Obama jabs McCain for 'rich' definition
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/08/18/art.obama3mil.ap.jpg caption="Obama took aim at McCain for jokingly defining ‘rich’ as earning $5 million or more per year."]
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) – Barack Obama took a jab Monday at a weekend comment by John McCain that the minimum income for “rich” making $5 million a year.
At an economic roundtable discussion of the economy Monday in Albuquerque, Obama accused McCain of “peddling” President Bush’s economic policies from the past eight years, including tax breaks for the wealthy.
“Which I guess if you’re making $3 million a year, you're middle class,” said Obama, admitting that maybe McCain was joking.
But that's reflected in his policies,” Obama continued, “where for people making more than $2.5 million, he's giving folks a $500,000 tax break. And so this is a fundamental difference in this election.”
Both candidates appeared, separately, at Pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church on Saturday for his “civil forum” on faith, values and leadership. Asked to define “rich,” McCain responded that it should be defined by a home, a good job, education and “the ability to hand our children a safer and more prosperous world…”
“So I think if you’re just talking about income, how about five million?” he later added. “I’m sure that comment will be distorted, but the point is that we want to keep people’s taxes low and increase revenues.”
Asked the same question earlier in the night, Obama joked that it was book sales of 25 million referring to Warren’s bestselling books. He then declined to give an exact number saying that it depends where one lives but that $250,000 a year means “you are doing well.”
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded in an email saying that Obama is “shamelessly distorting” McCain’s comment.
"Remember when Barack Obama said he was ‘tired of distortion, name-calling, and sound bite solutions to complicated problems?’ Neither do we," wrote Bounds.
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to the wrirter of the above
Obama never say 55k was rich so you better get the GOP talking points right . he mention poeple making 250k were doing alright depending where you lived.The so called finance poeple were the same one's who back the current Bush plan see where gotten us.The marriage penalty is also a a lie, When over half of the major companies do not pay any taxes is another why we have a problem.
rewrite– to your comment he said 250k+ so get it right.. stop lying on the man and pay attention to what he says.
O.K. let me get this right: Panamanian McCain will keep the same Bush tax cuts in place. These tax cuts have destroyed this country. Any questions?
To the poster "Obama is the dumbest candidate ever"
Clearly you have no other intelligent input nor have you clearly read his economic platform. You need to look at your self in the mirror and realize that you yourself are a lemming – just simply believing the Republican lies.
Personally I am frightened of people such as yourselves – no ability to keep an open mind and really find the truth. Instead we are seeing the dumbing down of America, where we believe in easy solutions, and have foreign policy that can be reduced to simple campaign stump speeches like "Drill here – drill now"
These are the rich people McCain is going to help the MOST.... McCain and Rick Warren cheated on Saturday and SMART voters KNOW IT.
If you have to cheat before having a debate with a pastor you have definately lost your bearings......
I heard it. McBush was joking but it was a freudian slip joke. In McCains world, five million dollars is not much money.
Who was the leader of their clas and who graduated 85 out of 89 poop-for- brains?
Change 08
Deception, misdirection and propaganda, that is the Republican way. If anyone with any common sense think that John McCain and the wealthy Republican party is going to look after them then they are crazy. Forget about it.
"Obama is the dumbest candidate ever" whoever you are you are so dumb, read again the article it says 250K not 55k, idiot think, you must be taking something really big.
To the one guy that's posted so far... economists have already confirmed that his plan would save people making 55K range more money than McCain's would... so before spouting off distortions that certain crazy right wing radio show hosts are lying about... actually take a look at his plans. That way the person calling Obama the dumbest candidate ever won't look like the dumbest blog poster ever.
McCain still hasn't answered the question...
McCain also advertises that Obama will increase taxes on everyone – so McCain started the financial distortions first.
"he's giving folks a $500,000 tax break." – how is giving breaks to the rich helping our economy? I know 3 people worth several million and none of them are spending that $500k of tax savings on our economy.
McCain is richer than Obama even without his wife's income. Who's elitist? Who puts Country First?
Obama did not say 55k + is rich, if you are going to quote get it right. He said if you are making 250K+ you should be comfortable. If Americans weren't living above their means then we wouldn't have this huge mortgage crisis with foreclosure at a all time high. A lot of people brought houses above their means, we couldn't afford the war, and all of this unnecessary spending that the President has gotten us in, so can you imagine how it is going to be if McCain is in the white house, we will all be in the poor house if you are not making millions.
I quess it is the norm to walk around in $500.00 and their are Americans that can not afford shoes for their children. THINK!!!!!
Obama is the dumbest candidate ever – SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE MILLIONAIRE. Once again if your are making more than $250,000.00 a year then you will pay more. If you are under $250,000.00 you know the people the McCain Campaign thinks are WHINNERS and in a MENTAL RECESSION you will get a tax credit. KNOW THE FACTS
OBAMA 08-12
HE NEVER SAID 55K WAS RICH. I BELIEVE HE SAID 250K.
Even when Jesus was born his earthly parents had gone to be counted and pay taxes. Having said that I have to remind you that any government the world over has but one simple business and that is…..to collect taxes to allow the governments to provide services and protection to its citizens…take that away and there is no purpose of a government. I think you should be more involved in deciding what those services are. Take your pick and whining is not an option.
Obama's rich number appears to move. President Bush vetoed the Farm Bill, citing the preference to limit subsidies to farmers making over $2 million per year. Obama voted to override the veto, so at least on that day, rich was apparently somewhere over $2 million. Regardless of any of that, why does Obama think that just because someone makes more money, they should pay more taxes. Progressive (socialist) tax rates are not the answer.
LOL the term rich is relavent. Oprah is poor, when you compare her to Bill Gates and 55K is rich if you're making around 20-30K.
Obama goofed on this one. McCain said in the forum that he was joking and that he'd probably have it used against him by the Obama campaign. That Obama took the bait, here, shows he is playing politics at the most amateur level. He should have let this one ride. Mistakes like these are going to cost we Democrats the White House. 🙁
...he later added....the point is that we want to keep people’s taxes low and increase revenues.”
Well, this is what McCain AND Obama would say. But you and I know that you can't do both. And the government will always err on the side of helping itself to your income. Revenue, to the government IS taxes. So does it make sense to say "keep people's taxes low and increase taxes"?
NOPE.
don't vote for either of these two candidates!! They are only looking out for themselves, bigger government and more bloated government programs for their friends to run.
Sorry McCain, not all of us choose to leave our wives for multi-million dollar heiress'.
Obama didn't say 55,000.00 was rich – he said 250,000 & over would be taxed & lower than 100,000.00 would get a tax break!! See thats the problem with Republican voters – they always hear only what they want!!
Why haven't we seen any stories envolving McCain's children from his first marriage?
Could it be that they don't respect him? Are they refusing to be interviewed or are McCain's koolaid sippers, the mainstream media, protecting him like they did Edwards by not bringing attention to his adulterous past? Did McCain threaten them not to make any public statements?
Or that they are following the golden rule-
If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. I think that lack of support says volumes about not only McCain's family values but also his morals and his ethics.
when has Obama said 55K is rich? just another example of if the GOP cant debate the issue they just make something up. Obama did say GOP take pride in being ignorant boy is that true.
Where does it say that Obama thinks $55K is rich? Do tell.