Maverick or 90% of Bush?

i hate the GOP. If they win again, I'm leaving. Go collect the $25,000 in annual taxes you take from me elsewhere.

I keep wondering how that 90% statistic is relevant, since President Bush doesn't have a vote. Maybe the Dems are confusing some statistic with Obama voting "present" over 90 times.

Well at least McCain is only 90% voting with his party. Obama, who says he is for change, voted 98% with the Democratic establisment!

Reading all of these articles I'm finding that it sounds like some people weren't listening last night, or they just don't want to admit what they heard. Surely the Obama ads will be effective, since the democrats believe anything they see on TV, and anything their favorite movie star has to say. Good thing for them that the entertainment business is rich with uneducated people who don't exist in the real world on a daily basis. In addition, the media is truly disgusting at this point, so severely imposing their own personal opinions in what they write. The slants are so severe, that only the gullible democrat population can't detect it. Sad to see that the intelligence level in this country is still not what what I would hope. It's amazing we let the media have so much control.
I would love to see America elect the first black president, but this time isn't it. I WISH Obama had the qualifications. Perhaps he should go into the entertainment business or marketing/advertising from here.
I'm just about OVER reading this paper.

If the GOP takes $25,000 you'll love life under Obama, that will seem like chump change in his world. 90% fantasy land for the DNC!

If Obama wins, that "$25,000 in annual taxes you take from me" will be $30,000 - $35,000. Sorry, but I work way too hard for my money to support a government that is intent on giving it away to people that aren't interested in working hard for it. Why should I work so hard for someone else?

Given that the Democrats have been the opposition party the past several years, voting with them is voting for change.

Republicans honestly want to be rewarded for 8 years of failure? You had the presidency and took us to the place where we find ourselves today. Record deficit, 6000 american soliders dead and 40,000 seriously injured, high gas prices, economy on the verge of a recession. After all that you want to be rewarded with 4 more years? Give me a break.

I have been hearing for years about all of the left wing liberals in this country that are going to leave and it seems as if most of them are still here threatening to do so. Our country was built on the principle that if you do not like the elected officials then we can vote them out of office at the end of their term. The American people will have the opportunity to change the administration come this November. If the election does not pan out your way then as an American you are free to leave. good luck in Canada - sometimes the grass is not always greener on the other side. Some how I feel that you will still be living in the US even if Obama loses...

McCain is such a hypocrite.. He is buddy buddy with GW and now he is trying to separate himself? Even McCain doesn't want GW speaking at his convention. He can say whatever he wants, but he can't hide from his record..

I do wish Obama had more experience, however, by picking Palin as VP, McCain has shown he has no intention of crossing party lines.. If he really wants people to believe that, he shouldn't have picked a religious extremist as his running mate. Furthermore, it was incredibly irresponsible of him to pick someone who has absolutely no experience in national or international politics.. Republicans can spin all they want, but Palin doesn't know didley about international or national politics...

What ever happened to a media that reports the facts instead of this disgusting bias and support of a single party. I don't care if they supported one candidate or the other, it is simply disgusting and wrong. This rag (and the whole NY Times family - as well as Fox, The Washington Post and USA Today to mention a few) are a disgrace to the whole industry. No wonder they are losing readership (and elections... Hilary is the greatest thing ever... oh, Hilary isn't in the lead anymore? Then Obama is the greatest thing ever... WE AREN'T STUPID).

First they praise Hilary for being a woman and a mom and a candidate, then they slam Palin for being a woman and a mom and a candidate. I smell hypocrisy at an extremely level here.

To #6 "goodbyejoe" Do you even know what Obama's or McCain's proposals are regarding taxes? Republicans are full of lies and try to mislead everyone. The fact is that the vast majority of Americans will pay much less taxes under Obama than under McCain.. Go educate yourself a little before you vote.

To those who don't seem to understand the very difficult numbers:

90%, meaning that 90% of the time he supported Bush's position. (Bush does not need a vote for us to know what his position is - he has spokesmen to tell us.) The reason this is bad is that Bush is almost always wrong.

Because McCain's policy positions have been consistently either wrong, or the opposite of what voters want, he doesn't talk about policy any more. Neither does Palin, who has no policy positions except for social conservatism.

Palin also has basically no qualifications. Read about what she did in Alaska and in her town - raised taxes, ran up debt, made bad business decisions (e.g. the Matanuska dairy debacle) and fired anybody who disagreed with her. McCain's people need to talk about her being (technically) in charge of the Alaska National Guard to come up with anything that can be considered foreign policy experience - which is just silly. There's no foreign policy involved in that.

The McCain campaign has become a joke.

The people who insist that Obama is going to raise everyone's taxes are falling for the same old Republican rhetoric. True, Obama will probably raise taxes, but only for the very wealthy in the highest tax brackett, for whom the increase will be a drop in the bucket. The current tax structure favors the wealthy while the middle class, who arguably work the hardest for less, pay more taxes than the 5% of highest earners. That is fundamentally wrong. Everyone needs to pull their weight. Saying you work too hard to give away your money in taxes doesn't cut it. If you want to live in the free world, you have to pay for it. Sad but true.

