and Obama believes babies surviving abortions are not living humans.

Why is it heightened rhetoric by the Democratic Senator against his Republican opponent whenever Obama says anything.

It was a dumb thing to say on McCain's part, and does warrant a comment or two from Obama.

Obama didn't mistate anything here - McCain is really out of touch with regular folks when it comes to economic policies. His tax plan does favor the wealthy, like his wife and best bud, Phil Gramm. I hope people pay attention or we will all be sorry if we allow the Bush policies to continue.

Why does Obama do this; does he think everyone has his playground mentality? Grow up. He can joke and say $25 million but somehow McCain can't joke and say $5 million? Maybe instead of focusing in on that he could focus in on giving a direct answer to when conception starts. Not only does he lack judgment, maturity isn't a strong suit either.

More mccain humor? I'm not laughin'. This is a serious issue this election and the hero laughs it off - but drones on and on with old war stories. Frankly I don't give a rip - what is your perception of rich mr mccain? It's a pocketbook issue, and it matters to me. His disregard for serious issues and attention paid to hooey like claiming Obama wants to lose in Iraq to win an election is insulting. What a ridiculously ignorant thing for any american to say - yet the joker is applauded for it. It's a disgrace to hear comments like that coming from mccain. Tawdry and petty and truly dishonable - mccain must have traded his character for the gop nomination. Cut through the crap and listen to the policies of these candidates - do your own research and fact checking because the msm and campaigns sure aren't going to do it for you. You're being fed pretty pictures - good stories - not reality.

Obama seems to have lost his hope and change in the gutter.

I think the 5 million comment by McCain may have been the biggest gaffe of the night overall. I actually think a lot of what McCain said could be used to make the 3rd Bush term argument. I think a tag line on a number of ads based on that forum could be along the lines of 'Don't just change the face, change direction.'

McCain's health plan calls for the taxing of employer-paid health insurance benefits as regular income. Just another method to benefit the rich corporations at the expense of the middle and lower classes. And he claims that Obama is going to raise taxes?

geevill - you're proof to the contrary, huh?

McCain owns 7- over 1 million dollar homes across the U.S., wears $540 shoes, and wants to kill Social Security while he still accepts his social security check. This guy has no idea what the average person is facing today. I hope the Middle Class will come out in full force against this Elitist who only cares for the wealthy.

"and Obama believes babies surviving abortions are not living humans."

-------------------------------------

At, at least Obama realizes that people dying in a made-up war of choice and spending billions of dollars in Iraq while Americans go without health care is morally worse than abortion. I see the right wing is intent on trying to make abortion an issue in this election...that might go over until Americans get their first heating bills of the season!

Neither of these guys are middle class, low income on anything in between, they are both rich and are both out of touch with people who struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table. I wonder the last time either of them had to worry about feeding and clothing their kids or go to a real job where they had to break a sweat????? They are both politiicans and both are probably crooked-I am waiting to see who they choose for v/p before deciding who I will vote for, but I think the media has already elected our next POTUS...unfortunately.

On the other hand, Obama said you may be poor if you make $150K per year. Do you really think he believes that or was he pandering to the middle class.

At what paygrade would Obama be able to answer the abortion question. Actually we already know the answer. Obama was the only one to vote against saving the lives of babies surviving botched abortions.

Obama is losing his message. He's not the same candidate who can continue camouflage with different colours and lies. Obama is still the most hypocritical candidate in US history. I am not glad I am part of it.

So, are any McCain supporters bothered by him seemingly just making up this story about a cross in the dirt?

Well, okay, plagiarizing isn't just making it up. To make up something requires a little creativity. But are you guys bothered by him using an episode from Solzhenitsyn’s book as his own experiences?

Just curious.

Geevil - Christians understand Obama's comment about paygrade.

Actually its refreshing to see a Christian candidate who reflects the humility at least my Church says we ought to have.

