Obama Video?

[Mystiqsoulchild]

Ok, who thinks that the LA times should release the video of Obama? I kind of think they only reason they are not releasing it is because A) The LA times wants Obama to win and they know if it gets out he will be screwed B) That or some how Obama is making them not realease it for the same reason. In all honestly, that shows me that Obama, and his Campiegne is just afraid of losing if the truth comes out. Which I quite don't get because if the LA times or Obama had a video that would screw over John McCain that would realease it in a heart beat. In all honesty I think it is just dumb, well what do you yall think?

[Omni]

Re: Obama Video?

Maybe because it has no relevance? They cant even prove Ayers was even at the dinner or not. It's just another attempt to make this election about Obama than about fixing crap (or atleast talking about fixing crap) in this country. The GOP doesnt have anything to say about the latter, so they rather talk about the former.

It was not clear whether Ayers was actually at the dinner. Asked for evidence that he was, McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb pointed to a 2005 New York Sun story that mentioned that Ayers had offered a testimonial to Khalidi that was included in a book created for the farewell event, held to mark his departure from Chicago to take a job in New York, where he is a professor at Columbia University.

Asked whether that story really shows that Ayers was at the dinner, Goldfarb said: “We want to know what happened at the dinner–you all need to report the answers.”

Really? You want to know what Obama was doing at a dinner 5 years ago when the country's economy jumps 200-900 points up or down on any given day?


Washington Wire - WSJ.com : McCain Accuses L.A. Times of Holding Back Obama Video

taru edit:


What's even more interesting is that McCain used to head the International Republican Institute (IRI) which funded (to the amount of $448,873) the same guy Obama was attending dinner for that night, Rashid Khalidi.

Does this mean McCain is aiding terrorists too because Khalidi is an PLO activist and scholar (btw and professor at Columbia University)?

McCain Funded Work Of Palestinian His Campaign Hopes To Tie To Obama

taru edit II:

Actually there's more to how much McCain funded Rashid Khalidi.

According to tax returns:
$448,873 in 1998
$389,621 in 1999

Totalling: $838,494

Is the GOP really that retarded? To criticize someone that their own candidate had involvement with too? All they are trying to accomplish is to put that bad press out there so uninformed people can read headlines and make snap judgements. Pretty pathetic and desperate.

[Mystiqsoulchild]

Re: Obama Video?

Maybe because it has no relevance? They cant even prove Ayers was even at the dinner or not. It's just another attempt to make this election about Obama than about fixing crap (or atleast talking about fixing crap) in this country. The GOP doesnt have anything to say about the latter, so they rather talk about the former.



Really? You want to know what Obama was doing at a dinner 5 years ago when the country's economy jumps 200-900 points up or down on any given day?


Washington Wire - WSJ.com : McCain Accuses L.A. Times of Holding Back Obama Video

How do you know they can't prove it? The video is not even out, so they could very well prove it. That and the LA times has said that they do have the video, but they are holding it back because someone told them not to give it out. I honestly think it is a big deal, because if you are ok with honering a terrorist whether or not it was 5 or 10 years ago, you pretty much sealed the deal, and I think it would hurt him a lot if people really knew what was on that tape. Also, who is to say he still does not feel about that way now? Also, there is a lot more issues sarrounding Obama basides that, and I think in the long run this is going to hurt Obama.

(dont talk about the poles either, poles mean shit accept for the ones on Tuesday.) I only made this pole to see ware others stand on this issue.

[Omni]

Re: Obama Video?

Read what I edit'ed in my last post. If Obama is honoring a terrorist by attending his dinner then, McCain is too by funding him almost half a million dollars in the past.

So if McCain is going to bring this up, he'll need to answer for his own actions too concerning this SAME individual.

Is this what you would call kettle, pot, black?

[Mystiqsoulchild]

Re: Obama Video?

Read what I edit'ed in my last post. If Obama is honoring a terrorist by attending his dinner then, McCain is too by funding him almost half a million dollars in the past.

So if McCain is going to bring this up, he'll need to answer for his own actions too concerning this SAME individual.

