Obama: Was McCain A Socialist In 2000?

Democrat Defends His Tax Plan, Addresses Biden's Remark About Him Being "Tested"

(AP)  Barack Obama brushed aside Republican charges Wednesday that his tax proposals amount to socialism, and said he wants nothing more than to reverse the cuts for wealthy Americans that John McCain opposed when they were enacted.

"Was John McCain a socialist back in 2000," when he opposed President Bush's proposals? Obama asked at a news conference.

"It's not a very plausible argument," he said of the late-campaign allegations launched daily by McCain and Republican running mate Sarah Palin.

Obama made his remarks at a news conference after meeting with national security advisers.

Regardless of the winner of the Nov. 4 election, he said a smooth transition is essential "so that others don't take advantage of us."

He also sidestepped a question of whether he would attend a summit of world leaders the Bush administration has called for Nov. 15 to discuss the global economic crisis.

"We have one president at a time," he said.

The Democratic presidential candidate was asked about a comment by his own running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden, that Obama could expect to be tested early in his term.

He said the Delaware senator has occasionally engaged in "rhetorical flourishes," but the essential point was that the new president could expect to be challenged no matter who wins.

He said President Bush has pursued "bluster and unilateralism and ideology" over the past eight years, "but we're about creating partnerships around the world to solve problems."

McCain-Palin campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds responded, "It's s not leadership for Barack Obama to promise to be straight with Americans, only to dismiss serious statements and concern from his own running mate as simple rhetorical flourishes. Joe Biden guaranteed a generated international crisis if Barack Obama is elected, and a smile-for-the-cameras press conference isn't going to mitigate the risk of an Obama presidency."

Obama denied the meeting had been called because of political damage stemming from Biden's remarks. He said the foreign policy and national security experts attending have busy schedules so arrangements for the meeting began two weeks ago to assess major foreign developments during the campaign.

With 13 days remaining in the race, most polls show Obama leading in his bid to become the nation's first black president. He was campaigning in Virginia on Wednesday as he kept to an itinerary devoted almost exclusively to states that voted Republican in 2004, an indication of his confidence about the state of the race.

McCain launched a new attack over the weekend, saying Obama's plan to provide a $500 tax credit would include even those who pay no taxes and "convert the IRS into a giant welfare agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth at the direction of politicians in Washington."

Obama's response at the news conference did not address the $500 tax break. Instead, he said that overall, he wants to reverse the cuts that went to the wealthiest Americans when Bush's plan was enacted in 2001 and use the revenue to give tax cuts to workers who make less than $250,000 a year.

Mr. Bush's reductions provided across-the-board cuts for all income levels, and McCain opposed them at the time, because they were not accompanied by spending cuts.

The Obama campaign e-mailed an excerpt from a McCain statement on the Bush tax cuts in 2001 in which McCain said, "I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expense of middle class Americans who most need tax relief." The Democratic e-mail also cited a McCain statement from the 2000 campaign that "I really believe, that when you are -- reach a certain level of comfort, there's nothing wrong with paying somewhat more."

Now McCain wants to extend those Bush tax cuts and argues that anything else amounts to a tax increase.

Obama arrived in Virginia on Tuesday night after spending two full days campaigning in another GOP state, Florida.

There, he criticized McCain for offering little more than "willful ignorance, wishful thinking, outdated ideology" to an economy in crisis.

With the chairman of the Federal Reserve and even Bush now indicating support for more economic stimulus spending by Washington, momentum is building for Congress to pass a second package after the election, an idea Obama has encouraged. But McCain has remained cool, saying only that he wants to keep his options open.

At boisterous Miami rally with his wife, Michelle, Obama seized on that, as well as a report that a top McCain economic adviser said the Arizona senator prefers to first evaluate the impact $700 billion financial rescue plan passed earlier this month.

