Cindy the Beer Vendor?

How do you think most of these large companies got started? They begin small, become successful and get large - that’s part of the American Dream… If we the people continue to purchase the cheapest products we can find – then we’ll continue to fuel China’s economy and put more American workers and companies out of business – don’t blame government on where you spend your money. If we continue to Tax small business we’ll continue to lose jobs. It’s pretty simple – why don’t we start rewarding the entrepreneur and stop penalizing the individual that has the guts to take the risk and create something like jobs. Also, do you really believe Democrats are going to give 95% of us tax breaks? I’m sure Speaker Pelosi will have something to say about it.

Let’s stop being mediocre and get back to what has made this country great. Why can’t we see articles that are more specific instead of the quick criticism? This is Political Intelligence.

John McCain has also introduced America to Ashley the Cut Nut Race Baiter.

Every business looks small when you're throwing around 700 billion bucks; no wonder the confusion! And if you can't remember the number of houses you own, what's small business?

Astounding.

I need a small income like that!

mccain has got to be kidding. are people really believing his make believe alter-reality made for t.v. campaign? people can't be this naive? ignorant?

these rich people will seriously say anything and do anything just to save themselves an extra million dollars every year under mccain's tax plan. this is disgusting.

As long as the Joe "Six Packs" keep drinkin' Bud Light, (or Miller Lite) , the economy has nothing to fear. I wonder if Cheney and his hunting pals downed a few well chilled Busch's before taking to the hunt?

Cindy only made 4.2 billion last year; McCain said it showed that the economy was affecting all of us. I guess that puts her under the $5 million "cap" that McCain considers middle class.

They're just delusionary. They all live in a parallel universe, poor souls.

. . . "and I'd also like to introduce Mr. Bill Gates - a small business owner who makes "small" computers . . ." --- We are now witness to the emerging of a new American religious party --- The American Taliban.

Perhaps the late Will Rogers would not mind if John McCain used one of his quotes as his new campaign slogan

"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?" -- Will Rogers

He also asked the crowd of Coloradans, "How many of you have ever been to South Carolina?" As the 'after the lovin' crowd registered the question, and the applause faded, he moved on with, "come back, spend money, 'BAILOUT', come back."

This is fizzle and die after Bush's appeal to spend money after 9-11

these people are ridiculus! i understand why all the richies are afraid of obama, but how can so many people living in trailors buy into this?

I am Mary. the exterminator from the suddenly important and longtime provincial state of Pa. Pittsburgh,Pa.,to be exact. Although I actually own a small business and have paid my taxes and am a 57 yr. old white woman who has been an ardent supporter of Obama since July,07, no one has asked my opinion, I have no book deals to look forwad to and can't imagine running for congress. I do know that I would be better off financially with Obama's tax plan and even more important, I believe that I, America and the rest of the world need a person who is deeply intelligent, pragmatic ,full of energy, and open to a vision and ideas that belong to 21stcentury

Absolutely no comment as I pick my teeth up off the floor! Except that I'm so ready for this fiasco to be over with!

McCain seems so out of touch, in so many ways.

Well, McCain does define middle class as less than $5 million, so I guess this is the oligarch...I mean, Republican view of a small business

I also know two small businessmen, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

Do they honestly think they'll get away with this? That no-one has the ability to check out these people? Or are the Republicans just blatant liars who really don't care about the truth?

Uhhh, no comment required.

Time to throw the bums out I say!!! 8 years of GOP bad luck. And now we have been pumped and dumped. Do not play butler to these slobs. Start an American renaissance instead! Remake America. President Obama!!!

I guess we...the poor....do not understand what the middle class truly is! I thought my $75,000 a year was a blessing. Now I realize I would need to make $75 million/year to be middle class by John McCain's standards and $75 Billion/year to make me rich. OK, now that I understand where he is coming from I am can truly agree....."SENATOR! YOU DON'T GET IT!!!!!"

Who are these people kidding? You don't have to be rich, greedy, stupid, bigoted, or white to be a Republican, but it surely helps.

Doesn't it? Really?

