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[Dan]

http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/hjackson/Earmarks_16.pdf

Even less than that; look at the chart on page 20.

The chart on page 20 shows earmarks in relation to GDP, not the federal budget. The chart on 19 is the relevant one.

 

[tekneek2k6]

:lol Gaffe after gaffe.

That's rather sad. His campaign needs to step up their efforts immediately.

 

[Hitokage]

That's rather sad. His campaign needs to step up their efforts immediately.

Hey, their web guy spent a whole day on the "Liquid Pill" photoshop tutorial!

 

[BotoxAgent]

It's true. It is actually cut and pasted from this DailyMail article:
The wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind

It is indeed true. It was also one of the first stories I read this week on Google News.

I hope his ex-wife does a speaking tour :lol

 

[gcubed]

Most amusing headline I've seen at Politico in a while:



This just in: lobbyists don't like the policy banning contributions from lobbysits. The article makes a good point that many congressmen can't afford to enact the same policy as Obama and the DNC, and so it makes them look bad by comparison. But there's some rich irony in sourcing the article to lobbyists. They're not going to be neutral.



http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10962.html

thats a pretty shitty article. "They wont take my money and i wont have control over them, thats just stupid" says a lobbyist.

 

[RubxQub]

thats a pretty shitty article. "They wont take my money and i wont have control over them, thats just stupid" says a lobbyist.

I'm more worried about it hamstringing Dems when they are running for various positions.

If they can't compete monetarily with the Repubs, they will be sunk.

 

[Cyan]

He's suggesting that those statistics that are not outright lies are the most dangerous of all, easy to misinterpret, easier to bend to one's particular viewpoint by omitting key facts or groups, easy to find suiting any particular viewpoint, generally meaningless without context and inherently based on uncertainty.

Yes. Although I probably would have said it less eloquently.

More specifically, the sentence "Six in ten American corporations reported no tax liability for the five years from 1996 through 2000, even though corporate profits were growing at record-breaking levels during that period" could have multiple interpretations. The implication (from the phrase "even though") is that these ten hypothetical companies were all raking in money hand over fist, and six of them somehow got away with not paying a dime in taxes. Damn loophole-using cheaters!

Another possibility, given only the information in the quoted sentence, is that those six companies broke even or made a loss, and therefore didn't owe any taxes, while the other four raked in money hand over fist, and paid all the taxes they owed, without trying to cheat or use any loopholes whatsoever.

The truth is likely somewhere in the middle (granted, probably closer to the first scenario than the second).

 

[Hitokage]

The chart would be more informative if it said how many were private corporations and how many were public corporations. Listing the latter would immediately remove the "small business test case".

 

[The Lamonster]

That's rather sad. His campaign needs to step up their efforts immediately.

I don't get it...what exactly is the gaffe here?

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Yes. Although I probably would have said it less eloquently.

More specifically, the sentence "Six in ten American corporations reported no tax liability for the five years from 1996 through 2000, even though corporate profits were growing at record-breaking levels during that period" could have multiple interpretations. The implication (from the phrase "even though") is that these ten hypothetical companies were all raking in money hand over fist, and six of them somehow got away with not paying a dime in taxes. Damn loophole-using cheaters!

Another possibility, given only the information in the quoted sentence, is that those six companies broke even or made a loss, and therefore didn't owe any taxes, while the other four raked in money hand over fist, and paid all the taxes they owed, without trying to cheat or use any loopholes whatsoever.

The truth is likely somewhere in the middle (granted, probably closer to the first scenario than the second).

Federal income tax paid by corporations were 40% in 1943. In 2003, it was 7.4%.

Also, I guess loopholes can play a major role:

Most US firms paid no income taxes in '90s
More than half avoided levies during boom years
By Warren Vieth, Los Angeles Times | April 11, 2004

WASHINGTON -- More than half of US corporations paid no federal income taxes during the boom years of the late 1990s, and those that did were able to shelter much of their income, according to congressional accountants.