Obama doesn't claim to understand God and life. I'll take that over the false Bible thumpers who want to convince me they speak for God.

I respectfully disagree with Markymark. I think that the biggest gaffe of the evening was Obama's "above my pay grade" comment.

McCain's cross in the dirt story is a total fabrication. Actually he lifted it from Solzhenitsyn's book. McCain is lying or is imagining things which is even scarier. This man cannot be trusted with anything.

I left the Republican Party because of the loony Anti-Choice Crowd. I'll come back to the Republican Party if you can answer me this simple question:
If your daughter was raped by her uncle and became pregnant should she be able to have an abortion?

Paul,

MCain has told that story for 10 years. It is even in one of his books. It bothers us that Obama supporters can d nothing but attack other people.

Besides, all we know about McCain is that he understands Wikipedia and Solzhenitsyn.

Okay, that's a stretch, regarding Wikipedia. The part of that Georgia article he didn't take word for word, he summarized and actually introduced a historical mistake. But the parts he copied word for word, he got those just right.

another severe beating taken by Obama. and it was not even a true debate.

geevill - no, not 10 years but he has told that story for nine years. It came out in the book he wrote for his 2000 campaign.

And its changed over the years. People are going back today and looking at all that. Its been a stick in the dirt, a sandal in the dirt...

But this doesn't change the simple two facts that, 1) the same thing happened in the Gulag Archipelago, and 2) McCain is familiar with that book as he included the act of writing it as one of his twelve tough historical decisions.

Fellow Obama supporters,

Geevil has been around whining since the HRC primaries and hasn't gotten anything right to date.

He's consumed so much crow, his tail feathers are starting to show.

No worries, there will be an all HE AND OTHER CYNICS can eat come November.

THEY KEEP WHINING, while WE KEEP WINNING.

POTUS OBAMA - ITS INEVITABLE

And not the first time McCain got caught lying about his experiences there - remember the Steelers thing?

Kind of makes you wonder what else McCain has been lying about, huh?

Good luck with these attacks on McCain. Obama's support for post-birth abortions is now out in the open.

MCCAIN IS RIGHT IT SHOULD COME DOWN TO THE STATES ON ABORTION. LET THE PEOPLE IN THE STATES VOTE ON IT.

Can someone please do a report on how Obama lied in the forum on faith yesterday when he said that abortions have gone up under President Bush, they have not . USA today did a story on Jan 18 2008 the headline" Overall abortions rates continue to drop the lowest in the last 30 years", and the article going to show statics from non partisan groups that the abortion rate has been going down each year for the last 8 years. I'm sorry I feel passionate about this because Obama always adds facts with fictions to make a point and the media never calls him on it, like his hardest decision was the Iraq war, please how does doing a speech at some anti war rally in his liberal district count as a hard decision when he wasn't even in the senate and by the time he came to the senate 3 years later he was voting for every funding bill for the war the press just lets him get away with these half truths and up right lies.

POTUS OBAMA - ACCEPT THE INEVITABLE

Yes, let's not give McCain hard questions. He only knows about Torture and being a victim. Nothing about the Economy, Environment, or anything that might pertain to YOU!

Can someone please do a report on how Obama lied in the forum on faith yesterday when he said that abortions have gone up under President Bush, they have not . USA today did a story on Jan 18 2008 the headline" Overall abortions rates continue to drop the lowest in the last 30 years", and the article going to show statics from non partisan groups that the abortion rate has been going down each year for the last 8 years. I'm sorry I feel passionate about this because Obama always adds facts with fictions to make a point and the media never calls him on it, like his hardest decision was the Iraq war, please how does doing a speech at some anti war rally in his liberal district count as a hard decision when he wasn't even in the senate and by the time he came to the senate 3 years later he was voting for every funding bill for the war the press just lets him get away with these half truths and up right lies.

Cynics keep WHINING.

Obama keeps WINNING.

Can you say LANDSLIDE???