And how does this "negative" blog post make you a virtuous economic mover, Sasha? I will assume that the "article" is so short because you had something productive to do, rather than making unfounded statements such as "leaving no mogul or tycoon behind..." Based on your logic, McCain considers Warren Buffet a small business owner..

I am not a McCain supporter, but I'm also completely against Obama's socialist values regarding health care and taxes. What is fundamentally wrong with working extremely hard and being rewarded for it? If you fall for Obama's "spread the wealth around" pitch, you must not be very successful. You could have made it, but you were either too lazy or you were content with doing what you do for a living, and why should that entitle you to the earnings of someone with greater ambition?

Clearly the current economic crisis is favorable for Obama, as "average" America will blame the current Republican administration for the collapse, but the most significant catalyst that led to this problem can be traced back to the Democratic party members of the Senate Banking Committee in 2005, and it was a classic case of "spread the wealth around". The Republicans proposed a bill tightening regulations on the amount of mortgage-backed securities that Fannie and Freddie can hold on their balance sheets, which would have decreased demand for these securities, and loan originators would have responded by decreasing the amount of sub-prime loans made available. The Democrats in the committee all voted against the bill, while the Republicans all voted for it, however it never made it to the Senate for a vote without any support from the Democrats. Senator Obama voted "present", though he made a speech around the same time foreseeing the problems that this type of lending would create, yet he couldn't confront his party and act in the best interests of America. The Democrats were happy to keep letting unqualified people buy houses, and now those people can't pay for their houses, and the rest of us are paying tenfold.

I expect the recession to last well into 2009 if not 2010, and unfortunately neither of the presidential candidates have proposed a plan or even ideas that could be implemented to help "fix" the markets... Obama wants to raise the corporate tax rate pushing more jobs out of America, while simultaneously taking away incentives for job creation by increasing the tax rate of the people who work so hard to create jobs. McCain hasn't proposed anything but lower taxes, which may stimulate the economy slightly, yet he has made no feasible proposals of much needed reforms to the regulatory system that governs the markets, other than his "deregulation" rants in a time of much needed regulatory reform. Speaking of reform, at least Obama acknowledges the fact that this is an issue, yet he has given no indication of his definition of the word, other than the lack of leadership he demonstrated in 2005 with his "present" vote for the mortgage lending reform issue I mentioned above...

Sorry for my long-winded rant, but at least people who look at this "blog post" can leave with some stimulating arguments, rather than agreeing/disagreeing with a biased opinion bolstered by unfair rhetoric and two minutes of research on Yahoo Finance. Ron Paul for president!!

And lets not forget George the President, and Dick the Vice President, and Rummy the warmonger and Alberto the Lawyer.........

That John Sidney McCain III is in favor of the "middle class" worker is so ludicrous and patronizing, it hurts. Does he really feel the pain? He owns seven homes. Can he understand "bread and butter" issues? He has 13 cars. Does he really understand that insurance premiums are going through the roof? He wants to tax them. His is and has always been the "cushy" lifestyle -- he is married to a multi-millionairess. So get off the plumber, boat builder, small business person, kick, JSMcCain III, and confess to the fact that what you know is BIG business and who you want to consort with are the company CEO's, NOT the company workers.

Yep, just anothr perfect example of how out of touch with us middle class folks the MCCain/Palin ticket is.

Give me a break the GOP is all about taking care of the wealthy. We need a new direction.

Thanks Obama/Biden, go dems.

Yikes - Out of touch with reality - how sad -

This pretty much confirms Obama's contention that McCain just doesn't get it.

I'm canvassing all weekend, just to make sure the Obama and Biden Cleaning Crew gets in. We have a LOT of work ahead of us!

I bet all the McCain supporters making less than $250K/year will still eat this up! LMAO!

Okay - so if these are smal businesses I wonder what the GOP make of mum and dad shops? - or even if they exist in the GOP universe.

So out of touch and plenty insulting.

For the life of me, I really wanted Obama to call McCain to the mattresses on his line, "...small business accounts for 50% of the taxable business revenue..."

This is exactly what he's been doing all along. Apparently, in McCainland, any business making under $500,000,000 a year is a small business. Shameless.

