Obama's Control of Free Speech and Tax Questions

I watched Wayne Slater, political columnist with the Dallas Morning News, interviewed after he was kicked off the Obama campaign plane, along with The Washington Times and the New York Post. Slater is one of the journalists I saw in action, up close and personal, during the Texas Republican Convention last summer. He's as liberal as the rest so it was interesting listening to him excuse whatever reason it is that the Obama campaign gives for kicking off three reporters who just happen to report for newspapers who have endorsed John McCain.

All three newspapers just happened to be ones endorsing McCain for president.

It is interesting that the Obama campaign kicks off reporters and those restricted from McCain's plane have been opinion writers with weekly columns. Two that come to mind are Maureen Dowd and Joe Klein. Plus, most folks understand that the editorial page, producing opinion, is separate from reporters. Or, at least that is the professional ethics of it all.

The creepiness of the Obama campaign to suppress free speech - the speech of those not marching in lockstep with them - is a continuing factor in this race.

Candidate Obama likes to blame Fox News, too. He said numerous times that if it were not for Fox News, he'd be several points higher up in the polls. This has been completely discredited by a Pew Research Poll but no retractions come from the candidate of change. The poll found an equal number of stories that were negative on that cable news channel for each candidate.


It's telling that the next guest spoke of the excellent handlers that Obama employs on his campaign trail. The Obama campaign has certainly reached new lows of tolerance for differing views, that is the truth. We now learn that Joe the plumber has been much further investigated than what was originally said by the Ohio state government officials. It's gotten quite creepy out there lately. Helen Jones-Kelley, Director of the Ohio Dept of Job and Family Services, delved into the information available on Joe. She was looking into possible child support issues, back taxes owed, etc. Nothing sprang forth for her to use, though. She is a Democrat and is in an appointed office. She was appointed by the Governor of Ohio, a Democrat. She should be fired immediately.

Speaking of taxes, how about that ever fluctuating magic number defining who is and isn't 'middle class' in the world of Barack Obama? First Obama said only those earning $250,000 and above would be taxed at a higher rate. Then it was $200,000. Then Joe Biden said it would be $150,000 and then today the story is $120, 000, according to campaign surrogate Bill Richardson. Whatever the story is, it'll not be true. Obama has voted in the Senate to raise taxes on those making $42,000. The term, middle class, is relative and fluid anyway. It is ludicrous to think that the term is the same in a large city as it is in a smaller, rural community. And, for the majority of small business owners who pay at the rate of personal income tax, raising taxes will be devastating in this slower economy.

Even Bill Clinton backed out of his middle class tax break promises on which he campaigned. Once in office, he went right into tax raising mode. And Hillary didn't even bother to make any such promises.

Obama today said don't listen to John McCain about taxes. Remember, he thinks you're stupid. By the way, according to economists and other money experts who have weighed in, Obama is no more knowledgeable about the economy than McCain. Hmm. Goes back to the beginning debate, for me, when Obama couldn't even define the capital gains tax. Um, um, ah.

Two words not ordinarily used in Obama campaign speeches - victory and success. Unless he is speaking about his own campaign. His own self interests.