You have already given away any future tax increases. These will be to pay for the record breaking deficit the Republicans are leaving for their wars and benefits to big business!

Thanks to the Republicans who posted on this site. You did a good job following the talking points and staying on message. Not transparent at all.

No matter what party you support, you may easy sense WHO has been done better for Massachusetts: Romney or Patrick? Don't lie to your selfand your familty and your friends.

At least Romney fixed the state budget deficit without new tax; Patrick bring huge deficit. Even Damasi and Menino call Patrick a disaster govenor.

Fact is we have lost thousands of lives in IRAQ that could have been better served elsewhere. Gas and oil prices are through the roof. Economy is worse today than it was when Bush took the whitehouse. Families are not better off today versus when the Clintons were in the whitehouse. Deficit is through the rof as well. Now tell me why I should continue to vote republican?

Charming as she may seem, Sarah Palin is just George W Bush in a skirt. With John McCain's advanced age and history of health problems, this ticket is not an option.

maybe he used to be a maverick, but the last thing he did on his own was choose his vp. his time has come and gone. WE DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS.

If McCain is "90% of Bush," then Barack Obama is 100% of Jimmy Carter! America, don't make the mistake of voting for Democratic Party policies that failed in the late 1970's! And once we get these bumbs out of Congress, then we can address the mortgage crisis, the economic crisis, and the energy crisis that ALL OCCURED ON THE DEMOCRATS WATCH in the 2 short years they have controlled Congress! Be careful what you wish for America...you only have yourselves to blame for the problems we face since you voted control of Congress to the Democrats!

I personally think McCain has hots for Palin..

he needs a motivation to stay awake and work late in the night..

On the other side, I think Palin is better then Mitt, Rudy, and other psychos in the republication VP list.

Actually for most Americans under McCain's plan you will be paying more taxes:

The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.

If you people think your taxes won't go up under a Barack Obama regime, then you are stupid! Anyone making over $40,000 will be forced to fork over their hard-earned paycheck to people who don't want an education, don't want a job, or are an illegal alien. Talk about destroying the "American Dream." I for one do not want to punish hard working honest people who play by the rules by voting for a Democrat!

I was taxed more under Bush than I ever was under Clinton. I have the forms from my accountant to prove this.

This myth that all dems do is raise taxes is such BS it makes me sick. I wont lie. I made around 50,000 p /year and under Bush the gov took WAY WAY WAY too much. Under clinton I flourished and my taxes were much much lower than they are now. And I am talking about Fed taxes not the state.

I have the facts to prove this. So I do not need McCain to tell me My taxes will go up. I have my accountant and w4 and whatever to prove it. I was heavily taxed under the Bush administration. FAR MORE THAN I EVER WAS UNDER CLINTON. the number do not lie

And stop calling all Dems lazy. I have been working since I was 14 years old and never recieved a hand-out EVER! So stop spreading your GOP lies.

I know the real truth, I was taxed far more over the last 8 years than I ever was during Clinton, its fact, not fiction. I still have all my tax forms to prove this BUT i sure as hell am not posting them here:)

Stop scaring the public into thinking all Dems raise taxes BECAUSE ITS A LIE! Bush destroyed me having any chance of saving these past few years because my taxes where so damn high!!

Let's face it! Does it really matter who gets in? The bottom line is that unless the also have the advantage in both the House and the Senate it is going to be same old same status quo!

To MRKleen2002: The republicans took us to where we are today???? Are you kidding???? From DAY 1 Bush was left with an absolute mess. A terrorist attack, as Clinton had his mind and other things elsewhere, and so much more. I know so many of my fellow small business owners and retailers --you name it-- who have suffered and gone out of business directly as a result of SEPTEMBER 11th, with declining sales from that day on. This was dropped in Bush's lap. People are so naive to think that a president's job performance can have no long term effect. In fact, by the same token, just because you democrats are not happy with the present situation, doesn't mean it doesn't take TIME to correct an economy. I'm not saying Bush did everything right, but Clinton sure left him with a challenge, after he coasted on the great economy left by his predecessor. Regarding the war: this war has always been a tough situation, but we can't give up. We have to be persistent. Persistence will bring good results. Perhaps the democrats should have a bit more of an attention span...

We have been taxed more under Bush than under most of the Democrats who have held office. In addition, the budget surplus that the previous administration had created is gone. The government is borrowing from foreign powers; the middle class has disappeared; two incomes aren't enough; the constitution is in tatters; our savings are eroding; the separation of church and state is disappearing.; we believed a lie that got us into a war trying to bring democracy to a tribal people....and you really want another 8 years of this?

pls go to www.obamataxcut.com

and see how your taxes will be affected by their respecitve plans...

What was dropped into Bush's lap was security briefings that he chose to ignore (something like --bin ladin intends to use planes as missles to attack U.S buildings). His incoming admin laughed at the Clinton admin and their obsession with B. L. during the transfer of power. But W was cute when he looked under his desk for the WMD's. Name ONE thing his Admin got right. Clinton coasted on Bush Sr's economy? Sr must have been a one term wonder!