Your pre-fabricated lemming polls won't be able to help you then.

More crow and Grey Poupon, cynics?

McCain's philosophy of low taxes is great, if you don't mind handing the bill to my kids and grand kids.
Why would he care? His kids all make more than 5 million per year. Cindy saw to that!

As commented on MSNBC; Take it from an Arizona resident, when McSame tries to make a funny, which means he’s telling the truth and thinks we are too stupid to see it because he’s laughing. Then he’ll say, no, no I was kidding (you bunch of stupid jerks).

He thinks the middle class is the doormat to wipe his $500 shoes on. He does NOTHING for Arizona. NOTHING. He won’t take pork, so that means we don’t get new bridges or repaired dams. But his friends get subsidized federal money. To McSame, if you’re not rich (5 mill or above) you’re nothing and deserve nothing. Except maybe, taxes, yes if you’re poor or middle class you deserve to pay more taxes.

Judging from this article, I guess McCain dodged this questionas well . . . .
How many others didn't he answer?

Geevil: "Good luck with these attacks on McCain."

Thanks man. Now I see why you Republicans insist on campaigning like this. Its kind of fun, especially when your target is as phony as John McCain.

The best knowledge and experience that Wikipedia and Russian literature has to offer.

This from a man who's 2 choices of wise he would listen to are Michelle obama and the grandmother who he said was a typical white woman.

Hmm don't that make you feel safe.

Why did McCain get shot down in Vietnam? Is it because he made poor judgement? I do not want a president who makes poor judgement. And what makes him think that he's not going to do the same when he's president? There are other soldiers that encountered the same but that did not qualify them to be president. I have an uncle that got captured in Vietnam and got released after seven years and of course got purple heart but that does'nt qualify him to be president. Vote for OBAMA to be the next president!

By the way, Geevil, care to comment on McCain's performance on the David Letterman show back in October 2001?

LETTERMAN: How are things going in Afghanistan now?

MCCAIN: "I think we're doing fine... I think we'll do fine. The second phase -- if I could just make one, very quickly -- the second phase is Iraq. There is some indication, and I don't have the conclusions, but some of this anthrax may -- and I emphasize may -- have come from Iraq."

LETTERMAN: "Oh is that right?"

MCCAIN: "If that should be the case, that's when some tough decisions are gonna have to be made."

Hmmm. Is that McCain announcing the GOP's decision to invade Iraq more than a year before we did? Why, why... that's not how the White House says it played out. They say they were committed to pursuing all diplomatic approaches. But here's hot head... telling Letterman and the TV audience, nah, we're just going to whack 'em.

when i read all the ob supporters you people are winers i am a independent moderate i have never seen people like you before ill give mccains people one thing they're certainly not winers.

Janet: "Why did McCain get shot down in Vietnam? Is it because he made poor judgement."

McCain was a pretty bad pilot. In training, he crashed two aircraft and almost crashed a third when he flew through electrical lines. Also, it routinely took him a little longer to achieve various flight qualifications.

But from what I understand, getting shot down in combat is something of a luck of the draw kind of thing. I haven't heard anyone suggest he screwed up on some evasive action he was supposed to take, or anything like that.

McCain's point was well-taken:
You only need to put a dollar amount on "rich" if your purpose is to redistribute the wealth through taxes (otherwise known as buying the votes of the poor people with money taxed off rich people).

5 million uh? McCain can get it right even cheating

This smacks of desperation. How sad that Obama has to make things up to be upset about. Obama can say Bye Bye to his lead. John McCain is the next president of the United States. Sorry Barrack....good luck in life.

Gee Paul, and wasn't it dumb of Obama to say that "rich" meant selling 25 million books? McCain should have jumped on that, but he has too much class. It was a joke, but Obama needs to use whatever he has to salvage his pitiful campaign.