I'm getting really p'o(d). I make twice what I made ten years ago, and my debt level hasn't really gone up or down, it's just comprised of different things. But I actually have less disposable income at the end of the month than I did ten years ago when I made half what I do now. Anyone else experience this?

I guess J. Robert Long and Cindy could be considered small business owners if the only think you take into account is the amount of the deficit. Hundreds of millions of dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to several trillion.
So, I guess everything is relative.
And it would be nice to have a relative like J. Robert and Cindy--you know, just so they could tell me how to avoid paying the taxes I pay to support their "small businesses".

When all your freinds are worth 50 Million or more then that becomes "Middle Class"

What are the Republicans smoking? Oy.

Just wanted to get this comment in before the requisite right-wing sludge that deluges these boards. Look people, no one likes it when you're frothing at the mouth. Sorry you're so angry. Why don't you get some exercise, or take a nice walk?

Maybe McCain would like to meet Bill the Math teacher and Julie the Realtor. I would like to look him straight in the eyes and do a little straight talk begining with the fact that Obama is getting both our votes and looking forward to election night when McCain the Robot man and Sara the Fake can finally once and for all just shut-up!
Proud Ohio Democrats

Is It me or are mcbush and serah' buy me a dress palin' beginning to look like the shady bad guys in a B movie.See the interview with Brian Williams on NBC.

It's true. Government may give tax breaks to move factories and jobs overseas but if WethePeople refuse to buy those products those jobs would come back to America. Hopeully my choice, Barack Obama will make that part of his point as President.

I suppose when you have 7 homes and 13 cars a $67M business is pretty small potatoes. However if you're like the real small business I work for, it's a different story. Unfortunately, this and other items only point to the vast disconnect between the McCain view of the world and the world as it really is.

Lucky us (taxpayers) now Cindy McCain can get a loan from the Small Business Administration.

How many small businesses do you think are going to be started when nobody in the middle class has money to buy their products or use their services?

I am still trying to understand why McSame wanted his wife to be a contestant in the nude beauty pageant at the biker rally. And why the old fart dropped the "C" word in a rally a couple of days ago. What;s next, and F-bomb? Will he call Obama the "N" word?

He's taking the 'small business' description from the SBA I guess. The whole Joe the Plumber thing is completely asinine. Yes, of course large businesses grow from small ones, but I think the 'small business' most people I know think of tends to have revenue under - way under $67 million. The local florist, tire shop (yes there are some independents), convenience store, hardware store, cafe, chocolate shop, plumber (!!!) are very likely over the moon if they're in the $250,000 range.

Surprise, Surprise. This is just a continuation of the Bush/NeoCon policy of "Call it what it is not" to sway those who don't pay close attention to what is going on. McCain is the new King of the Hipocites.

To the first poster:

Yes, I do believe that taxes will be cut for 95% of Americans. Every independent examination of Obama's tax plans come to the same conclusion.

So, the fact is that Obama's tax plan will give more breaks to those people with "the guts to take the risk and create something like jobs".

Stop blathering such nonsense and look at the facts.

McCain has been caught in so many lies, it's amazing that you buy what he's selling.

Independent is right that most large businesses started small; as they grow, they create jobs and opportunities. And if Independent listened--really listened--he'd hear Obama saying the same thing. Small businesses aren't going to be taxed more. The people going to be taxed more--are, more accurately, are going to be taxed at the rate they were before President Bush's incredibly effective economic policy--are those in the top 5% of wage-earners. It's amazing to me that large businesses all want to be treated like small business, and want exemptions for every little expense, and never want to give back to the community and government that helped them get started. That's just plain greed. Independent wants to "get back to" what made this country great. Well, what made this country great wasn't greed. It was a sense of doing what was best for the national interest.

If you have 13? houses, your VP spends 150k on some clothes, your wife spends 800k on an outfit, and you have all these exotic cars, of course 67mil is a "small business". Don't forget all those past divorces when you were out fiddling with other men's wives-the settlement money-that can eat away at your wallet fast.

