax attorneys are pointing to is the fact that the Palins did not report as income the $43,490 that the state gave the family to cover travel expenses for Mr. Palin and the Palin children. Had the Palins reported these payments as income, the couple would have had to pay taxes on it.

And they even deducted snowmobiling expenses for ol' Todd, claiming it as a business:

The Palins deducted $9,000 in business losses from snowmobiling. This tax loss would not be allowed if the activity is a hobby. The IRS rule is that if an activity produces a profit in three of the past five years, is a businesses and not a hobby. But the Palins released tax returns for only two years, so it is impossible to tell. One year showed a $9,000 loss, the other year a slight profit.

There's a lot more good stuff in this article from Alternet: 12 New Stomach-Turning Revelations About Sarah Palin.

Letter to Republican friends and family

Don’t worry, the country will not collapse, nor become anti-Christian, nor turn socialist if Barack Obama gets elected.

Really now – take a deep breath. That’s right, still your fears for just a minute. Think. Don’t you see the pattern here? This has been the GOP campaign strategy since Karl Rove took it over. My God, they did it to John McCain himself, in 2000.

Don’t you remember? How, in South Carolina, when it became apparent that McCain’s momentum was growing and that he might take the Republican nomination, they started the whisper and email campaigns about him? They said his adopted Bangladeshi daughter was actually a black “love child” of his and that McCain was both gay and cheated on his wife. No, seriously, it’s true. You don’t remember? They spread lies, vicious rumor after vicious rumor, just like they always do. Bush supporters even circulated church fliers that labeled McCain “the fag candidate.” Look it up. Unlike the emails going around about Obama, these are facts, this really happened.


Now John McCain has allowed those same elements in the party to take over his campaign, eight years later. What kind of character does that show, anyway? To knowingly use scummy tactics, after they were used on you and your family, because you’re so desperate to win office.

Any way, the point is, they do this election after election. They did it to John Kerry, they did it even in congressional races, such as the despicable attacks on the character of Max Cleland, a man who sacrificed three limbs – three limbs! – in service to our country. But that didn’t stop these slime-dwellers from questioning his patriotism in the 2002 race, trying to link him with Saddam Hussein, of all things.

Invariably, once these baseless charges, rumors, lies and deceptions are investigated, they are found to be untrue. Quotes are taken completely out of context, records are distorted by playing numbers games, lies are created to “explain” events and associations, racial tensions are fanned, and the smears are repeated ad nauseam. And it’s all aimed at making you afraid.

Yes, it happens every four years, and yet you keep falling for it. Wake up! See the pattern, don’t let yourself get played so easily! They are trying to scare you, and like third graders at a summer camp, you’re letting the scout master scare the bejeezes out of you by the campfire with his monster stories!

And the farther they fall behind in the polls, the more vicious they get – and the more shrill you sound when you try to explain why you just hate the other candidate. It can’t just be that you disagree with his point of view or his policies or his record, even, no – he’s evil!

Wow. Listen to yourself! Don’t you feel silly? Evil? Come on.

Do you really think he could fool this many people if Obama were as wicked as Ms. Palin seems to be saying he is? Could he really fool all those admirals and generals if he was secretly a terrorist? Ya think? Really?


C’mon, let’s stop the pretense. Yeah, I know it must be hard. You were riding high for years, the Republican banner held proudly aloft, as the stock market soared and we went off to spread democracy and freedom. How deflating it must be to realize how badly you had been fooled. The war was based on lies, and the prosperity turned out to be an illusion. Worse, an illusion that got some greedy people stinking rich, while leaving you with deteriorating portfolios, home values and egos.

Life can be a bitch. You know what? I don’t feel sorry for you. You laughed at us when we tried to show you these people were not acting in your best interests. We tried to get your attention, to warn you the country was being sold a bill of goods, and the bill would come due. And it has. Now we’re left with a stinking rubble pile of an economy, and shriveled net worths.

Somebody made off like bandits, but it wasn’t you. So why do you continue to stick up for these clowns? They’re either clowns, or they’re in with the thieves, you decide. The only people they were working for all this time were the rich slobs who ended up profiting from the war and the economic upheaval. So why continue to listen to them? They did you wrong. They continue to do you wrong. And they are lying to you – again – this time about Barack Obama.