But, to more important stuff, the smart media is rightfully jumping all over Obama's ignorant comments about Justice Thomas. Now, that's news. Dear ABC, can you please focus on the news, and not this silly stuff?

thank you.

JonDo: "...buying the votes of the poor people with money taxed off rich people."

If your characterization is fair, isn't it also fair to say that proposing low taxes should also be characterized as buying votes?

And the bottom line is that we aren't going to significantly cut spending. We've had Democrats in office and we've had Republicans in office. None have any stomach for reducing the size of government.

So are we going to continue the tax-cutting policies of the past seven years, that have added nearly $5 trillion of debt (nearly doubling our total public obligations... in just two presidential terms)?

That's just pandering for votes now without any concern about the nation's future solvency.

The point is not whether or not McCain was joking...both joked, but only Obama came back and gave specific numbers (the question asked). McCain thought he could get away with skipping the heart of the question by joking and never gave america the answer we wanted to hear. Obama was right to point out that number was not a joke if you look at McCain's policies...McCain did not give us any numbers to look at otherwise.

decentAmerican - nope. That one came off as a joke because it was targeted at the interviewer.

And unlike McCain, Obama followed it with a real answer. Under $150k for a household, adjusted by regional cost of living, and Obama sees that as a middle class or lower situation. Above $250k for a household, and its a pretty comfortable situation. I think its safe to say the $100k gap is where he'd put upper middle class.

“Tax the rich” sounds good if you don’t consider yourself to be rich. Unfortunately it is shortsighted and self-defeating policy. Most rich people are not dumb about money - if their taxes are raised, then they will reduce cost (like raise prices or cut jobs) to compensate, or they will hide their money in safe investments until the tax climate gets better.

hahahahaaaa, since when does McGoo have class. And Justice Thomas is a disgrace and should have never been appointed.

Rick Warren.....
"How was it like in the CONE OF SILENCE "
John McCain....
"I tried to put my head against the wall to see if I could hear any of the answers" Laugh Laugh

It's not the deed ... it's the cover up.... Why is the McCain camp all riled up ? He cheated.
Why wasn't his answer " You know Rick... I have to be honest.. I got here late and didn't make it to the CONE OF SILENCE when I needed to be, but I didn't hear anything.

And besides, decentAmerican, I don't remember Obama trying to pass off any episodes from a Solzhenitsyn book as his own experiences.

Game, set, match for Obama.

The paygrade comment is so consistent with Obama. He won't answer questions that places him in one area of conviction. He avoids, and votes "present". This is not a leader, but an immature man-boy who objects at the most vain things. He is exactly the problem we have with politicians: the promotion of the politics of envy and jealousy. "Vote for me because I knwo you're jealous of your neighbor and I will take from what your neighbor has rightfully earned and give it to you." I have finally made up my mind to vote for McCain where I had decided to vote for "none of the above." Obama's duplicity, lies, deception, disregard for human life, racism, and elitism are more than I can tolerate.

geevil...

really Obama told you this? and don't give me the he told me by actions and not deeds until you do some real homework...

judge not lest ye be judged.

geevil...

really Obama told you this? and don't give me the he told me by actions and not deeds until you do some real homework...

judge not lest ye be judged.

Higher taxes are not needed.
Less government spending is needed.

And yes, the point stands: Taxes on the rich are redistribution of wealth, plain and simple. It hasn't helped the poor - the War on Poverty has been a failure.

Lower taxes for everyone (even on the rich *gasp*) is proven to stimulate the economy and help everyone.

Frustrated voter:

Really...you were considering obama before? I don't believe you.

Let's take on Mr Mccain for a moment and let's look at just one topic first?

Evil----

Why is it that during a previous campaign he defined Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as evil, but didn't include them in his definition Saturday night? Has he experienced a Christian conversion just RECENTLY that changed his mind about them?

Do some research on your candidate for goodness sake.