Independent soon to be republican nailed the problem right on the head, then drew the exact wrong conclusion. Obama is not going to tax small business any more than the current rates. That is easily proven by the policy plans put forth on his web site. McCain, however, will force small business to pay payroll taxes on health care benefits. My small business can't afford this, which means I will need to drop my health care plan, and might lose my employees because of it. Also, I have no idea where I am going to get health care for my family, especially with my wife's pre-existing condition. I am totally screwed if McCain is elected and this proposal passes.

Mc

The tax rate for larg(er) businesses was 39% under the Clinton Administration. Obama is proposing returning to that rate.There were plenty of jobs, and no complaints during the Clinton Admin. Companies who invest revenue back into their company, by hiring workers, (etc) actually get TAX BREAKS. That will not change under Obama's plan. Obama also proposes raising the child credit and college credit. That means even people making more than $250k per year could get more of a deduction! Stop believing all the rhetoric and read for yourself. Obviously, the track we are on now isn't working. Unemployment is up almost 7%, and even Bush says it is going to get worse before it gets better.

Tell you what, I make a few million a year and I'm voting for Obama because we need to accomplish two things:

1. Reduce the national debt. Russian has no national debt. Neither does New Zealand and a few other countries. We use to have land wars. Now we'll have credit wars. Being in debt 10-Trillion dollars can kill us, economically.

2. Reduce the gap between the very wealthy, and everyone else. A democracy cannot function when there is such a great economic disparity between its citizens.

Chris, I just want to point out how very wrong you are. Obama does not want to socialize healthcare at all. Apparently, you don't know what socialism is and/or you don't understand his plan. I suggest you read it. Nothing he is trying to do is socialist and nothing is in place to penalize people for doing well. Perhaps you are unaware that we have had graduated tax rates in place for quite some time now. This is not a new thing. Because of the ridiculous spending including this unnecessary war, we have a huge deficit. McCain seems to think he can close it in 4 years by reigning in spending and not raising taxes. He is smoking his socks. Giving tax breaks to the middle class per Obama’s plan will enable them to spend more which will allow businesses to grow. Frankly, if businesses have no revenue, taxes will be somewhat of a non-issue. Lastly, Obama has proposed a tax break for the creation of jobs in the US. McCain, under the other hand, wants to keep giving corporations tax breaks and allowing them to ship jobs overseas. Trickle-down economics does not work in a global economy. We put more money in the hands of the wealthy and they create jobs – they sure do – in India and China and Vietnam. This plan did not work under Bush and it will not work under McCain. You are wrong but it’s looking like we won’t have to find out the hard way.

to Chris and Independent soon to be a republican - -First - Chris - I appreciate that you have your values. Sticking with Ron Paul, though I disagree, shows that you have intelligently thought through the arguments. Ron Paul would have made this much closer - in fact, it would have been very difficult to predict as he had a strong base that crossed lines.

To independent soon to be a republican - you are kidding me right....you fall for the schemes that McCain is putting out there!!! All Obama is doing is RESTORING the tax code for the wealthy to what it was under Clinton. He is doing what McCain said we SHOULD do before he completely lost his morals and sense of direction.

Yes - small businesses grow up to be big businesses - but I don't understand how a 3% - THREE PERCENT - increase in taxes is going to kill them ...especially given all the tax loopholes that keep their taxes low ANYWAYS!!! You should become educated in tax policy before you make such comments!!

"Yes - small businesses grow up to be big businesses - but I don't understand how a 3% - THREE PERCENT "

Most small businesses fail there first year. Most rich people actually inherited their wealth hence why they support corporate and rich welfare since they know they could never make enough money on their own to support their rich lifestyles.

98% of small business owners make less then a quarter million dollars a year. Obama's tax plan actually benefit small business owners more then McCain's who would tax them more and give millions in tax breaks to companies making billions in profit.

Why do people keep saying they need to give money to companies to keep jobs in the states? This is corporate welfare that doesn't work. The company takes that money and gives it as a bonus to it's execs and moves the jobs out of the country. Instead of giving money to these companies lets charge them a lot more tax if they move jobs out of the country. In a Democratic presidancy far more jobs are created by companies who get taxed more and find their loopholes closed. Add in a democratic congress and the rate of job increase and the economy drastically increases in productivity.

