Obama and the Courts
| Mon Oct. 27, 2008 10:29 AM PDT
OBAMA AND THE COURTS....I see that Drudge is blaring a headline about how Barack Obama believes it's a tragedy that the Supreme Court hasn't confiscated all your money and given it to poor people. Turning on the TV, I see that Fox New is all over it too. So is John McCain. Clearly, the guy's a total socialist.
Except, you know, he's not. The whole thing is based on a distinctly academic radio panel Obama was part of seven years ago, and over at the Volokh Conspiracy even conservatives Orin Kerr and David Bernstein aren't buying this nonsense. After all, Obama specifically says in the interview that it's a mistake for liberals to rely too heavily on the courts, rather than on public opinion and the legislative process. And supporting a progressive income tax or equal funding for school districts is hardly a sign of incipient socialism.
I dunno. Maybe this stuff would have worked four years ago. But now? After eight years of stagnant middle class wages and an epic collapse of the world financial system? Not so much. Is this really the best McCain can do?
UPDATE: Meanwhile, in other "Obama is a secret radical" news, ABC's Brian Ross is busily trying to dragoon washed-up terrorist and noted Obama pal Bill Ayers into an interview as he tries to catch a cab. Enlightening stuff.
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Comments
Submitted by Howard (not verified) on Mon Oct. 27, 2008 10:53 AM PDT.
Hahahahaha, the desperation of the right-wing has a smell all its own, don't you think?
So what are the people and the mal-informed people who believe this crap going to do on November 5th?
The exact same thing. This is the first shot of the Republican opposition. They are going to push this "higher taxes on the rich is Marxism" to the bitter end, expect to hear variations on this argument 24/7 on Hannity, Limbaugh, Drudge, Fox News. They think they can get traction on this and be in better shape in 2010.
Submitted by Ted Lehmann (not verified) on Mon Oct. 27, 2008 11:33 AM PDT.
I think Kevin made a punctuation error in this post. It should read, "Except, you know he's not." That's right. Anyone who looks, thinks, reads, or has any understanding fully KNOWS that Barack Obama ain't a socialist. - Ted
So what are the people and the mal-informed people who believe this crap going to do on November 5th?
They are going to start shooting anything that moves left.
Seriously, for all the Hitler comparisions the right is making about Obama, the most Hitlerite thing in this campaign is reaction of the McCain/Palin crowds. I just hope the Secret Service is already tracking the militias.
Ted Lehmann at 2:33:
Jeez, and I thought I was excessively pedantic. How does Kevin's punctuation "error" change the meaning of the sentence from what you think it ought to be?
(Just to be clear: I'm not disagreeing with your overall point.)
I dunno. Maybe this stuff would have worked four years ago. But now? After eight years of stagnant middle class wages and an epic collapse of the world financial system?
Right. The efficacy of socialism-mongering as a successful GOP strategy assumes redistributionism isn't popular with most Americans. But it has been popular with Americans at different times, and given the rough plight of millions of working people in this country, I reckon the popularity of redistributionism has returned.
why is everyone listening to the youtube video...when the original audio is at WBEZ's website:
The GOP are a bunch of friggin' losers. They are going to get beaten like rented mules on November 4th. This pathetic grasping for straws is just another illustration of why the Republican Party is going to be in minority status for the next 20 years.
Wait, wait. If McCain is against redistributive principles, does that mean a McCain administration would stop the subsidizing of Red States with Blue State federal tax dollars???
Submitted by Ted Lehmann (not verified) on Mon Oct. 27, 2008 1:26 PM PDT.
As I understand what Kevin wrote, he through in a verbal tick, you know, rather than making a statement about what we actually understand. Maybe that seems pedantic (haven't been called that for a couple of weeks) but that's what I read. - Ted
he threw in a verbal tic
Yes, but that doesn't, you know, change the meaning of what he said. Which was all I was meant to say.
But I'm just being a pedantic you-know-what. There's medication for my condition. ;p
Socialism is a popular idea. Most people aren't rich, so they will benefit from it, in the form of WELFARE checks. the problem is, that socialist policies ruin economies. The idea seems sound, and it does work for a while, and works quite well in the long run for small groups of people. However, it does not work on a large scale.
To a government that spends 3 trillion dollars a year, 500, or 5,000 dollars isn't worth chasing after. but to a taxpayer who makes 50,000 dollars a year, 500 dollars is a lot of money, and it will not go unnoticed if it disappears.
And this is why adam smith was right when he said that the individual knows better how to spend his money than any form of government or legislature.
An interesting irony in conservative "spread the wealth angst" complaints: Having a cap gains rate lower than for earned income as conservatives like, spreads wealth in effect from wage earners to CG traders. The latter don't even do useful work after the original capitalization.
Majority rule, minority rights. How is it justice to fund a tax cut to 95% of Americans, many of whom don't pay taxes anyway and will now get a refund, by raising the taxes on the other 5% of Americans? Americans, who have worked hard, who have taken risks, Americans who give jobs to many of the other 95% of corporations? Americans who have the same constitutional rights. Taxes are for paying for government services, not redistribution. His stated tax plans are a perfect example of spread the wealth.
Hey dumbshit wingers, the top tax rate under Eisenhower was NINETY-ONE PERCENT. If Obama is a socialist for wanting to raise it from 35% back to the Clinton rate of 39.6%, Ike must have been an out-and-out Stalinist, eh?
Jesus you people are ignorant and brainless. Just fuck off and die.
