No, Really—'Seriously?' McCain and Obama Define 'Rich'

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IN his speach in Berlin Obama mentioned "take the wealth from the rich and give to the workrs who worked for the wealth"

Once at age 19 I was a member of the Communist Party USA and that is exactly what Karl Marx said except called the rich Capatalist and the workers proletariet....... sonds the same to me

LC Davis of TX 7:42PM October 17, 2008

I liked the comment Fred Thompson made last night at the convention; just simple logic.

If you tax only the rich (and I don't agree that an individual making $42,000 or a couple making over $150,000 are rich), don't you think this will affect those who are not additionally taxed when they deal with businesses in shopping for clothes and food, buying a car, home, etc. And will businesses and

the "rich" be hiring as many people when their income is

cut in half?

So many people point to Denmark and their health care system

for everyone, but their taxes are so high, their spendable income is nil. I don't think Americans want to live that way.

Linda of MO 2:55PM September 03, 2008

Two people earning an annual salary of 250K in New York, San Diego, San Francisco, or Northern Virginia are not rich. Especially if they have children. That income is about what it takes to achieve middle class status in those high cost of living areas. Charlie Rangle put the figure at one million and Pelosi at 500K. What's disturbing about Michelle and Barack's "tax the rich" is that none of the "other" taxes we already pay are even mentioned. We pay tax on gasoline that allows the federal government more profit on the gallon than the oil companies, county property taxes, municipal taxes, state taxes, sales tax, and now he wants a windfall tax on the profits of the oil companies (higher gas prices) plus a significant increase in capital gains taxes and even a proposal to tax 401K's. I belive the figure they mentioned was 40% on federal just for the income payroll deduction. The hypocrisy of these the two Obamas is stunning considering their economic shenanigans. Neither of them have made a payroll, run a business, or have a clue as to what it takes to really take care of a group of employees and their families. Yet they are so eagar to slow down business and the entreprenurial spirit all for the sake of income redistribution. It is amazing that so many people are blindly following this guy without any idea what his policies are.

Heinrich of SC 5:42PM August 22, 2008

Republicans want us to visualize Obama as some wild-eyed tax-and-spend liberal elitist. Huh what? McCain was a pilot, son and grandson of admirals, and a senator with a trophy wife, but he's not an elitist? He'll continue the war as long as necessary to "win", but won't actually tax anybody to do it-- that's supposed to be superior to paying for it? Yeah, that the heck, we're already owned by China and who else. You want to put some foolish label on the discussion about who is rich and who isn't as class warfare, fine, but some are kinda noticeably winning. McCain refuses to state what he thinks is a reasonable dollar amount that equals rich, but he opposed raising the minimum wage, and the federal minimum wage is so pathetically low I wonder where anybody could live on it. We don't need another bubble-boy for president, we need somebody who takes the common good seriously instead of babbling anti-tax platitudes..

Donna of CA 12:28AM August 22, 2008

are you people insane? yes, we need to spend $2,400,000,000,000 on our Glorious Wars of Terror™ in Iraq and Afghanistan, but why would we need to raise taxes? We can just keep borrowing money from China. This doesn't bother you at all? seriously?

andrew of NY 6:50PM August 21, 2008

Its like some of these Repukelicans take pride in being ignorant. A recent (almost) quote by a very smart man.

Viet Vet of FL 6:36PM August 21, 2008

1.5% of US households earn more than $250,000. See wikipedia on US household income.

It's safe to say that the top 1.5% of earners are rich.

It's amazing what you can find out if you actually do some research before spouting off with ignorant indignation.

Statistics of IL 5:28PM August 21, 2008

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln had almost the exact amount of experience that Obama has when he became President? About six years of combined political experience... and look how bad President Lincoln was. Stop being dorks, if you liked Clinton for her policies then Obama is your guy. If you liked Clinton for her personality then go watch some old you-tube videos of her. But for God's sake don't vote for McCain. Not just because of the Supreme Court, not just because of foreign policy, but if you have children or family that is of draft age, then realize that if a President McCain is in power and goes to fight Russia, while adding troops to Afghanistan and Iraq and gets in a mix-up with Iran (All within the realm of possibility) then he is open to drafting people into the military. I for one will not let my children be taken by some idiot who can't try to talk things out. He'd rather sing Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran and send them off to their deaths.

OMR of NC 5:21PM August 21, 2008

Barack says of himelf in his book Dreams from My Father: "Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man. . . . I got high [to] push questions of who I was out of my mind."

....also "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though," he says.

David of FL 4:37PM August 21, 2008

I guess McCain does have alot in common with Bush, it seems he might have an old DUI.

http://www.mccanes.com/duihelpguide.html

Peter of AR 4:02PM August 21, 2008

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Sam Dealey

Sam Dealey

Sam Dealey is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and Reader's Digest. He has written for many publications, including Time, GQ, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

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