You have to spend money to make money and taxes encourage these corporations to try grow their business actually grow it.

Also wealth goes upward not downward. If you give money to the middle class who earns less then 250,000 dollars they can spend more, pay their bills, get more health care, afford to send their children off to a better education. More trained workers enter the workforce, more products are bought, the middle class gets less stressed from bills pilling up, the wealthy get more money since the money from the middle class goes up to them and some of the middle class get up to the upper class.

"If we continue to Tax small business we’ll continue to lose jobs."

Funny how the republicans tax the small businesses far more then the Democrats. If a company cannot survive paying 900 dollars more in taxes per year then they were already in massive debt and run by incompetance.

As someone who designs boats for one of the top boat makers in the industry...I can tell you that I work with Bob and his son and Marine Concepts is no small company at all, but they do good work.

SOCIALIST.... the new dirty word. When will this country wake up and see that....
1) Social Security is socialism ( I will never get back even one half of what I pay in barring I don't live to 100)
2) We have nationalized our banking system which is a primary tenent of socialist society
3) and what about the healthcare our seniors receive, isn't that socialism...do you think the seniors that consume those expensive drugs and get operations ever paid into the system those dollars? (By the way I think it is good that they are covered and it should be 100%)

WAKE UP.... look it up the effective tax rate in Italy, Germany, and France. IT IS LESS THAN OURS when you count state and local taxes (school taxes ets.) AND in Europe

1) the univerisity system is paid for by taxation and based on merit....that way you don't just have sons of doctors and lawyers and the wealthy dominating the professions

2) medical professionals are employed by the state and medical care is paid for by taxes...I don't want to hear how "bad " it is.. I lived in Italy for two years. My Father in- law, 83 years old, has suffered a series of strokes and his doctor has MADE HOUSE CALLS at least 5 times (once on Sunday). He has been and is hospitalized without hesitation....and they live longer than us....and he can go into a long term care facility without giving up his home

3) We are proud of the Family Medical leave Act which guarentees that you can take some time off for certain conditions In Europe maternity leave is paid time off

We are already socialists with none of the benefits WHY

1) for the most part Jefferson's nightmare has become true. Our population is undereducated and ignorant. As a result, we have lost our democracy. Most people cannot even figure out what is in its their own best economic interest

Eisenhower said it best...In my county the largest private employer is a defense contractor and all many of our best minds spend their time figuring out how to make more lethal weapons

.....Covered enough bases for ya...you betcha
Solutions

Cut the defense budget
GOT PATRIOTISM... BUY AMERICAN if all of you drove an Amercian made car (even a Japanese car made in the US) there would be no recession. Did you know that computers and clothes are still made in the USA as well...go on the web and find them and buy them. The job you save may well be your own.

GOD BLESS THIS LAND THAT I LOVE... I HOPE IT IS NOT TO LATE

Have you noticed? John McCain still doesn't get it!

To the "independent soon to be republican" You and John McCain both are confusing the tax plans that are being discussed. Obama's plan is a personal tax plan that taxes individuals who take home $200,000 and up! It makes me sick how things are twisted. McCain keeps pushing this crap until people like you who don't read both platforms get the facts twisted. Do your research please PEOPLE!

McInsane just keeps 'em coming...

And McMoose-Shooter-150K-Shopper is right behind him w/ the hypocrisy....

Nov 4 cannot be close enough!

Bush & Co. took us to the Cleaners. What could be more appropriate, than, for McCain & Co. to hang us out to dry!

This is not surprising. These are the same people who say $300,000 is a middle class income. Some of our TV anchorman (Charlie Gibson for instance) also think that they belong in the middle class.

On the other hand, there is Joe the Plumber - barely makes $40,000 and is worried about taxes that Warren Bufffet will have to pay in an Obama administration.

