Howard Dean 2004: The Medals Matter

I never contributed to DEAN or KERRY, once you have huge Hollywood support and are labeled a LIBERAL the Republicans will beat you.

Four years ago when Kerry ran, I was 15, I knew he wasn't going win when I saw how much Hollywood was behind him and I was right.

Thinking, the only item in which I totally agree with you is that Social Security and Medicare are going broke. President Bush tried twice to get Congress to address the situation and both times they dropped the ball.

In 2017 Social Security benefit payments will begin to exceed the Social Security tax income. That's because the baby-boom generation has just begun to retire. Over the course of the next 20 years there will be 80 million new Social Security beneficiaries. That's an average of over 10,000 PER DAY. Right now there are about 3.3 workers per Social Security beneficiary. It is forecast that in 2032 there will be just 2.1 workers per Social Security beneficiary. And by 2040 only about 74% of benefits will be paid unless changes are made.

There are currently just three reasonable options (or any combination thereof): (1) Change the $97,500 income cap for Social Security taxes (either raise the cap or eliminate the cap altogether); (2) Raise the age eligibility; (3) Begin a parital privatization of Social Security.

However, there is a fourth option that is not currently available. And that is through the fair tax, as outlined by Mike Huckabee. Under the fair tax, all income taxes are eliminated and replaced with a national sales tax (23% is the rate being discussed). A portion of this national sales tax will go towards Social Security (as well as Medicare and Medicaid). The beauty of this plan means that the financing of the benefits are no longer the responsibility of the employees and their employers. Instead everyone will contribute whenever they purchase goods or services. In addition, younger employees will then have the opportunity to opt out of Social Security and replace it with personal retirement accounts. This means fewer beneficiaries in the future.

With the elimination of the payroll tax, workers will keep all of their paycheck. Which means more opportunity to purchase goods and services, thus more national sales tax revenue. AND even more importantly, employers will have their costs dramatically lowered. This means more profit, better opportunities for expansion -- thus more purchases, and even more national sales tax revenue.

But there is another great benefit of the fair tax, and that is the elimination of all of the hidden taxes currently included in the price of products. So prices will actually drop (the price of some products could actually drop more than 23%, which means a net gain for the consumer).

But under a President Obama or a President Clinton, incomes taxes will be raised significantly. This will decimate small businesses, which will lead to layoffs -- thus higher unemployment and less tax revenue; and Social Security will go bankrupt even sooner.

McSame is an opportunist. He traded his principles (tax cut for the wealthy, religious radicalism, torture...etc) for the republican nomination.

Obama will crush the old man in November. Obama will not try to pretend that he is Rambo, that's what used to get Democrats in trouble. The election will be between Tomorrow and Yesterday.

Americans will choose Tomorrow.

Give me a brake The Republican Party hasn't a chance despite all the conflict within the Democratic Party. McCain can't even raise the money needed to compete. He has nothing but a failed Republican agenda to run on, and that is so bad even you guys won't support him.

I notice none of you take issue with the comments I have made about the war and the state of our nation.

Your leaders aren't Patriotic, they say they are anti-government, unwilling to pay their taxes, support welfare for the corporations and the rich., and at the same time argue that the poor are held down if the government gives them a hand up. Makes them dependent, they say.

The war of choice, handed over to private enterprise, at the cost of our Military men and women, for no bid contracts to Haliburton ( Chenny ), who then is so patriotic to relocate their Corp. office to the Middle East.

Now the economy is tanking and they hand 30 billion, say that again, 30 billion to a failed banking investment concern while their CEO walks off with millions. Oh sure lets privatize the USA, it's the most effient way to to bring it to it's knees. Free market system, is absolutley the solution to all our problems.
Get real!

Senators Clinton and Obama are both draft dodgers, the first by hiding behind her sex and the second by being lucky enough to be born too late. Neither volunteered for military service nor did either of those chicken hawks even do a stint in the Peace Corps.

Moderates know better. That's why a match up between Hillary or Barack's poll numbers are crashing compared to Senator McCain's, despite the decision of principled conservative folks to sit out this election.

Thinking says "Can't beat McCain and the Republican Party? If we can't then we are on sorry ass bunch of people."

Well, Thinking, you have characterized the Democratic party to a tee. The political veneer of corruption that Obama that lubricated his rise through the corrupt Chicago political machine will be used to devestating effect by his Republican opponent in the general election. And if the Democrats are stupid enough (and they probably are) to combine the corrupt Obama with the master liar Clinton, they provide McCain two targets to destroy.

If Americans elects one (or both) of these two charlatans and a party that can't even run a primary election after 200 years of practice, they deserve what they get.