Kind of ironic too...then when the obama campaign puts out a rebuttal to the lies in Jerome Corsi's book - Mccain ya gotta "have a sense of humor"?

where's his sense of humour over the questions about his supposed cone of silence?

he's just such a funny guy

McCain Democrat wrote: "..Obama...can joke and say $25 million but somehow McCain can't joke and say $5 million? Maybe instead of focusing in on that he could focus in on giving a direct answer..."
------------------------
Speaking of focusing, it was 25 million books sold, not dollars.

decentA: Actually Obama's 25 million books comment was directed at Rick Warren's book sales. He was making a subtle point - which you obviously completely missed.

I hope the USA deserves better than McCain. I still don't trust him from the Keating 5 crime. Was was he only senator in the crime ring to skip jail time?

McCain anti-Democrat... Learn how to read. Obama said 25 million book sales not $25 million.

al4mc: This may not be PC, but I'm tired of immigrants coming to the USA and reaping the benefits of YEARS of committment by US citizens who were comitted to Civil Rights. You would not be able to be nearly as prosperous in my country if not for that committment. You may want to study up on the history of labor and equality issues before you start spewing out 'socialist' comments. And I don't know a single person who wants to increase or revive welfare. Most US citizens want smaller government and personal freedom - black, white, rich and poor. I love the USA. In my mind, it's the best country in the world. But it's still not perfect.

You are missing the larger point McCain wanted to make: deciding who is rich is not for the president to decide. We should all pay our fair share of taxes, but last time I checked, almost a majority of the people in this country do not pay federal taxes. The wealthy already pay the very large percentage of all taxes. Poor people do not create jobs. People with money do. We need to make the laws more small-business friendly so that you and other inventive people can create your own jobs--and take the risks associated with doing so.

deciding who is rich is not for the president to decide but deciding when "life" begins is?

hmmmm

Glenn and McCain: cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment - THAT is that the Senate ethics committee found.

let's hope the electorate does enough research to exhibit better judgement than MrMcain

I'm not a McCain supporter, but I hate these little twist-the-truth articles because they're easier to write about than key issues.

According to another blog, the question McCain was asked was:

WARREN: Everybody talks about, you know, taxing the rich, but not the poor, the middle class. At what point, give me a number, give me a specific number. Where do you move from middle class to rich?

When McCain answered "$5M", did he mean income or net worth of $5 million? If I consider my home, savings, possessions, and what I'd need in the bank to replace my pension, I'm well over $1M in net worth but certainly not rich, though many I know who are just getting by on Soc. Sec. consider that I am. But I'm comfortable now and would feel very well off at $2M. To me that qualifies as rich, but my cousin, with $1.5M in equity in her home alone, doesn't consider herself rich. If McCain was trying to err on the side of really rich, $5 million in net worth is reasonable.

al4mcattack,

let's do more than talk slogans here shall we?
Do your homework.

are you aware that Mr McCain voted for the congressional earmark he chose to use as one of stories last Saturday...remember the bear story????

So do others - unfortunately for Mr Mcain.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/18/mccain-voted-for-earmark_n_119651.html

Obama's answer also showed how out of touch he is with the average American - according to Obama, people are only rich if they sell 25 million books. The bottom line is, there is no way to answer that question because it depends geography - a person making $100,000 a year in rural Arizona who owns a 5-bedroom home that he paid $120,000 for is probably "rich" compared to someone living in San Jose California, making twice that and living in a 2-bedroom, $500,000 house. Keep in mind - McCain is for keeping taxes set where they are, Obama is for raising them.

Some idiotic postings here.

Hypocrites... That is what I call all these so called Eveangelicals who are so obsessed about abortion( which by the way I believe to be a serious moral dilenma)and care not about the millions killed, maimed and displaced by the massive instruments of destruction that the US so readily spreads around the world. What is life to these self righteous, one issue voters?

mccains answer to wealth and fame------marry a rich druggie----exxon john has the iq of a frog--heard he had a little info about questions beforehand. did not think he could answer anything in an intelligent manner.--

must be an awfull lot of people on here making over 250,000.oo a year worrying about paying a little more taxes--sure wish i had that problem.

