BernieHund: The Political Watchdog

It’s a matter of opinion.  Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, and John McCain, the Republican nominee have begun the sparring.  The topics are taxes and the economy.  For setting the topics, Obama gets a point.  McCain would be much happier talking about his war service and foreign policy, particularly the War in Iraq.

Where do they stand on taxes?

McCain’s comments indicate tax cuts for the wealthy and his love for NAFTA.

One day after Obama hammered him on the economy, McCain told small business owners the presumed Democratic nominee’s economic proposals would hand them higher taxes and steeper overhead costs. He also criticized Obama for pledging to renegotiate the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which is credited for record exports by Republicans but blamed for job losses by many Democrats.

“You work hard in small businesses to grow and create new jobs and opportunities for others,” McCain told a Washington gathering of the National Federation of Independent Business. “The federal government shouldn’t make your work any harder.”

Obama responded:

Obama, speaking later to reporters in St. Louis, Mo., defended his proposals and called McCain’s remarks misleading. He said he would eliminate the capital gains tax “for the small businesses and startups that are the backbone of our economy.” His income tax plans, Obama said, would cut taxes for 95 percent of U.S. workers, while rolling back the Bush administration’s tax reductions for the highest-earning 5 percent.

McCain “wants to add $300 billion more in tax breaks and loopholes for big corporations and for the wealthiest Americans, and he hasn’t even explained how he’d pay for it,” Obama said.

McCain on healthcare and small businesses:

“I believe that the best way to help small businesses and employers afford health care is not to increase government control of health care but to bring the rising cost of care under control and give people the option of having personal, portable health insurance,” McCain told the NFIB group. Workers would be able to keep their insurance “even when they move or change jobs,” he said.

Obama responding to healthcare and small business comments:

Obama said the McCain plan would help only the wealthy.

“He’s offering a tax cut that won’t ensure that health care is affordable for hardworking families who need help most,” Obama said. “And his plan could actually put your coverage at risk by undermining the employer-based system that most Americans depend on.”

It doesn’t take a mental giant to see that the issues in the upcoming election are about as clear cut as they have been in years.  Maybe it’s time to keep a comparison chart to see which candidate is most likely to have policies that suit the American people.