Hey, you bet on the wrong horse. The horse has now gone limp. You’re not going to bet on it again, are you? Whaddaya say we try another team – nobody can possibly screw it up any worse than the last team. Maybe we can try using nimble smarts rather than arrogant brawn, just for a while. Who knows, the new guys might even be able to improve things. For you, and for me – rather than for the fat cats this time. Wouldn’t that be nice, for a change?

McCain's Record On Vets and Troops - Dismal!

How can any veteran, having gone through the hell of combat and war, who achieves a position of power, not support his brethren in the armed forces? In John McCain's case, he even endured years of imprisonment and torture. And yet, where has he been on Veterans' issues? MIA - Missing In Action!

Go to VetVoice.com for the complete, and unbelievable list of ways John McCain has let the troops down. It is long. All I can think is his experience must have warped his mind, because he seems to think all soldiers should just "tough it out" and not receive any help from the country they serve. Sad... and scary! Who would want such an uncompassionate person as a leader?

McCain voted at least 28 times against veterans’ benefits, including healthcare, opposed the 21st century GI bill because it was “too generous,” voted against additional body armor for troops in combat, and voted against a ban on waterboarding – a form of torture – in a move that could eventually endanger American troops. When it comes to "supporting the troops," McCain apparently does not put "Country First," nor the troops, but corporate interests and campaign contributors instead.

Quiz: Who's Better for the Economy Historically - Republicans or Democrats?

Political economist and author Arthur Blaustein has created a quiz to help you decide whether Republicans or Democrats give you the most bang for your political buck.

POLITICS/ECONOMY QUIZ: Since World War II, which president, Democrat or Republican, was the best economic manager according to the following eight economic standards?

You can choose among six Republicans--(Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Poppa and Younger Bush)--and five Democrats--(Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton).
Results below.

1. Greatest gross domestic product growth?
2. Biggest jobs increase?
3. Best after-tax personal disposable income rise?
4. Highest industrial production growth?
5. Biggest hourly wage jump?
6. The lowest Misery Index? (Lowest inflation + unemployment.)
7. The lowest inflation?
8. The largest federal budget deficit reduction?

Surprise! It's a Democratic sweep!

Answers: 1) (Truman), 2) (Carter), 3) (Johnson), 4) (Kennedy) 5) (Johnson), 6) (Truman), 7) (Truman), 8) (Clinton).

Confirmation of details can be found in the article,

"Republican Theories Don't Add Up" by Arthur I. Blaustein, excerpted with permission of Arthur Blaustein.

Arthur Blaustein is the former chair of President Jimmy Carter's National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity, and teaches social and economic policy at UC Berkeley. The author of four books, his most recent book is: "Make a Difference: Your Guide to Volunteering and Community Service."

Links: Gross Domestic Product and Stock Market Gain Much More under Dems than Republicans:
http://pull.xmr3.com/p/990-B39F/42431503/clickto1_e.com-economy-other-demovsrep.html
http://pull.xmr3.com/p/990-7B91/42454988/clickto2_21-markets-election_demsvreps.html
http://pull.xmr3.com/p/990-7FE4/42418513/http-www.economagic.com-popular.html
http://pull.xmr3.com/p/990-EC10/42454992/http-www.bls.gov-.html

Other analysts:
Campaign for America's Future: Robert Borosage.
Economic Policy Inst.: Jared Bernstein, Larry Mischel.
Center on Budget & Policy Priorities: James R. Harney.

Dems disappoint in political use of bailout

I'm deeply disappointed in the Democrats for passing the bailout bill in the form that they did. Once again, the majority party in Congress makes an important decision -- actually a momentous and hugely consequential decision, in this case -- and resorts to the politically expedient path instead of the correct one.

They did this mainly, I believe, because the Republicans initially voted against it, and by taking the opposite side, the Democrats could leverage their already strong advantage in the economic arena, and hammer the opposition with the criticism that they are hurting Americans by delaying the "rescue."