Republicans at all levels are just plain weird,

I hope all of you out there who hate "socialists" will take care to examine the socialism in their every day lives before the use it as a slur. Our highways, our hospitals, our police and fire departments, our churches, are all "socialist" institutions. Look up the word "socialist" and see what it means! You use it as a slur, a way to denigrate others, when in fact it is a positive attribute. Remember that the word "anti-social" IS a slur, so think about that!

"How do you think most of these large companies got started? They begin small, become successful and get large - that’s part of the American Dream…"

And that dream has been stifled for eight long years by a tax system that benefits people on top instead of giving the small guy a break.

Nice try, but the shell game is DEAD. Now bury it.

A small business is generally defined as a business with under 100 employees. If Wellcraft marine reported $67 million in revenues, their net income may only be a few million dollars, and I would venture to guess they have under 100 employees. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU WRITE A STORY! That is a small business!

wow, so anybody making less than $250K per year is a failure?! Most doctors and lawyers don't make that much. Are most doctors and lawyers simply lazy and lack ambition and don't work hard enough and are failures at life? (Last time I checked, being a doctor who makes $100K to $200K was considered pretty successful and quite desirable.) But I guess nowadays, unless you're a socialist, that doctor is a total failure.
If doctors and lawyers are such abject failures, what about teachers and police officers? Teachers and police officers must be totally worthless and the scum of the earth!
Seriously, I don't think it's socialism to value teachers and police officers. If you live in a society where teachers and police officers and the like are considered failures, then I think there's something wrong with your society. You can't have successful businesses if you don't have good teachers and good police officers, etc. (It takes a village, I guess) And you can't have good teachers and police officers if your society treats such people as failures. It's just as important to the economy as capital.
Now I know McCain doesn't feel teachers and police officers are failures, but a lot of the people screaming "socialism" over Obama's plan clearly do. These people somehow continue to think they are some kind of economic experts despite their ideology having been blown out of the water the past 8 years, but I guess that's how ideologists work. Communists and actual socialists had the exact same sort of trouble letting go when the Soviet Union failed.

You know the irony of this is that Joe "the plumber" will pay less tax under Obama's plan than McCain, even if he bought that company he was talking about.

He will have a lower tax than McCain for the first $250K and then the higher tax above that amount. He even confessed that he misunderstood the Obama tax plan and I guess he realized now he would be better off under it.

Not that I think it would change his vote, he is a registered Republican, nor will the realty change the McCain spin.

Independent and always was a Conservative @ "If we continue to Tax small business we’ll continue to lose jobs."

Let's not stop at half measures shall we? Let us cut all the taxes to zero and REFUND everyone all that taxes they have paid the last twenty years. The economy should explode with the all the money that will inject and government revenues will soar.

There is a definition of small business. Its less than 20 employees. If these people have that then fine call them small businesses. But we all know that a CEO of a major company is not a small business person, even if they once were. A last and desperate McCain ploy to try and demonstrate he's an average person, however its just more and more lies.

As far as buying stuff cheap. I can't afford the expensive stuff. I can't buy Budweiser when I only have enough for Milwaukee's Best.

"Let's not stop at half measures shall we? Let us cut all the taxes to zero and REFUND everyone all that taxes they have paid the last twenty years. The economy should explode with the all the money that will inject and government revenues will soar."

If this is Satire then you should indicate it better because there are yahoos who honestly believe that.

"Not that I think it would change his vote, he is a registered Republican, nor will the realty change the McCain spin."

Last it was reported Joe whose real name is Sam is not registered to vote nor is even licensed. He is a lying sack of crap who got picked up because his father in law has connections to McCain. People who watch his talk with Obama wonder why the hell it's become an issue since Obama answered everything he got asked about.

"Communists and actual socialists had the exact same sort of trouble letting go when the Soviet Union failed."

Actual Socialism has nothing to do with Communism heck for that matter the Soviet Union and other countries had nothing to do with real Communism. There is a reason it's called Stalism and Maoism. Marx would have disowned the Communists.

The vast majority of small businesses would benefit under Obama's tax plan and the ones who didn't a mere three percent isn't going to hurt them.

J Robert Long is the CEO of Marine Concepts.
J Robert Long spent MOST of his career at Wellcraft Marine, which reported revenues of $67 million last year.

