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Norton

Breaking News:

McCain gets a century thread!!!

Debate amongst TD political pundits on the merits of McCain reach a major milestone as the previously anemic McCain thread surpasses all expectations though a late surge of posts. Spurred on by a succession of posts related to the relative merits between TD member's financial, educational, age and achievement were instrumental in surpassing the hallowed century mark.

McCain was not available for comment but according to one of his top aides he is pleased to have surpassed the century mark and content to sit back and let the TD pundits continue to battle it out.

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Eat right, exercise daily, live clean, die anyway.

chinthee

My goodness. You very low achievers seem to stay together don't you. I can't blame you for that.....

chinthee

Yes, and this is the reason Obama will cruise to victory in November. McCain is old and boring.

britmaveric

However Obama has nought to say - in his empty head, apart from undefinable change.

chinthee

Republican McCain girding for battle with Obama


WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - Now that Democrat Hillary Clinton is fading, Republican John McCain's U.S. presidential campaign is girding for a tough election battle against Barack Obama and McCain aides believe he has weaknesses to exploit.][/quote][quote] McCain's goal is to keep the race between eight and 10 percentage points from the July 4 period to when the Republicans hold their nominating convention in early September, aides said.

REFILE-Republican McCain girding for battle with Obama | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

sabang

I think tete a tete with Obama, as will soon be the case, he will be outfoxed and outpointed. He also carries the baggage of the Bush administration, as a Republican.

Unless they have something more up their sleeve, I think the Republican dirty tricks brigade broke ranks too early- probably because they went flat out to get Hillary the Dem nomination. Apart from the usual suspects (who will seize on anything, and just keep repeating it), really the Obama stuff is all a bit of a Yawn now. Theres nothing there of substance to use against Him, and it's old and stale anyway.

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East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,

chinthee

^Yes, 100% agree with you. Now, the big question is WHO will be the VP running mate.

Norton

The Republicans have for some time now knew they would be running against Obama. I think McCain will have to play the experience card as did Hillary. This may work well with some but with many experience=business as usual. Given his policies are pretty much in line with GWB's I don't see how he can make a case for his clear experience advantage.

I believe Obama will hammer on the degree the Iraq war has contributed to the problem economy. Should Obama be able to convince the voters continuing the war will further/continue to drive economic problems, with little or no effect on diminishing terrorist attacks, McCain is bound to lose.

Norton

I think the Republicans learned from a local election where a Dem was running for a position which for years was held by a Republican (sorry can't recall where). They ran a TV commercial that attempted to tie the Dem candidate to Obama and in turn to Wright. The Dem won!

chinthee

Obama is relatively inexperienced, it's true.

This is an advantage in this peculiar case. Everybody is so sick of these Washington insiders.

britmaveric

Unfortunately Obama is a used car salesman, slick but no substance. McCain will flatten him.

chinthee

^If he sold nice Cadillacs I'm for him.

britmaveric

McCain says he voted for Bush


McCain says he voted for Bush - Yahoo! News

Norton

Yes, all part of McCain's clever strategy for flattening Obama.

britmaveric

Well unless they were in voting booth with him, they will never really know, now will they?

Bugs

Human Trafficking – Establish an inter-agency task force on Human Trafficking

Kiddy piddlers – Maximize cooperation between federal, state, and locals in regard to the pursuit and prosecution of kiddy piddlers – also wants to improve international cooperation in this area as well

Is against judicial activism – favors a strict Constructionist point of view when it comes to federal judges

HOME lending plan thru the FHA to help people keep their homes

Wants to expand states loan capabilities for college loans to help make sure college students don’t miss out on school because of the current credit crunch

Cut taxes for the middle class, and repeal the alternative minimum tax

Cut corporate tax, ban internet tax, and ban any new cell phone taxes

Wants line item veto power to attack pork barrel spending, and wants to eliminate earmark spending and some subsidies

Not subsidize prescription drugs for the wealthy – via the Medicare drug program

Lower barriers to trade

Believes the second amendment gives people the right to keep and bear arms – advocates the prosecution of criminals who violate the law rather than restricting the rights of those who do not

Opposes back-door attempts to attack the second amendment thru gun manufacturer liability cases

Support strengthening law and increasing penalties for those that use guns to commit a crime and for the illegal possession of guns

Reform the Unemployment Insurance system – add Lost Earning Buffer Account (LEB), and target some assistance specifically towards older workers are a couple of the changes he proposes

Against nationalized health care

Public disclosure for lobbyist, and prohibiting them from giving gifts to elected officials

Require government employees to pay full charter rates if they use corporate aircraft for travel related to government business.

Create an independent ethics office in Congress

Increase support for troops on the ground in Iraq

Keep top military in place in Iraq – don’t rotate the generals like the rest of the troops

Supports federal funding of amniotic fluid and stem cell research programs

Increase military pay and give tax relief to those deployed overseas

Expand retirement benefits and health care benefits for military reservists

Supports school choice for students and parents

Supports the national missile defense system

Strong support of NASA

__________________
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion" - Steven Weinberg

sabang

^ Thanks.

How does he propose to pay for all this? Is he also proposing an increase in tax for the wealthy?

Bugs

As I understand it McCain’s economic plans calls for a combination of growth and controlling spending to balance the budget. Controlling spending does not mean there would be no new programs.

He really wants the line item veto and might be hanging too much of his plan on getting that power and using it to control pork barrel spending. But he has said that if he does not get the line item power he will use the Presidential veto power to veto entire bills if they contain pork barrel spending – to the point of shutting the government down if they keep sending big spending bills for him to sign.

One small example included above is cutting out paying for prescription drugs for the wealthy. Under the current plan McCain is eligible to get his drugs paid for and he feels that just ain’t right.

Based upon what I have read and heard out of him I doubt we would have a balanced budget for at least the first two years due to the current state of the economy. He makes quite a few statements about Regan and the Regan tax cuts during those rough economic times. Folks have differing views of the Regan years, the Regan tax cuts, and the deficits we ran up in those years - and therefore will probably have similar views on McCains plans.


I don't think I have ever heard McCain mention raising taxes on anyone. He has mentioned simplifying the entire tax code eventually - I believe something along the lines of reducing it down to two tax brackets and eliminating most deductions. But I have never seen any real details on that plan.

Bugs