Obama: A feistier candidate

Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:13 AM by Mark Murray

Yesterday at a town hall in New Mexico, NBC/NJ’s Athena Jones reports, Obama continued a line of attack he used over the weekend, arguing his economic plan would not lead to disaster. Instead, he said that disaster is already here because of Bush Administration policies that John McCain would continue.

Obama also reprised and refined a line he used for the first time earlier in the day. “We were in a forum the other day and Rick Warren ask [McCain] ‘Well, what do you consider rich?’ -- John McCain ‘Oh, I don’t know maybe $5 million -- so I guess it is ok.’ This explains why his tax plan gives hundreds of thousands of tax dollars and tax breaks to people making more $2.5 million, because I guess they’re middle class,” he said. “So I want to see a show of hands everybody making more than $2.5 million raise your hand -- you should, you know, you might want to think about voting for John McCain, because he is going to be looking out for them but he is not looking out for most of the people in this auditorium. That is what is at stake in this election.”

The DNC is up with a new Web video whacking McCain for his $5-million-is-rich answer at the Saddleback forum.

Also in New Mexico yesterday, Obama highlighted his support and proposals for equal pay and economic security for working women. The Democrat has pledged to increase civil rights enforcement, raise the minimum wage, and push paid leave and flexible work schedules.

Many reporters noticed a feistier Obama yesterday.

More Obama yesterday: "Everywhere I go, people have told me, 'I'm getting nervous. The Republicans, they're so mean. They're going to Swift-boat you. They're doing things to you. What are you going to do?'" Obama said. "I have to just remind people that it is true that, just as John McCain has embraced George Bush's policies, he's embraced his politics. And the same people who brought you George Bush are now trying to package John McCain."

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Comments

John McCain is really out of touch with the average American. I find it hard to understand how someone like him - who grew up in a household with the best of everything - daddy being a big shot in the military and then marrying a millionaire - can know what's best for me, the average American who struggles and lives paycheck to paycheck.

deb (Sent Tuesday, August 19, 2008 10:52 AM)

Excellent comments by Senator Obama. Truthful and accurate. Keep them coming!
I saw a clip of this speech on TV this morning and loved it!

Obama/Kaine 08 (Sent Tuesday, August 19, 2008 10:53 AM)

What is wrong with this country? Seriously! When is enough enough? Bush the village idiot has run America into the ground, has a 25% approval rating, yet in comes McCain, using exactly the same tactics, staff, advertising, and tricks, and people are STILL being fooled. What has to happen before we wise up?

Carlo, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Sent Tuesday, August 19, 2008 10:53 AM)

The problem is not so much that Obama is mocking McCain with what John said was a joke. The problem is that EVERYTHING seems to be a joke to John Sydney McCain III. He jokes about who is rich, jokes about his wife, joked about the "cone of silence" lie, jokes about women and rape and that little joke he tells about the DNA/Bear pork barrel spending? He freakin' VOTED for that little piece of legislation that he now rails against with a joke.
John, we GOT the punchline already and it was called BUSH. We do not need another joke, or joker, in the White House.

Benny, SFBayArea, California (Sent Tuesday, August 19, 2008 11:01 AM)

OF course, the Dems call the Republicans "lie mongers", but what I have seen in the last few elections is the Republicans quoting the Democrat candidates, and making them explain their statements. Like Obama's false statements on why he didn't vote in favor of the "Born Alive" bill to protect babies who survived an abortion attempt. This becomes a live birth, but the doctors don't supply any medical treatment and just let the baby die. Obama voted 3 times against this bill, and it turns out his rationale was false.

So who is the liar in this case? Your sweetheart Democrat, that's who.

I also heard Obama say that his tax plan will lower income taxes for 75% of American workers. That's a good trick, since about 50% of American workers DON'T PAY INCOME TAX. Maybe we need more mathematicians and fewer lawyers running our government.

Nick, Alexandria, Va (Sent Tuesday, August 19, 2008 11:07 AM)

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