Obama Hits McCain On The Economy

Presumptive Democratic Nominee Launches Two-Week Tour To Contrast His Policies With GOP's

(AP)  The presidential campaign's focus turned sharply to the economy Monday, an inopportune time for Republican John McCain as Americans cope with record-high gasoline prices and a spike in job losses.

Democrat Barack Obama seized on the issue by launching a two-week economic tour meant to highlight his differences with McCain on taxes, spending priorities and other matters. At every turn he is tying McCain to President Bush, whose approval ratings are consistently low.

McCain pushed back, saying Obama's bid to end the Bush administration's tax cuts for upper-income Americans would only worsen the already struggling economy. He is airing TV ads in key states on the Iraq war, which he sees as a better issue this fall. But he took questions on the economy from donors in Virginia on Monday, and planned a speech Tuesday to small business owners in Washington.

With many voters blaming Bush for the economic woes, Republican candidates for federal and state offices are scrambling to distance themselves from the bad news without abandoning core principles such as low taxes and modest government intervention in activities like banking and lending.

Democrats are trying to cut off any escape routes.

The centerpiece of McCain's economic plan "amounts to a full-throated endorsement of George Bush's policies," Obama told about 900 people in Raleigh.

North Carolina is not a state ordinarily pursued by Democratic presidential nominees. But it gave Obama a crucial victory in his primary battle against Hillary Rodham Clinton, and he hopes to put it into play this fall - or at least force McCain to spend time and money here.

In the audience was former presidential rival John Edwards, who lives nearby. His wife, Elizabeth Edwards - who refrained from endorsing Obama when her husband did so last month also attended.

Obama offered no new policies in his speech, which he read from teleprompters. Rather, he used the occasion to emphasize his economic differences with McCain and to summarize earlier proposals. They include raising income taxes on wealthy Americans, granting a $1,000 tax cut to most others, winding down the Iraq war, tightening credit card regulations and pumping more money into education, alternative fuels and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

Obama took part of his speech from headlines across the nation, noting that the average price of gas just hit $4 a gallon for the first time. The news followed an unusually sharp spike in the unemployment rate on Friday.

Repeatedly linking McCain to Bush, Obama said, "our president sacrificed investments in health care, and education, and energy, and infrastructure on the altar of tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs."

Obama criticized McCain for originally opposing Bush's first-term tax cuts but now supporting their continuation. He said he would increase taxes on oil companies while McCain would reduce them.

"At a time when we're fighting two wars, when millions of Americans can't afford their medical bills or their tuition bills, when we're paying more than $4 a gallon for gas, the man who rails against government spending wants to spend $1.2 billion on a tax break for Exxon Mobil," Obama said. "That isn't just irresponsible. It's outrageous."

At a fundraiser in Richmond, Va., McCain noted that he supports a temporary suspension of the federal tax on gasoline, which Obama dismisses as a gimmick that will not bring down prices.

"Talk to somebody who owns a couple of trucks and makes a living with those trucks," McCain said. "Ask them whether they'd like to have some relief -- 18 1/2 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24 1/2 cents for diesel. They say it matters."

The two differed somewhat on energy production as well. Obama called for greater government investments "in a renewable energy policy that ends our addiction on foreign oil, provides real long-term relief from high fuel costs, and builds a green economy that could create up to five million well-paying jobs that can't be outsourced."

He did not mention nuclear power, although in the past he has said he would not rule out a greater role for nuclear energy.

McCain was more gung-ho about nuclear power and expanded domestic drilling for oil and natural gas. When a donor in Richmond summed up his advice as, "nuclear, and drill wherever we've got it," McCain responded: "You just gave my speech. Thank you, my friend."

McCain added, "Long-term, we've got to become used to nuclear, wind, solar, tide, all of the alternate energy, including a battery that will take a car 100 miles or 200 miles" before being recharged.

"Nuclear power, for all kinds of reasons, needs to be part of the solution," McCain said.

Obama said he would pay for all of his new proposals from sources including the higher taxes on wealthy Americans and an end to the Iraq war. His aides said he will provide more details as the campaign goes on.

[lindasmith247]

Oh my gosh.
I love our country and want the very best to come of this.

Linda
www.attentiontodetailgifts.com
www.letspartnerforresults.com

[lindasmith247]

Boy do I agree.
We have a conscientious objector who is undeclared and a hawk.

Well...we shall see!

I prefer Hillary and the press did not give her a break.

Our country would rather vote out a woman than be called racist.

Linda
www.attentiontodetailgifts.com
www.letspartnerforresults.com

[rufisgufis]

IF YOU LIKE THIS ECONOMY,

IF YOU LIKE THIS NEVER-ENDING WAR,

IF LIKE PAYING HIGH GAS PRICES,

IF LIKE THE TAX BREAKS FOR THE RICH,

IF YOU CAN''T WAIT TO INVADE IRAN,

IF YOU LIKE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT,

IF YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE END OF ROE V. WADE.

IF YOU LIKE THE UNFAIR TRADE POLICIES THAT SEND JOBS AND TECHNOLOGY OVERSEAS,

IF YOU LIKE A GOVERNMENT THAT PRACTICES TORTURE,

IF YOU LIKE A GOVERNMENT THAT SPIES ON ITS OWN CITIZEN,

IF YOU LIKE THE FACT THAT THE US IS ONE OF THE MOST REVILED NATIONS ON THE PLANET, THEN YOU''LL JUST LOVE McCAIN.

[rufisgufis]

"I will use the veto as needed. I will veto every single beer %u2014 bill with earmarks," he said, as rumblings from the crowd could be heard. "And every single bill that we have come across my desk I will make them famous. I will veto them, you will know their names."

