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How did they take from the poor when the bottom 50% of wage earners pay only 4% of federal income taxes?

Actually they took from the Chinese and others and built up a mountain of debt that our children and grandchildren will struggle to pay off.

McCain claims he will cut wasteful govt. spending. I'm dubious, but hopefully he will.

Obama clearly stated last Sat. night that if you make less than $150K you are middle class. Even then he mentioned it depends on where you live, I guess someone in NC at $150K will be considered rich while the same person in NYC will be middle class or lower middle class.

He then jumped to $250K as the definition of rich, i.e. be prepared to pony up more you rich people. It's curious he didn't mention what happens to those in between $150-$250K. My guess is they will pony up as well. I'm dubious as well, methinks the $250K definition of rich will drop significantly if he's elected.

Sure would like to read just one letter, telling us about what goes on In Raleigh. Lets see we just found out that 750 million dollars earmarked for schools, from our traffic tickets has disappeared thanks to Tax Hike Mike. Money from the highway trust fund has disappeared each year. wonder why we never see a letter about this? Wonder why the liberal media is ok with this?

"It may tell us which kind of Robin Hood we want for the next four or eight years"

So Dorothy, your view from atop the high horse is, it's OK to steal from SOME folks...just as long as the politicians - and The Almighty - tell you that is moral and just huh? Sleep well dear.

Dan, I think once The Oracle ascends to the throne in DC, HE will be more able to see just who 'the rich' are from that pinnacle...we should withhold judgment until then.

Dan, Obama wasn't talking about just one person making $150k:

"If you are making $150,000 a year or less, as a family, then you’re middle class or you may be poor." - Obama
http://www.clipsandcomment.com/2008/08/17/full-transcript-saddleback-presidential-forum-sen-barack-obama-john-mccain-moderated-by-rick-warren/

So $150k divided by two working adults means anything over $75k/year by a single person is rich. It had been implied before, but I appreciate him finally coming out and saying it (inasmuch as much as he's able).

Woohoo! I guess I'd better start lighting my cigars differently.

I'm pretty sure he said explicitly that $250K and higher was what he considered 'rich.'

Besides, McCain dodged the same question...then sort of threw out $5 Million a year. Then he talked about cutting spending because that's what's important. While, I'd agree that it's important, I doubt it happens. Practically every candidate promises reduced spending, but it hasn't happened. What makes McCain any different? 25 years of hanging out with the people that are spending the money? Sometimes I feel like he's in fantasy land...if he really wants a balanced budget, he'd have to be realistic and come out and say that taxes are going to be higher for some.

The fun thing with Obama is he never "explicitly" says anything. Well, okay, he was pretty clear on the baby/conception thing a couple of months ago...

From ontheissues.org, primary debate April '08:
"so that families who are middle-income individuals making $75,000 a year or less, that they would get a tax break" (notice family/individuals confusion)

He's refined that conversation, btw.

Tie that $75k statement in with, as the Saddleback transcript above shows, him saying, "$150,000 down you’re basically middle class" (Obama brought up the family, so that means at least two income earners)

What's above middle class? Upper class. Rich.

As Dan pointed out, when Obama said, "if you make $150,000 or less, you will see a tax cut. If you’re making $250,000 a year or more, you’re going to see a modest increase," he doesn't cover that $100k window in between. But he's established who is "basically middle class." And there's nothing on his website stating definite numbers, so we have to rely on what he says. And $75k+ keeps coming up.

Thanks for bringing up McCain's $5M comment, though, because I think it was almost what Obama was hoping to say ("obviously depends on the region where you’re living." - B.O.). It's all relative to where you live.

But Obama has still established that locale won't matter when the taxman comes around. All for "fairness."

http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/thumb/3/37/Obama-hopenosis.gif/98px-Obama-hopenosis.gif

So, he said that families above $250K get a modest increase, families below $150K a decrease. Perhaps the folks in the between stay the same.

I didn't watch the program intensely, but I had it on. I got the impression from McCain's appearance that he almost didn't believe what he was saying, that he was just saying it to make the conservatives happy. It's interesting too that instead of directly answering questions he'd just tell stories.

But whatever, I thought it was a good forum where each candidate had the opportunity to just sort of talk about their, I'm just gonna call it, 'stuff.'

"Sure would like to read just one letter, telling us about what goes on In Raleigh."

I see that you're perfectly capable of typing. They accept handwritten letters too. So what's holding you back, Dog? Is it a lack of ability to hit send? Lick a stamp? Or just that you don't have any facts?

I mean, sometimes if you want something done, you just have to do it yourself...actually, that's most of the time.

All this discussion .. Do ya’ll agree that $5,000,000 is a good number to define rich .. I mean maybe lower but DEFINITELY $5 million?

If so, are you “ok” with that handful of people paying some higher rate than the pensioner?

How about if we define $102,000 as “rich”? That’s the number after which individuals – and employers – no longer need to pay the 7.35% EACH in social security taxes. So as a “producer” .. you get an automatic 7.35% after that point. Shit let's have the pensioner pay it all.

It's more than a simple paragraph can cover, but I'd love to see something like an across-the-board X% implemented. Let's say 15% just for sake of discussion, and no withholding from paychecks. $10K/year or $10B, you write the check every year and see it vanish from your bank account after you've had the chance to look at it for a while. I don't think it would lend itself to campaign speeches, though. Rich just depends on who you ask.

Me? I've decided that McCain is the better rich democrat to win this November.