Did you watch the entire forum? McCain was joking about $5 million and even said he was joking and that his joke would be distorted. Obama knows this and uses it anyway--the new politics "we can believe in." Obama is not ready for a corporate job much less prez of the U.S.

mccain would send womans rights back 100 years---just remember obama earned what he has--mccain married a rich druggie.makes money selling boose----even to cuba---did not know that did you.

Lil'Me...

Are you privy in some way to information regarding Senator Obama's tax plan that has heretofore been unpublished. it's easy to repeat mr Mccain's standard campaign stump speech that's he's not for taxing anyone and state that Senator Obama's plan will cost you...but the Wall Street Journal (typically a fairly conservative publication) disagrees...Have you done your homework???????
To quote: Overall, Sen. Obama's middle-class tax cuts are larger than his partial rollbacks for families earning over $250,000, making the proposal as a whole a net tax cut and reducing revenues to less than 18.2% of GDP -- the level of taxes that prevailed under President Reagan.

Both candidates for president have proposed tax plans. But they are starkly different in their approaches and their economic impact. Sen. Obama is focused on cutting taxes for middle-class families and small businesses, and investing in key areas like health, innovation and education. He would do this while cutting unnecessary spending, paying for his proposals and bringing down the budget deficit.

In contrast, John McCain offers what would essentially be a third Bush term, with his economic speeches outlining $3.4 trillion of tax cuts over 10 years beyond what President Bush has already proposed and geared even more to high-income earners. The McCain plan would lead to deficits the likes of which we have never seen in this country. It would take money from the middle class and from future generations so that the wealthy can live better today.

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121867201724238901.html

KARRONA
THANKS YOU ARE A BREATH OF HOPE--AS MOST PEOPLE JUST DONT UNDERSTAND.

Lil'me,

And yes...that's a biased analysis...

but let's see yours.

Outline in detail for me -Mr Mccain's plan...and don't forget to leave out the $7,000 tax credit per dependent (while advocating the overtunr of Roe vWade and diminishing funding for birth control)..now that ought to be fun to pay for. .

LOL

how many books has obama sold? Combined total sales of both books and his book on tape?

geevill-perhaps you should do some research before posting bogus claims against any candidate on this Blog. If you bothered to look up any information regarding the bill Obama opposed in the Illinois Senate you would know it is not the same as the federal legislation regarding the protection of infants. Illinois already has a bill providing assistance and Obama voted against the additional legislation with the support of the Illinois medical community because it only served to water down Roe and was not as substantial in helping infants as the current legislation. You may dislike Obama, but get your story correct before you spew vile that is not correct.

To McCain 5 million /year is rich well so much for another one of McCain's sick jokes. He was bragging because he and Cindy are worth 100 million. McCain could care less about the workng class that is why he can make these sick jokes. I hope there is not enough rich people in America that could elect him as our president. As for the poor I hope for once they would look beyond skin color and vote their econmonic interest for once.

Obama must be getting desperate to use the $5 mil. comment by McCain. McCain said it would be distorted, but I assumed he thought it would be the media and not Obama. McCain was making light of the question and he qualified the statement by saying that he doesn't want to raise anyone's taxes, so to him it really doesn't matter how rich you are.

I agree the dumbest thing said was Obama and his its above my pay grade to be able to make a decision about abortion. This guy is to dumb to the president. He makes Paris Hilton look intelligent.

It just goes to show what McCain thinks about people that are not as financially well off as he is. Want to support the wealthy? Vote for mcain. Want to support the working class vote for Obama.But if you are just stubborn and insist on shooting yourself in the foot please do it at home and not at the voting booth where it affects the rest of us.

i wonder if anyone notvery smart--and that if not for ditching his first family to marry a rich woman w