They all have there issues and they all have there falts, in my personal opinion I don't think either is going to do what they are set out to do. (Obama will most likely raise taxes, and make us all poor etc...) (McCain will most likely die before he even begins to do what he says he is going to do, that and some of the things that both canidates want to do for the US will most likely never happen.)

[Omni]

Re: Obama Video?

Obama wants to raise taxes on the top 5% of ppl out there. Do you make more than $250,000 a year?

[Mystiqsoulchild]

Re: Obama Video?

Obama wants to raise taxes on the top 5% of ppl out there. Do you make more than $250,000 a year?

last time I checked, Joe Biden said yesterday here in FL $125,000+ a year (and yes we make that much or more a year.) It was first 250k a year then 200k a year then 150k a year now its 125k a year.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAEE1_IUycs"]YouTube - Joe Biden Will Tax Those Making More Than $150K Now[/ame]

[Omni]

Re: Obama Video?

He was either making an example, such as 'someone making 150k' or he gaffed and meant 250k.

The rhetoric the whole campaign has been 250k or less.

[Caspian]

Re: Obama Video?

Keep in mind, the 250k applies to businesses, and a lot of businesses, even smaller local ones, gross more than 250k a year.
Also, even for bigger businesses, that 5% they can nolonger spend on expanding and creating new jobs.
Thats less of an incentive on someone planning on starting a new business.

Just saw a post about what Biden said, yes it was another one of his gaffes.

[Malacite]

Re: Obama Video?

The problem for companies isn't taxes anyway.

Yes it's true that the USA has the 2nd highest corporate tax rate in the world (Japan is #1) but, at least for the larger companies profits have been at an all time high.

What's killing companies is labour costs, not taxes. Out sourcing happens because companies can go to other counties and set up shop paying people for as little as 1/10th of what an American would get, on top of little to no benefits being given.

Couple that with the obscene health care costs today and it's a recipe for disaster. For example, some auto makers flock here to Canada because it will only cost them about $200 per Car for the heatlh care plan, where it's 10x that in the USA.


I don't really see what's wrong with "Redistributing the wealth" anyway. People bitch about there not being enough jobs, or not willing to do "crappy" jobs like janitorial work or picking vegetables etc. I guarantee you'd have people lined up for any job if it paid enough.

So what if CEO's or Athletes/Celebrities can't live it up like they're gods on Earth. That's one less 8 ball to snort on the weekends.

And before anyone starts crying "communism" I'm not saying that everyone should make the same money, that's ludicrous. You have to compensate the Doctors and Lawyers appropriately for the work they put in both in their jobs and the schooling it took to get there.

However, I just do not see any valid, concievable reason for someone to make so much more money than even the President of the USA for so much less effort. You can not argue that anyone works harder than the President. It is the most grueling, demanding job in the world and (only since bush took office) pays $400,000 a year.

Thank goodness for people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet who are donating billions for the benefit of others. Consider how much you could improve the lives of so many people by raising their wages and thus, their standard of living.

Furthermore, since the US economy is one based heavily on consumption, why not increase people's disposable income? The more people shop, the better the economy does. The more money people have, the more they can shop. And if you pay your employees well and treat them right, then you have a good productive team on your hands. Everyone wins.

I'm probably being too ideal but that's just how I see things. I can think of few things are as obscene as one person making in a day what his or her employees make in a year.

[Mystiqsoulchild]

Re: Obama Video?

I Honestly just think that Obama is a good actor when he speaks, I think thats why a lot of people believe in him. I will be honest with you when you listen to him it sounds real, nice, and all that, but come on the US will never be that great, and it hasn't been that great in like 50+ years, and I highly doubt Obama is the person to do that.

[Caspian]

Re: Obama Video?