[rufisgufis]

IF YOU LIKE THIS ECONOMY, LIKE THIS NEVER-ENDING WAR, LIKE PAYING HIGH GAS PRICES, LIKE THE TAX BREAKS FOR THE RICH, IF YOU CAN''T WAIT TO INVADE IRAN, IF YOU LIKE THE UNFAIR TRADE POLICIES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING OUR JOBS OVERSEAS, IF YOU LIKE THE LOSS OF THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS, IF YOU LIKE ILLEGAL WIRETAPS, IF YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE OVERTURNING OF ROE V. WADE. IF YOU LIKE THE FACT THAT THE US IS ONE OF THE MOST REVILED NATIONS ON THE PLANET, THEN YOU''LL JUST LOVE McCAIN.

[rufisgufis]

Sen. McCain said today: %u201CI am going to campaign in all thirteen colonies. My campaign will employ all the latest technology: the telegraph; the carrier pigeon as well as the pony express.%u201D

[rrjgy39jkjlk]

"They also failed to report on the proven deliberate 935,000 lies by the moveon.org_o_crats so it''''s a wash." - bhoogren

That doesn''t excuse the fact that the president of the United States, and the top levels of his administration purposefully lied to the American people and the world with the intent to lead us into an unjust war. Your partisan attempt to point the finger does nothing but show your contempt for the concerns of a majority of Americans (bipartisan) and the world. Perhaps pointing the finger might make us forgive Bush for his impeachable offenses. I think not.

[Latrocinor]

The Daily Show reports on the media%u2019s failure to report on the Senate report that proves the Bush administration knowingly lied to us about the reasons for war.

Posted by watcher269
... ... ..
They also failed to report on the proven deliberate 935,000 lies by the moveon.org_o_crats so it''s a wash.

[watcher269-2009]

You know this Country is F''d up when you have to listen to a comedian like Jon Stewart to get REAL news like:

The Daily Show reports on the media%u2019s failure to report on the Senate report that proves the Bush administration knowingly lied to us about the reasons for war. Surely the %u201CBig Three%u201D have more important things to cover.

Stewart: %u201CLet%u2019s go back to the Big Three, that%u2019s where real Americans get their news. Charlie Gibson, cover it!%u201D

Gibson: %u201CSomething that doesnt happen every day, and certainly doesn%u2019t happen twice..a well-know French daredevil named %u2018Spiderman%u2019%u2026%u201D

Stewart: %u201CYes, he was climbing the New York Times building. Perhaps looking to read the story about the administration leading us into a war that you didnt cover at all! At all!

For a %u201Cfake news%u201D anchor, Jon Stewart sure does a better job reporting actual news than the entire mainstream media combined. I%u2019m sure Stewart wouldn%u2019t take offense when I say that that%u2019s pretty sad.

[libh8er]

Ubama has a great solution for the economy: Raise taxes and take profits away from oil companies. Wonder if he''s taking evening classes in socialism from Hugo Chavez?

[tiredofobama]

The idea that these old democrats and republicans are going to pay one whit of attention to this junior senator twit messing up their money pot, is hilarious!

More likely he''s in it up to his eyeballs with them!

[Latrocinor]

So, corny, you want to post a quote from Obama that said his father was a proud freedom fighter, or just continue to copy the lies without checking them out? You republicans are really desperate -

Posted by nanc12
.. .. ..
Like the 935,000 lies the moveon.org_o_crat haters told us about Bush and Cheney and others?

[nanc12]

Obama lie for the day..
Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter Posted by cornbiker

Snopes rebuttal of the day: "We are unaware of Barack Obama''s ever having claimed his father was a "proud freedom fighter." Obama has written (and spoken) at length about his father''s returning to Africa from America to work for the Kenyan government, with that country''s political turmoil eventually leaving him a "bitter drunk" and "a defeated, lonely bureaucrat."

So, corny, you want to post a quote from Obama that said his father was a proud freedom fighter, or just continue to copy the lies without checking them out? You republicans are really desperate - you''d think you could debate on the actual issues, but then again, you''d lose, so you''ll just keep resorting to lies.

Off to work - do you work, corny? I''ll be back to shoot you down at lunch, lol.

[joecoolswat]

chitown639.....THE issue is Obama''s character, or lack thereof....He''s half-white when he''s addressing White folks....He''s ALL black, when addressing black folks, and his relative is a hero in WW2, when he wants to make himself look good in front of veterans on Memorial day....he is pathetic, and totally unqualified to be President, totally unqualified

[oneworldusa]

hear

Posted by cornbiker
... ...
There?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by bhoogren at 09:33 AM : Jun 10, 2008


-LOL!!!

[oneworldusa]

Posted by chitown639 at 09:30 AM : Jun 10, 2008

I don''t want to give too much away, but I think ExxonMobil is making a big mistake that will cost it dearly. Hopefully, anyway. I won''t say which side I think they are leaning on for the election, but I believe I know.

[tiredofobama]

And then you''ve got Obama reaching out to Clinton''s fund raisers...what''s the matter, Obama, already sucked the oil and energy funders dry? They''re all topped out aren''t they?

[tiredofobama]

Don''t you just love it. Obama and the democrats trying to come out and the big reformers...then come to find out Johnson, the oh so trusted one to pick Obama''s VP, is hooked totally into Countrywide Savings, on of the biggest sub-prime loan jockeys in the US.

The democrats are so tied in with the republican bad economic situation, it''s like a volleyball game to see who passes the ball and who slam dunks the other.

Whatta load of krap from these people.

[Latrocinor]

hear

Posted by cornbiker
... ...
There?

[Latrocinor]

PS. Anyone noticing that ExxonMobil has been ''''sponsoring'''' political/election articles?... CBS should be ASHAMED for allowing this to happen.

Posted by OneWorldUSA
.. .. ..

Bad CBS for charging so much at the pumps.