I just this moment got a call from the McCain campaign. (I once signed up with the Bush campaign in 2000 so I can see what they were saying. I’ve been paying for that ever since.)
So the new word is that Obama’s share the wealth tax plans “threaten your social security and medicare” beause Obama wants to use tax money meant for social security and medicare for other purposes.
Not only is this a out and out lie, Obama has, at least in the past, called for increasing the upper limit on social security taxes as a way of strengthing the system.
I have to say I’m tired of “objective journalists” who conclude that the two campaigns are both stretching the truth. Obama has gone a bit far once or twice in picking on something McCain said and running with it. But the McCain campaign has simply lied, again and again, in the most apalling fashion.
Next person who says to me that despite everything, McCain is an honorable man is going to get a earful if not a punch.
The only interesting thing about all McCain’s lies, however is this: Many of them have been meant to portray McCain as a supporter of our ideals. The call I just got was about protecting social security and medicare. McCain has been lieing about his plan giving more tax relief to the middle class than Obama’s plan. He has been lieing about his health care plan insuring more uninsured than Obama’s. He has been lieing about his record of favoring deregulation of business.
When Republicans campaign by promising to cut taxes for working people; spend money on programs like social security, medicare; and regulating business, they are playing on our field. If that’s what Americans care about now–and they do–we can’t lose. Because there is no way a majority of Americans will vote to hire Republicans to do those jobs.