How do the company's revenues that J Robert spent MOST of his career at have ANYTHING to do with the revenue of the company he started (Marine Concepts)?

This sounds like a story of an employee leaving his (successful) long term employer to start his own company.....aka the American Dream! I wish him well.....to everyone else, perhaps a class in reading comprehension?
________________________________________________
On Thursday in Sarasota, Governor Charlie Crist introduced J. Robert Long, the CEO of Marine Concepts as a "small businessman." The man McCain dubbed "Bob the Boat Builder" spent, as Crist noted, most of his career at Wellcraft Marine, which reported revenues of $67 million last year, according to Yahoo! Finance.

Are the America people ever going to wake up? I used to work at Prudential-Bache in the early 90s, late 80s. Wall St. was all about "fiat money" then and continues to be so now. I've maintained that if people ever read "The Creature From Jekyll Island" about how the Federal Reserve got started there'd be a revolution tomorrow. We are being played people.

To my conservative friends:
Hi.
Nice to see you again.
You might remember us.

We're the ones who didn't let the terrorists win. We don't believe we should change our way of life because some madman with a weapon succeeded. We will put the mad dogs down, but we will not give up who we are out of fear.

We're the people who think maybe violence shouldn't be the first response. Maybe there are alternatives, sometimes.

We are the people who don't mind paying into a system that benefits everyone else as well instead of just ourselves. We know sometimes it’s just bad luck that gets people down, and not always laziness.

We're the guys who think you can give people in need a hand - without it being a hand-out.

We're the folk who don't think you should be judging people by the color of their skin, their religion or the culture in which they were raised.

We don't think the government belongs in our bedrooms, listening on our telephones, or collecting our emails. We don't think the government should be interfering and making medical decisions for us. These are things that frighten us as much if not more than the government making laws about gun ownership.

We're the people who will defend Bristol Palin's choice. And we know it is a choice, and we will make sure that it remains a choice.

Because of these beliefs, we're also the people you guys have been demonizing for eight years. For quite some time, you've been calling us terrorist-lovers and anti-Americans and surrender monkeys. We've put up with it - free speech and all that, and usually we're the guys that defend it - but we're tired of listening to you rant.

We'll tolerate ignorance and bigotry, because we're all Americans, but eventually we tire of your petty fear and vitriol. You can voice it all you want, but it won't rule us.

So we're going to be voting this year.
And you can't stop us.

But you see most american's have no concept of what socialism, communism, or even libertarian means. They just assume that things are as they're told from the ones they've voted into power for 26yrs. People need to read more before they speak.

Sarah Palin spent more money than most real middle class make in a year. And I like Mike K's comment, thats the USA in a nutshell. I wish we could have Europe's health plans but greedy Americans at the top are just too scared to change.

They can't actually be that deluded to think Cindy McCain is a small business woman or that the CEO of Wellcraft Marine should be called "Bob the Boatbuilder". They are talking to the electorate now as if we were all mentally impaired. It is the latest in a long line of insults to the voters, not the least of which is the selection of Sarah Barracuda. All these cutesy nicknames are so very clubby, makes you hark back to Bush telling good ol' "Brownie" what a helluva job he was doing down in New Orleans. Meet the GOP ticket for 2008: Desperate and Despicable.

Independent and always was a Conservative @ "If we continue to Tax small business we’ll continue to lose jobs." Well, what do you say to Microsoft? They're slowing hiring and spending. How about Yahoo? They're cutting jobs. Ebay? They're cutting 1,000+ jobs. Add General Motors to the list as well. Small businesses AND large corporations are cutting jobs because businesses/people don't have money anymore! Period! Quit spending billions of dollars per week in Iraq and invest in small business and people here in our own country. We've continue to broaden the divide between the poor and wealthy in this country, only behind S. Korea. We can do better.

Steve Smith, you destroyed your own argument while ignorantly telling others to do their homework. Wellcraft had 721 employees in 2007. Small business indeed.

