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Obama Retreats from 'Bowman Plan'
June 13, 2008 1:26 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and James Gerber Report: When he was seeking the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., won the support of Iowa high school government teacher Tod Bowman, in part, because he liked the Illinois Democrat's willingness to ask all Americans to pay the Social Security tax on all their income.
Bowman had clashed with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., at a 2007 town-hall meeting over her unwillingness to impose the 12.4 percent Social Security tax on all income above $97,500, the cap which was in place at the time.
"I understand that in her world $97,000 is the middle class, but here in Iowa $97,000 doesn't qualify as the middle class," Bowman told the Associated Press. Bowman added that as someone who makes under $97,500 per year, he felt that he paid an unfair share.
Contacted on Friday about Obama's newly clarified plan to exempt income between $102,00 and $250,000 from new Social Security taxes, Bowman said he wanted to hear from the campaign about it.
"I want to see if this is a compromise or if this is selling-out," Bowman told ABC News. "I was kind of put out there on the podium to support (taxing all income at the same rate) and now he's moving a little bit away from it."
June 13, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (79)
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Tod Bowman welocme to under Obama's bus.
Posted by: geevill | Jun 13, 2008 1:39:53 PM
What did Bowman really expect from a world class panderer like Obama. Once he got the nomination he flip flopped on this issue, like most everything else.
His Indian name should be: Chief talks out of both sides of mouth
Posted by: Jay | Jun 13, 2008 1:40:53 PM
Mr. Bowman, it's called pandering to get your vote. Face it, Obama doesn't need you any longer.
Posted by: s.valenti | Jun 13, 2008 1:42:13 PM
Mr. Bowman should know that for someone to come from no where to make an offering of any kind, the burden was on him to be suspicious. If not, he should read all the Nigerian emails making all kinds of promises and respond positively to them.
Posted by: esvida | Jun 13, 2008 1:44:50 PM
pandering oh like mccain is doing with social security?
This guy needs to learn that there is this magical thing called video tape and we can go back and look at it and see exactly what a person has said on it...
its a google!
Posted by: bhrandon | Jun 13, 2008 1:49:10 PM
OBAMA IS JUST SHOWING HE IS ALSO A SHREWD POLITICIAN.THAT IS ALL!! sO MUCH FOR CHANGE!!!
TO ALL HILLARY SUPPORTERS....WE MUST NOT VOTE FOR THIS GUY. DO NOT VOTE FOR mC cSIN BUT DONT VOTE FOR HIM. sTAY HOME. tHIS GUY IS NOW GOING CENTRIST AFTER LEANING LEFT TO DEFEAT OUR HILLARY. DO NOT FORGET ALL THE GARBAGE WE AND HILLARY HAD TO ENDURE UNTIL SHE HAD TO SUSPEND!!
Posted by: sam | Jun 13, 2008 1:50:11 PM
bhrandon
You must be an Obama supporter - you would love to see people stay home.
NO DEAL - we will not be staying home. We are going to vote for McCain.
Posted by: disgusted in Illinois | Jun 13, 2008 1:52:30 PM
Don't feel bad Mr. Bowman, a lot of people bought what Obama was selling. No one vetted, questioned or even bothered to find out who this guy was at the beginning. Heck, they still aren't. The media will always give him a free pass.
Posted by: McCain Democrat | Jun 13, 2008 1:53:21 PM
More like a Brownian Plan.
Another boneheaded mistake by the known unknown.
Posted by: Olbermn3 | Jun 13, 2008 2:00:01 PM
For those of you who feel like you'll be benefited from "taxing the rich", you're so wrong. Who make $250,000 in small cities?? it's small business owners. If these owners got tax too high, what are they going to do?? they will either reduce the working hours, reduce wages, or lay off workers. My father-in-law has a small business and business has been tough and he already said with high tax, he's going to have to lay off workers.
Same with corporate tax. they are in business to make money but if corporate tax too high, then they will go somewhere else for business. I don't understand why there's a suprise or complaint why jobs are going overseas. America tax corporate business 2nd highest in the world. Union is the 2nd main reason for business to leave. They demand too much.
This country is really going to doom. Bush already made a mess with obama's change, we're all going to the end of the river. Good Luck everyone!!!
Posted by: hannah | Jun 13, 2008 2:06:24 PM
That's Obama quicksilver policy for you. If only he would stick with something the way he stuck with that racist church for 20 years.
Posted by: Mack | Jun 13, 2008 2:07:39 PM
(CNN) – Barack Obama said Thursday he fully expects Republican's to play the fear card in the general election, and will attempt to portray both him and his wife Michelle as "scary."
---
Why do they need to portray them "scary"?
They are scary, being a phony hypocrite who constantly makes boneheaded mistakes to deceive voters like Mr. Bowman to get nominated.
As always, the phony always thinks so highly of himself, but in really, he is nothing but phony hypocrite who get his affirmative action in the primaries.
Posted by: skinny dog | Jun 13, 2008 2:13:52 PM
Huffington Post has no credibility - they are a very biased website.
They do not post all comments, only that agree with their left wing agenda and favors Obama.
No thank you - huffington post is not on my radar as having any credibility.
I, also, say Adriana Huffington on Jay Leno and she made belittling comments about West Virginia voters. I won't watch Jay Leno now because the fool laughed when she said it.
Posted by: disgusted in Illinois | Jun 13, 2008 2:25:26 PM
If we can remmember it was during the ABC debate that Obama said there might have to be an exception to those with income between the $97,000 and $200,000.
None the less somethingh needs to be done about SS.
Posted by: Thinking | Jun 13, 2008 2:29:44 PM
Bowman, you are one of many who have been thrown under Obama's bus.
That is the change you can believe in.
Posted by: george | Jun 13, 2008 2:34:27 PM
Wow, another man was thrown under the bus.. Who's next???
Posted by: True Truth | Jun 13, 2008 2:37:53 PM
SOODD: Same old Obama, different day!
Posted by: Soetoro No! | Jun 13, 2008 2:45:08 PM
Hello, this plan will go a long way to fixing the social security problem that has been ignored for too long by the Bush/McCain Administration.
I favor no exemption. But, plus 250 will bring in enough revenue to keep the system solvent for another 30 years.
Note to Hannah. This is not about small business owners, this is a payroll tax.
Posted by: Keith | Jun 13, 2008 2:45:39 PM
disgusted in Illinois:
You are correct.
Ding! Ding! Ding! You're a winner!!
McCain 08!
Posted by: Vickie | Jun 13, 2008 2:47:34 PM
Thinking
Sorry, McCain is never on Obama's bus so he can't throw him...
Posted by: True Truth | Jun 13, 2008 2:48:57 PM
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