And I partially agree, Malacite. Athletes and actors are paid obscene amounts of cash for doing something many if not most of them would do for much less. Part of the problem is that its society that has decided that that's what we'll pay them for doing that job. Its not the governments job to tell someone you make too much. Additionally, there are some CEO's out there that built up their company themselves. They worked hard their whole lives and are now reaping the benefits. They do something that noone else does as well. They should be rewarded for their hard work and ingenuity. Not driven into the ground because we've determined that we'll pay what they ask for their service or product, but we don't like how much they earn because of that.
And like I said, its not just going to hurt the big time celebrities and CEO's. Its going to affect a lot of small businesses. 250k sounds like a lot, but after overhead and employee benefits and wages, it isn't much at all. That's what "Joe the Plumber" was asking about. It affects a lot moer people than most people believe.
Btw, I'm all for Bill Gates and other CEO's giving money to charities and helping the underprivileged. They've had a lot of good things happen to them and they're in the position to help in a way most others can't. But again, that's their decision. The government shouldn't be forcing people to give up their income to help a lot of people who don't care to help themselves.

Employee wages aren't the whole reason that companies outsource. Its also not the biggest reason companies relocate to being based outside the U.S.. It's taxes. If you had a company in Germany, then you'd pay German taxes on what you did in Germany, and you'd pay U.S. taxes on what you did in the U.S. If you had a company based in the U.S., then you'd pay U.S. taxes on what you did in the U.S., but you' pay both German and U.S. taxes on what you did in Germany. Its not an incentive bring a company to the U.S.

[Malacite]

Re: Obama Video?

If you had a company based in the U.S., then you'd pay U.S. taxes on what you did in the U.S., but you' pay both German and U.S. taxes on what you did in Germany. Its not an incentive bring a company to the U.S.

You're not taking into account though that despite the taxes, it can be worth it because the USA is the greatest market on the planet.

Furthermore, look at how well the economy did during Clinton's 2 terms. Obama is only going to raise taxes back to how they were then, and the economy did just fine so no, it's not taxes. More than anything else it is the health care system that is bankrupting the country. I read somewhere that the national debt could potentially shoot up to 36 trillion dollars because of the cost that the War in Iraq and the aging baby boomers is going to cause the economy to really collapse.

It's completely out of hand. People seriously need to get into shape and there needs to be a large focus, both on the parts of the people and their family doctors to push for preventative care. It's easier said than done I know, but you're better off eating right and getting some kind of physical activity in your life than paying out the nose for medicines and medical procedures.

Trust me, companies pay far, far more in health care costs than they do in taxes. Look at Japan; they have the highest tax rate in the world but still do amazingly well because they pay jack shit in health care. The Japanese diet is the healthiest in the world (Okinawa's avg life expectancy is over 90!)

Though you're not entirely wrong either, their economy could collapse quite easily from those high taxes if they lost their edge in high technology but that's not too likely. The key is fixing health care and using money properly to create job opportunities. I for one really do think there ought to be a mandated salary cap (note I said Salary, not income)

[Caspian]

Re: Obama Video?

But not being based in the U.S. doesn't prevent you from competing in the market.

Also, from everything I've read, it takes a minimum of 10 years for Presidential policy to have a noticable effect on the country. If thats true, then that puts the blame squarely on the previous president, and puts the success that he's often credited with Reagan and the first Bush.

FYI, a large part of the current economic problems stem from the loosening of home loans in the late 90's. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac started giving out home loans like it was candy on Halloween to people they knew could not repay those loans. 10 years later we have a huge fallout in the housing market due to so many foreclosures, the vast majority of which would never have been given loans if the original rules had stayed in place.

[Mystiqsoulchild]

Re: Obama Video?

But not being based in the U.S. doesn't prevent you from competing in the market.

Also, from everything I've read, it takes a minimum of 10 years for Presidential policy to have a noticable effect on the country. If thats true, then that puts the blame squarely on the previous president, and puts the success that he's often credited with Reagan and the first Bush.

FYI, a large part of the current economic problems stem from the loosening of home loans in the late 90's. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac started giving out home loans like it was candy on Halloween to people they knew could not repay those loans. 10 years later we have a huge fallout in the housing market due to so many foreclosures, the vast majority of which would never have been given loans if the original rules had stayed in place.

I agree with you 100% and a lot of people are blaming Bush for that, when it was Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs falt to begin with. Then again we live in a ignorant world.