A friend of mine who grows and sells "herbal" products is voting for John McCain this election cycle. His rationale?
A) His many rich white Republican clients might cut back on their consumption of said "herbal" product were they assigned more of a tax burden. "They'll go from quarter pounds to ounces, or worse, quarter bags. Christ, I'll be ruined."
B) Legalization. My friend bemoans the current state of the economy because, inevitably, the government will be forced to legalize his "herbal" product to make up for vanishing fossel fuels and as a source of revenue much like alcohol and tobacco. "Where's my business gonna go when my customers can just go down to the liquor store and buy the stuff -- for cheaper to boot. Christ, I'll be ruined."
C) Much as with alcohol, the government will be involved in production, sales and distribution. It will only be a matter of time before the big corporations become involved. "As a small business owner I'll be eliminated. And of course the pricks in Wasington will try and control total sales and production. They'll make growing a crime unless government sanctioned or on small scale for personal -- Kinda like making beer at home. Christ I'll be ruined."
So remember kids, a vote for Obama is a potential vote for legaliztion of "herbal" products. And my dealer don't like that idea one bit.

You want to grow your small business into a much larger business as did Cindy McCain's dad, Hensley? Having several years of association with shady characters seems to help out in the booze business. Didn't hurt the Kennedy's either. Could be something about lots of muscle needed for influencing your competitors.

Obama has actully WORKED for a living. Apart from his stint in the military, basically the family business as it were, McCain has never had to hold down an honest job, make or do something for a living. Neither has Palin, unless she made blue movies as a beauty queen...Linda Lovelace of dubious cinematic fame during the 1970's ran for president and then became an evangelical after her movie and political careers fizzled out, perhaps that has probative value, here.

Joe the Plumber with a year-old tax lien for roughly 1,000. has to have horrible credit rating and would surely not qualify for a 250,000 loan to buy a plumbing business--if he qualified for any loan. And where is his plumbing license, something he will need if he owns the firm. Like Sarah Palin and the rest, Joe lets others pay his bills (although it looks like he does buy his own threads).

Lets see if I have this right? If you are a republican making 5 million a year you are middle classed. And a Obama supporter like me living on 22K a year retirement. is an elitist.
In is out
Up is down
East is West
Hot is cold.
Candidate McCain is not the same person as maverick McCain.
Someone must have put a giant seed pod in his bed when he wasn't looking.

What makes people say that Obama is a socialist? He has proposed nothing different than what our country has been doing for years. Sharing the Wealth... HELLO WAKE UP PEOPLE.. I am a single mother of 4 children. I have worked my butt off for my entire life. My income is 31,000 a year, alright it USED TO BE.. now I am unemployed as of the 10th of October.

The Government has been sharing the wealth with me for 18 years since my 1st child was born, I have not had to pay taxes at all, yes taxes were taken out, but with the earned income credit, and tax deductions, and tax credits for daycare, i have not paid fed or state income taxes since the birth of my 1st child, and I have received a healthy tax return each year.

So.. guess what? The Government has been sharing the wealth with me.

Small business owners, those that make less than 250,000 get NO TAX BREAKS at all right now, and THEIR wealth that is being spread around, while the rich have had HUGE HUGE Tax breaks and in many cases have paid actually less in taxes that some people only making 250,000 have had to pay.

With the tax policies of the past 8 years, we have seen our middle class deteriorate, the rich getting richer and richer, and my 31,000 that used to be a great income 8 years ago.. now only pays for the rent, utilities, car payment, insurance and very little food.

In Socialist countries, a persons pays 1/2 up to 60 percent of their income in Taxes..

We are talking about giving middle class Americans tax breaks and making those that have millions and billions only pay an addition 3 PERCENT.. and this is socialism?

By the way, Ms Palin with her taking from the oil companies and giving it back to the people of the State of Alaska - that is a bit more along the lines of socialism. And her involvment with the Alaskan Independence Party that has been wanting to be a free nation apart from the United states, whose founder even stated that He hated American and her God Damned Institutions - this is a quote from the Founder of the party - surely says nothing to me about Ms Palin being such a loving and adoring United States Citizen if her husband and herself were involved with this party until she chose to run for office in Alaska..

mkoch #74
EXCELLENT post