"I've got news for Sen. McCain: Hardworking families who've been hard hit by this economic crisis — folks who can't pay their mortgages or their medical bills or send their kids to college — they can't afford to wait and see. They can't afford to go to the back of the line behind CEOs and Wall Street banks," Obama told a crowd of more than 30,000 that filled a waterside park.

[patrik1974]

Is socialism really a bad thing? Do you think it is good that some hard working Americans make $30K a year, while others make $10Mil a year? I think it is this, everyone thinks that they will eventually be in the $10Mil a year category and when they get there they don%u2019t want to be punished with higher taxes. Well, come back to earth, most likely you will never be in this tax bracket no matter how hard you work.

[mitch5511]

TheMasses1...you really need to get a life!

[john43218]

Yet, as we shall see, there have been in the past%u2014and are now%u2014many Antichrists! And underlying all of their deceptions is the "spirit of Antichrist"%u2014the wrong approaches and false doctrines which have blinded billions of human beings from understanding God%u2019s Truth. The "doctrine" of Antichrist is not understood by most of the world%u2019s religious leaders.
"How so?" you might ask.
Because there is a very real Satan the Devil. Jesus Christ twice called him the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30). Satan is the great deceiver. The Apostle John made it very clear that Satan deceives the vast majority of mankind: "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9).
"But I am not deceived!" you might say.
Do not be too sure!

[scomovi]

On 10/21/08, John Stewart showed a video of McCain in 2000 answering a question about taxes by explaining that making those who earn more pay more taxes is not socialism. Why is it that the staff at The Daily Show is better at investigative journalism than the main stream media?

[anya136]

McCain wants to "spread the wealth" to the super rich - tax cuts for oil companies and million dollar CEOs.

Is this the America you want? Its tearing the fabric of society. Its taking us back to a divided and comabativ society where noone can feel safe anymore.

[letreasonwin]

If McCain can''t even manage his own campaign, how can be a successful leader of the U.S.?

[splainin2do]

In 2000 McCain was asked by a student at Michigan State if having higher tax rates on higher income people was not socialism. He repsonded it was fair.
It was taped on NBC and has been shown several places lately. If giving tax breaks to 95% of the public, or even tax redits to 40% of the public is socialism, then Palin heads the largest socialist government in America. Alaska regards its natural resources as a public good and taxes the oil companies and redistributes it as a check to all Alaskans. Palin increased this payment this year. If socialism is programs like Social Security and Medicare, which is what Republicans branded them at the time they were enacted, then they should call for the repeal of Social Security and Medicare, which was expanded to include prescription drugs under President Bush and a Republican ongress. Otherwise McCain and Palin should quit misleading the public.

[letreasonwin]

This is the kind of president we need:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1853025-1,00.html

[butterflyxo]

Dear Wealthy 5% of America,
A father loses his job and with the economy so bad he can''t find a job to support his family. His wife works but only brings home 25,000 a year and can not afford to pay the mortgage, utilities, food and all the necessities of their children. Would it kill one making more than 250K to pay 3% more in taxes, so we could give a break to fellow Americans who are struggling dearly? Millionaires don''t need tax breaks..the Middle Class needs taxbreaks! Thank God I am not one of them struggling, but I see so many people that are. Why can''t we look out for one another as Americans?
WE WILL RISE TOGETHER AND FALL TOGETHER. WE MUST TAKE CARE OF EACHOTHER.

[butterflyxo]

I was listening to a McCain rally and you know what he sounds like....A Rich Greedy Old Man. Like a 3% tax increase on people making more than 250K means Socialism. He''s just greedy. The tax code in this country is screwed up. If the middle class can''t survive the economy will collapse. McCain doesn''t get it, because he is a rich old man, who knows nothing about 95% of this country...The Working Middle Class. We may have high taxes in America, but in NO other Country in the world, can you make as much money as you can here. In an Obama Presidency, the rich will still be rich. BTW the CEO of my company is endorsing Obama, along with the CEO of Google, Warren Buffet and many many other very wealthy people who are not greedy. You can check out Obama''s endorsers on Wikipedia. He dwarfs McCain in endosements :O)