One need only look at the disaster of a Democratic Congress under Pelosi and Reed and compare it with their pre-election promises to know that their promises are not worth the paper they are written on. This failed Congress is less popular then the Republican Congress it was elected to replace and improve upon!

The Democrats will continue to make absurd promises and rely on the memory of the American Republic to forget that they never deliver except on promises to raise taxes!

Rich, I retract that part of my comment. You are right. I cannot speak for all Americans. I was just playing on the words of the ad. To clarify, I myself do not want another war president. I'd really like to see more positive comments in Jake Tapper's blog. It's really disheartening to see so much animosity. I've been a Republican, voted for Bush in 2000, became Independent and now am active as a Democrat in my precinct. We have to get past non-violent tribal warfare between Democrats and Republicans and come together to fix the real problems facing this country. Whoever is president, including McCain, I will support to improve the future for my children.

Unfortunately for Clinton, history shows that the person who loses rarely wins.

All those who are petty think that they will be spiting others and not themselves should they follow through with the childish notion about 'voting for McBush' come November.

For those who do not realize that conditions in the country can get, they have not learned anything over the past 7 years of death and destruction of lives and economy under the Bush misguided Presidency.

911, UNPROVOKED Iraq war, foreclosures, economic recession, etc, etc came with the bad luck Bush. And McBush promised more of the same.

"A Hillary-Edwards combination would
be unbeatable..... !!!!!"

Mmmm.

It seems Obama managed to beat both of them this year.

They should have given medals to the draft dodgers. G W Bush & Chaney would have a chest full. But I must say Dean could have done better and Kerry is still a DIC@. Obama has never seen much up close and personal in war. How could he, he is the new breed of political leaders but the reality is you don't know anything until you have been shot at.

The party brass isn't thinking through its strategy. About half the Democrats, give or take, support Hillary. Trying to shut her down before the primary process has run its course alienates a huge part of the party's base, people it will need if the Democrats expect to prevail in November. Putting thumbs on the scales in favor of Obama fosters a justifiable belief that Dean, et al aren't playing fair, which they aren't. If they don't back off the Dems will lose in November, and they'll find themselves disgraced and out of power.

Dean, Leahy, Dodd = Vermont and Connecticut. States with some very good Americans within, who have already voted.

Therein lies much of the problem in their calling for HRC. to "quit". I would be willing to bet that Vermont and Connecticut voters, who "have already voted", equate to possibly 5% or so of the number of voters waiting their turns in the remaining states.

Such a disparity makes the "wishes" of Dean, Leahy, and Dodd even more ludicrous than they appear on the surface. How can any of these 3, or any others calling for a cessation of choice, ever speak of "Democracy". They certainly seem to not want to practice such!

Do not know the actual numbers re Vermont and Connecticut compared to remaining states, perhaps someone else does and will be good enough to post them.

Dean even got Kerry's record wrong -- Kerry never received the Silver Star, only a Bronze Star.

"Poor Howard Dean; Pelosi; Kennedy, Kerry, Richardson---they can't help it---they were born with a silver foot in their mouths."

They have ruined the Democratic Party!

I want to know why now there was no fight for a redo for FLA.& MI.when it first happened. We have know for a while thier votes wouldn't count

personal insults are so characteristic of the 'new democrat' as evidenced by obama online supporters. mr dean does not speak for me.

i believe that we should call on mr. dean and pelosi to step down from their respective positions as chair of the dnc and democratic convention. they have exposed themselves as incompetents, biased, and unable to serve in a dignified manner that is fair and objective.

yes it is possible that the michigan and florida delegates will be seated-but only after obama gets the nomination thus deans rush to impose deadlines on the superdelegates- and demanding an early end to the primary.

you cannot put a deadline on democracy mr. dean. let the people vote otherwise even if your candidate wins it will be fodder for the republicans come novemeber.

mr.dean and pelosi you bring shame to the party step-down now and let the people decide this election after ALL the votes are counted. and All the super delegates have had an opportunity to make a decision. now that kennedy/richardson and others have led the way in making it clear that the super delegates do not have to vote in step with their constituents that argument is over. get over yourself and let the people vote.

Sonia Excellent Comment. I agree with you 100 % I am one of those that feel not welcome in the Democratic party anymore. But i think the party will pay dearly comes November. So many of us will feel unwanted, disregarded, as if we all didn't matter in the process, but the party elders that are Obama supporters are ignoring a very large portion of the Democratic voters. They will pay dearly comes November.

Typical of Obama closet supporter Dean, that wants to have it both ways just like Obama. Poor Democratic Party. If things continue like this, i would not feel welcome in this party anymore.

A Hillary-Edwards combination would
be unbeatable..... !!!!!