But the plan is a faulty one. It is a little better than what Treasury Secretary Paulson first proposed, but so what? Of course the Bush administration is going to take an extreme position, so that in the inevitable "compromise" they'll get more of what they want. Republicans are very good at that game. They've been doing it forever. However, compromising with an extremely bad bill results in just a very bad bill.

The "safeguards" that this celebrated "compromise" resulted in are not in any way sufficient. They rely on an oversight board picked by the president, for one thing. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said it best, in his speech on the floor regarding the final draft of the bailout bill:

"In the midst of all of this, we have a bailout package which says to the middle class that you are being asked to place at risk $700 billion, which is $2,200 for every man, woman, and child in this country. You're being asked to do that in order to undo the damage caused by this excessive Wall Street greed. In other words, the “Masters of the Universe,” those brilliant Wall Street insiders who have made more money than the average American can even dream of, have brought our financial system to the brink of collapse. Now, as the American and world financial systems teeter on the edge of a meltdown, these multimillionaires are demanding that the middle class, which has already suffered under Bush's disastrous economic policies, pick up the pieces that they broke. That is wrong, and that is something that I will not support.

"If we are going to bail out Wall Street, it should be those people who have caused the problem, those people who have benefited from Bush's tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, those people who have taken advantage of deregulation, those people are the people who should pick up the tab, and not ordinary working people. I introduced an amendment which gave the Senate a very clear choice. We can pay for this bailout of Wall Street by asking people all across this country, small businesses on Main Street, homeowners on Maple Street, elderly couples on Oak Street, college students on Campus Avenue, working families on Sunrise Lane, we can ask them to pay for this bailout. That is one way we can go. Or, we can ask the people who have gained the most from the spasm of greed, the people whose incomes have been soaring under president bush, to pick up the tab.

"I proposed to raise the tax rate on any individual earning $500,000 a year or more or any family earning $1 million a year or more by 10 percent. That increase in the tax rate, from 35 percent to 45 percent, would raise more than $300 billion in the next five years, almost half the cost of the bailout. If what all the supporters of this legislation say is correct, that the government will get back some of its money when the market calms down and the government sells some of the assets it has purchased, then $300 billion should be sufficient to make sure that 99.7 percent of taxpayers do not have to pay one nickel for this bailout."

The Ronald Reagan era is over, and if it's not, it's a shriveled up, slimy grotesque bottom-feeding swamp thing that deserves to be, to turn Grover Norquist's meaning around, "drowned in a bathtub." The only "trickling down" that's been happening is the rich pissing on the poor (and the middle class). What we need now is some "trickle UP" economics.

We need a new New Deal. That's "trickle-up" economics, and it has already proven itself. By creating programs to foster the type of economic growth we really need, we can at once solve many pressing problems AND put people to work. Right away, the economy would get back on its feet. For what IS the economy, if not fundamentally a function of how the population is doing in it's exchange of goods and labor?

Right away, people would have more to spend, as neighbors and relatives get work in the new green industries which would flourish with a little boost from the government. Right-wingers can no longer frighten people with the charge of "socialism" when it comes to these types of programs -- sorry, not after you cried so hard for $700 billion for your big-buck buddies. No, investing in our infrastructure will not "socialize" the country into a bunch of mindless commie reds -- it will simply be an investment -- remember that word? -- in ourselves, in our nation.

Now that the bill has passed, Congress must not allow our $700 billion to be squandered away by Paulson and his Wall Street money "experts." We must hold most of it back, until we get some sane leadership back in the White House, by electing Barack Obama. At that point, Obama must, I repeat, must, free himself from the old economic policies still held by his unfortunate pick of economic advisers, and, in his own words, "do the right thing" with our money.

Maybe then, we can finally, for real, "get the country back on track."

Railing on the Candidates

Palin for Queen

Palin just finished with the debate tonight, and let me just say, I'm a convert, she really sold me tonight. I think she's ready to be queen.