The report by the General Accounting Office raises questions about whether the corporate income tax burden is too light and distributed unequally. It could undermine arguments that US companies are overtaxed and provide ammunition to politicians and activists who claim companies are using loopholes to avoid paying their fair share.

"This describes a problem in the corporate tax system in which a good many of these companies are avoiding any tax obligation at all," said Senator Byron L. Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat and former state tax commissioner who requested the GAO study. "We've got a bad tax law that tells ordinary folks, `You pay up,' and allows some of the largest enterprises to avoid paying."

The share of tax receipts paid by corporations has been declining for decades, US government figures show. But it has been falling at an even faster rate in many other countries, said Gary Hufbauer, senior fellow at the Institute for International Economics, and any attempt to raise corporate taxes or close loopholes in this country runs the risk of making US companies less competitive in world markets.

"When you get a report like this people think, gee, they're getting away with murder," he said. "But most of the murder they're getting away with was deliberately designed by legislatures in response to competitive concerns. This is the result."

The GAO report showed that 61 percent of US corporations paid no federal income taxes from 1996 through 2000, a period of rapid economic growth and rising corporate profits.

An estimated 94 percent of US corporations reported tax liabilities amounting to less than 5 percent of their total income in 2000. The corporate income tax rate is ostensibly 35 percent, but companies are able to reduce their effective burden by claiming various deductions and credits.

US companies paid an average of $11.88 in corporate taxes for every $1,000 in gross receipts, the study said.

Small corporations were more likely to avoid taxation than large ones, it showed. About 38 percent of big companies (those with more than $250 million in assets or $50 million in revenues) paid no taxes during the five-year period.

Foreign-owned companies fared better in some respects than their US-based competitors. The report found that 71 percent of foreign-controlled corporations paid no taxes on their US income, while 89 percent had liabilities of less than 5 percent of their income.

The GAO didn't attempt to determine why so many companies were able to avoid paying taxes. It said possible explanations included legitimate deductions for current-year operating losses, losses carried forward from previous years, and sufficient credits to offset any tax liabilities. In addition, it said improper pricing of transactions between US and foreign operations could contribute to tax avoidance.

The findings feed into a broader political debate over taxes. President Bush and many Republicans have been working to reduce corporate taxes, arguing that tax cuts would make US companies more competitive globally and better able to create jobs at home.

Democratic challenger Senator John F. Kerry cited the GAO findings Tuesday during a rally on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, expressing outrage that many companies were paying no taxes despite productivity-driven profit gains.

Yet even Kerry has advocated an across-the-board reduction in corporate taxes, although he has called for closing loopholes that may encourage US companies to move jobs overseas.

The percentage of federal tax collections paid by corporations has tumbled from a high of 39.8 percent in 1943 to a low of 7.4 percent last year. It ranged from 10 percent to 11 percent in 1996-2000, the period studied by the GAO. But since World War II, the share paid by individual income tax filers has remained relatively stable, bouncing between 40 percent and 50 percent. Most of the difference is explained by higher payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare.

 

[Hitokage]

I don't get it...what exactly is the gaffe?

Think Dan Quayle.

 

[Xdrive05]

That Obama guy, he's one impressive motherfucker. Just watched the NC economy speech. Holy shit balls. That was a 30 minute long combo breaker and nothing less.

McCain's gonna get steamrolled if he doesn't step it up by, oh I don't know, fifteen orders of magnitude.

 

[The Lamonster]

Think Dan Quayle.

:lol :lol :lol

good eye

 

[RubxQub]

:lol :lol :lol

good eye

Someone's going to have to spell this out for me... I've got nothing.

 

[Tamanon]

Someone's going to have to spell this out for me... I've got nothing.

Ho ho!

 

[RubxQub]

Ho ho!

Ah right...

See! I knew all along!

Just a clever pun I did...yep...

 

[maynerd]

Someone's going to have to spell this out for me... I've got nothing.

Oh you guys...stop givin the guys that can't figure out what the problem is the business. I mean you are just toyin with them.

 

[ViperVisor]

Someone's going to have to spell this out for me... I've got nothing.

B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S

He's got a bunch of numnahs working for him.