Palin's National Guard faces a crisis:

The Alaska National Guard, which Republicans are pointing to as an important national-security credential for vice presidential choice Sarah Palin, is the most poorly staffed in the nation. Air Force Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, the Alaska Guard's top officer, warned in an internal memo 6 months ago that that "missions are at risk." The lack of qualified airmen has reached a crisis level." That could result in missions and equipment being moved out of Alaska.
The Alaska Air Guard has only 84 percent of its assigned positions filled, the lowest rating in the country.
Overall, the Alaska National Guard has about 3,800 troops in its air and ground units. Under state control, the Guard's frequent duties are minor and routine operations. For example on Monday this week, Guard soldiers had to transport a woman with an eye injury to Nome for medical treatment. A few days earlier, Guard airmen rescued a man after his plane went down in a spruce bog 57 miles southeast of Galena. And in late July, the Guard was called in to a help a man who'd fallen off the roof of his cabin in the Brooks Range Mountains. On the mainland US such duties are handled by Fire Departments, volunteer firemen or Emergency Medical Technicians.

So much for appealing to the moderates in the middle. The McCain ticket has swung far to the right, and is using the same dirty PR tricks as the current administration.

While McCain seemed like a man of good character a year ago and appealed to swing voters, now he is just looking like another politician using dirty tricks to manipulate the media and the American public. Maybe this would have worked 8 years ago, but AMERICANS are tired of dirty tricks, meaningless "talking points" and distracting tabloid-ish stories.

Talk about the issues.
Tell us what you stand for.
We don't care to hear any more fluff and opponent slamming.
Tell us what you will do for US, the American people

Please!

This just in:

"McCain vows to end partisan rancor in Washington"

Yeah it sure seemed like there was no "partisan rancor" last night!

MomforMcCain - do yourself a favor and lay off the crack. Here are some FACTS from the Wall St Journal of all places - Bill Clinton left office with the longest economic boom in US history still intact. The unemployment rate dropped by half, to 4%, a 40-year-low, and 22 million new jobs were created, the most jobs ever created under a single Administration -- and more new jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush created during their three terms. 91% were created in the PRIVATE SECTOR, the larges increase in 50 years. In 1992 -George Bush Sr. left the US with a Federal budget deficit of $290 billion - the LARGEST dollar deficit in American history. In January 1993, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a $211 billion surplus for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a $211 billion surplus for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a $211 billion surplus for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a $211 billion surplus for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. Budget is now projecting a $211 billion surplus for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a $211 billion surplus for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a $211 billion surplus for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation

Lets set the record straight. Obama will tax everyone MORE. Not less.
CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples) McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales

How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN 15% (no change)

OBAMA 39.6%

How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN (no changes)

Single making 30K - tax $4,500 Single making 50K - tax $12,500 Single making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 60K- tax $9,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750 Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA
(reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts) Single making 30K - tax $8,400 Single making 50K - tax $14,000 Single making 75K - tax $23,250 Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 125K - tax $38,750

Under Obama your taxes will more than double! How does this affect you? No explanation needed. This is pretty straight forward.

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax

How does this affect you? Many families have lost businesses, farms and ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will not only lose them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY OBAMA

* New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet

* New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)

* New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)

* New taxes on retirement accounts and last but not least....

* New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

Sources and further reading:

On Taxes, Obama, McCain Have Many Key Differences
Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2008

Whose Tax Plan Is Better for You? Obama vs. McCain
Chicago Sun-Times, 30 June 2008

McCain and Obama on Tax Reform
Business Week, 23 June 2008

How McCain and Obama Will Change Your Tax Bill
CNN, 11 June 2008

Keith #21 said - "And once we get these bumbs out of Congress, then we can address the mortgage crisis, the economic crisis, and the energy crisis that ALL OCCURED ON THE DEMOCRATS WATCH in the 2 short years they have controlled Congress!"

Yes, that's right Keith, all of those issues were caused in the last two years.

My God.

Can any Republican honestly say that the last 8 years have been good? Can any Republican honestly tell us what John McCain will do differently from what George Bush has done? If John McCain does anything different than what Bush is doing - I'll eat my hat.

McSame offered ideas - old ideas that do not work. But he didn't offer many ideas and they were put on our plate like a stack of cold rubbery pancakes, unappetizing no matter how much syrup you put on them. McSame and the Republicans are irrelevant to the future of this country. They are done. Even if John McSame wins the election, he will merely be a footnote on the march to a progressive century. He showed us in his speech at the convention that he wants to be president because he thinks it is his turn. He like the idea of reform but what is he going to reform? He wants to change washington back to the way it was when George W. Bush was President from 2000 to 2008. Palin? Everyone got that one right. Including her. She is just lipstick on a bulldog, or something else.

Just reading this now. Seems quite slanted to the left but I guess that is where spare time resides.