And queens don't need no stinkin' debate rules. You want to ask her this, she'll answer with that -- what America really needs to know -- about her, about McCain, and about the Republican commitment to families all across this great land, and we just need to reform the economy and get it back on track, and she'll do that, because she reformed Alaska, and Alaska has lots of resources there, you know, and it supplies energy for America, and it's close to Russia, so she knows about foreign policy there too.

She's a maverick's maverick, and when she's queen, she won't be just part of the executive, because there's flexibility there, and her administration would work with Congress and she'll make the most of that flexibility, you know, that was written in the constitution there. And gosh darn it, like the current maverick vice-president Cheney, she would be part of the legislative branch as well, and being the ever-confident reformer, she would likely find a way to be part of the judicial branch too, because America needs that kind of leadership. Heck, maybe she could sit in on the Supreme Court on important issues like abortion and freedom of the press, and what goes into our libraries.

The far left says she didn't even pay attention to the questions. But Palin didn't need to -- she answers to America. Because that's what the Straight Talk Express is all about. What with everything she said about this and about that, and freedom, tolerance, family and freedom and all those things, and that folksy charm, I just can't tell you. Yes, I think America saw our future matriarch tonight, and with the brood we saw on stage afterwards, her progeny could rule us for a long, long time. Long live the Queen!

She absorbed a lot of foreign policy experience from Kissinger, too, like passion. Oh, that Passion! That's what she brings, with a smile, and confidence, and ya know, along with John McCain, she'll bring pride back to America and a commitment to reform government, and get the government out of the way of the middle class, and help them purchase their own health care, not the feds health care, because we've seen what a mess the government makes of things -- mostly the fault of Democrats, dontcha know.

As far as an energy policy, that's her area of expertise. Her state provides 50% of the energy for the USA. We have to do all we can do to make this great land energy independent. Some in Congress don't want to tap into our own energy supplies, to feed these hungry markets. They should just get outa the way. And it's about a heckuva lot more, it's about America and our energy future.

And as the governor of Alaska, she feels global warming more than any state, because snow is melting there. Sure, other states are being hit by hurricanes, floods, droughts and killer tornadoes, but Alaska is close to the Arctic, and Russia too -- did I say that?

You want to talk economy? OK, she knows about that too. As governor, she is an executive and they are all about action, ya know. You see, the rescue plan has to reform Wall Street, and John McCain knows how to reform too, and they will stand up to the greed there. There have been more and more revelations made aware to Main Street, so we need to put politics aside -- even the campaign -- and we have to be more vigilant, so that the credit doesn't freeze up, for the middle class and Main Street, which she's from, cuz her and her mavericky secessionist husband have always been Main Streety and middle class and stuff.

And let's get back to the energy plan. Palin took on the oil companies, because of the greed of their CEOs, and they are not her biggest fans. She broke up those monopolies there, and that's her area of expertise -- energy. But don't worry, oil companies, she loves ya with that tough Alaskan-style love. And she has the energy, and will as Queen, to deal with the energy crisis and things there like that.

So, don't talk to me about specifics. Sure, Joe Biden knew about some things. I mean, you'd have to, hanging around the Senate all those years sucking up the taxpayer's money (after all those years collecting a government salary, maybe he's responsible for the huge debt). But this hockey mom brings energy and inspiration. Just look at how she smiles at the camera. Check out that cute wink and Alaskan accent. And the voice! Oh my, did you hear that voice?

Enough of this slow torture of the last two years of Democrat control! Republicans can veto and filibuster only so much. Stuff needs to get done. Palin is for a strong America, and is against the taxes Democrats would love to weaken the economy with. She is determined to change the tone in Washington, and wants to clean up Wall Street. Her and McCain know how to do it, and they will -- just trust them. It's time for reform, and what says reform more than a Queen Palin coronation? Just don't expect her to follow the rules.

The "Dangers of Debt" Cartoon Contest

The Consumers Union wants to encourage young people to talk about the Dangers of Debt. They are seeking submissions of editorial cartoons, from 18-25 year-olds, that speak to the "Dangers of Debt." Your cartoon can cover debt problems you've experienced, ones you know about from your family and friends, or the ones we are all reading about every day in the news. The deadline is Nov. 3rd. More information here.