 

[GhaleonEB]

I think you can scratch Strickland off the veep list.

"Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. So, I don’t know how more crystal clear I can be," he said in response to a question on NPR.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Strickland_says_no.html

 

[Cheebs]

I think you can scratch Strickland off the veep list.

"Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. So, I don’t know how more crystal clear I can be," he said in response to a question on NPR.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Strickland_says_no.html

One down. Go Biden! I am rooting for Biden now that the Obama folk kept bringing him up the most alongside that army dude and Strickland.

 

[Clevinger]

So do we have to wait until the convention to find out who the VP is?

 

[GhaleonEB]

McCain sticking to his pro-golf agenda.

John McCain is standing firm on his controversial platform -- of golf gear for all!

As you may have heard, the McCain camp was subjected to blogospheric ridicule last week over their Web site's tab layout, which for some strange reason included "Golf Gear" alongside headings like "Decision Center" and "Obama & Iraq."

The McCain camp has now revised their site. But did they get rid of the "Golf Gear"? Nope. In this case, it turned out "Obama & Iraq" was the dead wood:

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/mccains_web_site_golf_gear_for.php

So do we have to wait until the convention to find out who the VP is?

Nah, it will be decided in the next month or so.

 

[The Lamonster]

One down. Go Biden! I am rooting for Biden now that the Obama folk kept bringing him up the most alongside that army dude and Strickland.

Biden has my vote too. He's a badass. Pure and simple. Only minus would be how he smack-talked Obama in one of last year's debates.

link anyone?

 

[TDG]

I think you can scratch Strickland off the veep list.

"Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. So, I don’t know how more crystal clear I can be," he said in response to a question on NPR.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Strickland_says_no.html

Thank god. I didn't want him to be chosen.


Biden seems like an okay guy, but I don't want Obama to have to waste his time cleaning up the messes Joe's mouth makes. And no one's even heard of this army guy.

 

[The Lamonster]

Is there a link to last night's democratic primary in 10 minutes retrospective on Countdown?

 

[Cheebs]

I was poking around McCain's site. That damn "my friends" line is all over his website! Even his page to give him money throws out one "my friends". :lol

https://www.johnmccain.com/Contribute/ContributeA.aspx?guid=aa60f933-6b64-449a-80af-0a52994863dd

 

[Zeed]

If Sebellius isn't an option (and Hillary will probably make sure it isn't) then I'd like to see...huh I have no freaking idea. Securing Ohio wouldn't have been a bad idea though. Maybe take Tim Kane to get a crack at Virginia?

 

[eznark]

Thank god. I didn't want him to be chosen.


Biden seems like an okay guy, but I don't want Obama to have to waste his time cleaning up the messes Joe's mouth makes. And no one's even heard of this army guy.

I think Biden would be a great choice if you are hoping Obama loses. He needs a moderate from a swing state or a military vet, not a firebrand ideologue from a tiny blue state.

Democratic Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma said Tuesday Barack Obama is "the most liberal senator" in Congress and he has no intention of endorsing him for the White House.

If the above is a trend, someone in the South would also be prudent, as the more moderate Southern Democrats could easily go en-masse McCain.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Obama: Impeachment is not acceptable

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-06-28-obama-impeachment_N.htm?csp=34

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama laid out list of political shortcomings he sees in the Bush administration but said he opposes impeachment for either President George W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney.

Obama said he would not back such a move, although he has been distressed by the "loose ethical standards, the secrecy and incompetence" of a "variety of characters" in the administration.

"There's a way to bring an end to those practices, you know: vote the bums out," the presidential candidate said, without naming Bush or Cheney. "That's how our system is designed."

The term for Bush and Cheney ends on Jan. 20, 2009. Bush cannot constitutionally run for a third term, and Cheney has said he will not run to succeed Bush.

Vote the bums out!

Somehow I'm having a hard time picturing Obama saying this. Still, I think it's the right response. Impeachment does not make sense at this point.

 

[bob_arctor]

All I know is that Jim Webb was pretty dope on the Daily Show last night. So he's still my pick or someone like him but older I guess. Hagel for example.

 

[Zeed]

All I know is that Jim Webb was pretty dope on the Daily Show last night. So he's still my pick or someone like him but older I guess. Hagel for example.

Webb has that little sexist problem, and Hagel is a Republican, unfortunately.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Terrorist Fist Jab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_vmQrTi3aM

Fox News' America's Pulse, host E.D. Hill teased an upcoming discussion by saying, "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab?

Where did she even get the terrorist bit?

E.D. Hill Apoloigizes for "Terrorist Fist Jab" Remarks

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/hill_apologizes_for_terrorist_tease_86774.asp

FNC anchor E.D. Hill apologized today for promoting a segment about Sen. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's Tuesday night "fist bump," by using the term, "terrorist fist jab," as one of the many interpretations of the gesture.

"I apologize because unfortunately some thought I, personally, had characterized it inappropriately," she said at the beginning of the 2pmET hour. "I regret that. It was not my intention. I certainly didn't mean to associate the word terrorist in any way with Senator Obama and his wife."

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

I think Biden could be a good Secretary of State.

 

[Zeed]

I think Biden could be a good Secretary of State.

I'd prefer Lugar.

Hagel for SecDef.

This way you get awesome people for the jobs without draining Democratic Senatorial talent.

 

[Mumei]

The chart on page 20 shows earmarks in relation to GDP, not the federal budget. The chart on 19 is the relevant one.

Whoops. :lol

 

[sangreal]

E.D. Hill Apoloigizes for "Terrorist Fist Jab" Remarks

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/hill_apologizes_for_terrorist_tease_86774.asp

Her show just got canceled too. Bad week

 

[Yaweee]

I think Biden could be a good Secretary of State.

I fucking hate Senator Biden. He's one of the asshats that endlessly tries to over-regulate porn featuring consenting adults under the guise of attacking CP.

His bill to fund computers to scan file sharing networks and order the police to arrest anyone with suspicious file names is absolutely terrifying.

 

[pxleyes]

Her show just got canceled too. Bad week

It did?! FUCK YA!

 

[polyh3dron]

Think Dan Quayle.

When I think Dan Quayle, I think misspelling of words. I see no misspelling of words.. WTF

 

[sangreal]

It did?! FUCK YA!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/10/fox-news-changes-terroris_n_106306.html

When I think Dan Quayle, I think misspelling of words. I see no misspelling of words.. WTF

Looks like they fixed it. It used to say Buisness

 

[Clevinger]

It did?! FUCK YA!

It seems that Laura Ingraham is getting her place, which is probably much worse.

 

[ViperVisor]

Laura Ingraham In At 5PM

If you are deaf and illiterate it's a win (if not) the show is worse.

 

[The Lamonster]

Is there a link to last night's democratic primary in 10 minutes retrospective on Countdown?

anyone?

 

[pxleyes]

Laura Ingraham In At 5PM

If you are deaf and illiterate it's a win (if not) the show is worse.

DAMN IT!

 

[theBishop]

Obama: Impeachment is not acceptable

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-06-28-obama-impeachment_N.htm?csp=34

Vote the bums out!

Somehow I'm having a hard time picturing Obama saying this. Still, I think it's the right response. Impeachment does not make sense at this point.

If you accept that the administration knowingly ignored evidence against their justification for war with Iraq, impeachment doesn't go nearly far enough. If it were any other country the leader would be tried for war crimes.

 

[Chichikov]

McCainSpace bitches!
Join now!
So many benfits -

 

[Zeed]

McCain's web presence is such a joke. The best he's got going for him are those Obama=MUSLIM chain letters.

 

[pxleyes]

They cant even line up the form fields correctly.:lol :lol

 

[sangreal]

McCain's web presence is such a joke. The best he's got going for him are those Obama=MUSLIM chain letters.

To be fair, its not just chain letters. He's got people spamming every single tube, even stock forums with the Obama is or was Muslim bs

 

[OgnodoD]

Laura Ingraham is going to replace E.D. Hill? I don't usually watch FNC, but I may now.