Obama has the best plan for the troops IMO. McCains plan is as crazy as Hillarys plan to me. We cant just say “hey guys sorry we invaded and destroyed your country” and roll out. Especially since things are starting to get alot better over here. But staying here for the “long haul” is equally as crazy as well, being here just for the sake of being here is stupid. We need to fix the issues then leave. I say two maybe three years AT MOST is what we need.
I watched this video and it says within 60 days BUT, it does not say all or some which is a typical politian statement, be as vague as possible.
It looks to me to be all because she does not specify any less than all.
Every dem has said all combat troops. Hillary wont give a final date (ie when we’ll have them out by), Edwards said 12 mos, Obama says around 16.
Obama has always said "We need to end the war, but we need to be as careful leaving as we were careless getting in. Which is commendable, he sets a target (16 mos) but allows it to take longer if it’s unsafe for our troops and our people to leave that quickly. From what i’ve seen/read he hasn’t made promises he can’t keep when it comes to Iraq.
From BarackObama.com
Bringing Our Troops Home
Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.
Press Iraq’s Leaders to Reconcile
The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq’s Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.
Regional Diplomacy
Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction.
Humanitarian Initiative
Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis — two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.
Barack on the Middle Class and Economy
Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief
Obama will cut income taxes by $1,000 for working families to offset the payroll tax they pay.
* Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. Obama will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans.
* Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans: Obama will dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes. Obama will ensure that the IRS uses the information it already gets from banks and employers to give taxpayers the option of pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign and return. Experts estimate that the Obama proposal will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees.
Trade
Obama believes that trade with foreign nations should strengthen the American economy and create more American jobs. He will stand firm against agreements that undermine our economic security.
* Fight for Fair Trade: Obama will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. He will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to live up to those important benchmarks. Obama will also pressure the World Trade Organization to enforce trade agreements and stop countries from continuing unfair government subsidies to foreign exporters and nontariff barriers on U.S. exports.
* <b>Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama believes that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. Obama will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.</b>
* Improve Transition Assistance: To help all workers adapt to a rapidly changing economy, Obama would update the existing system of Trade Adjustment Assistance by extending it to service industries, creating flexible education accounts to help workers retrain, and providing retraining assistance for workers in sectors of the economy vulnerable to dislocation before they lose their jobs.Here’s one just for you AWD: Obama is a sponsor of the Patriot Corporations Act
The Senate’s “Patriot Employers” version would give a 1 percent tax credit on taxable income for companies that maintain or increase their US employment in relation to their overseas workers. They must also keep their corporate headquarters in the US. The Senate bill adds a “living wage” requirement. Its initial co-sponsors are Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Dick Durbin and Barack Obama of Illinois.
The principle at stake is straightforward. Multinational corporations cannot continue to have it both ways–moving more and more value-added production and jobs offshore to capture cheap labor, while still enjoying all of the rewards and benefits of claiming American identity. It’s not just the outrageous tax breaks. The American military defends their freedom to operate around the globe.
These measures can be the beginning of tough new policies on globalization. They are quite limited in scope, but a good start. Thousands of small to mid-sized manufacturing firms that do not offshore their production should salute the initiative since the incentives are intended for them.
My Favorite:
Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Obama will also ensure that the tax credit is available to families at the time of enrollment by using prior year’s tax data to deliver the credit when tuition is due.
But the money isn’t free, students will have to volunteer at homeless shelters, join the peace corps, etc… etc… America will invest in students if they invest in America.
Special note for JayS and AWD:
Obama supports federal assistance to Charter Schools.
If you have time read the health care plan:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf
Yeah, he’s giving lots of stuff away. Health care, college, tax credits… but someone has to pay for it, and it will be businesses. The businesses where we all work.
wouldnt Obama need the support of congress to do most the things he wants to do? im all for taxes being simplified and fair since i bare a higher percentage of the tax burden having no dependents. but the rich have always been able to buy out politicians on both sides of the isle to keep their write-offs and avoid paying their share.
Interesting read about superdelegates:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/14/superdelegates/index.html
Nothing would make me smile more than to see the democrats ignore the popular vote and nominate someone through back room meetings.
See, I really do agree with republicans on smaller government, and less taxes, but the second they get into their hypocritical, “moral”, judgemental mindset, it drives me nuts.
How can you be all for less government interaction, yet then sling rhetoric trying to control individuals lifestyle choices?
That’s my beef with repubs.
Thats my same issue to be honest. I dont like the control of lifestyle but there does have to be a line drawn somewhere. Or else you would have people trying to say its ok to be a pedo and crap like that. But i agree with what you are saying for sure.
And I agree there too. It’s one of the problems I have with my party. Bottom line though, their preeching of moral values has a hell of a lot less impact on my life than the things I feel the Democrats do wrong. They create more and more government programs and once those programs are created there is no way to get rid of them.
Government health care will fail because it will be inefficient with too many benefits, fraud and lack of oversight. Yes, the current private system is broken too, but the difference is the private system HAS TO REMAIN PROFITABLE TO SURVIVE. When a government program is broken it’s impossible to make cuts, so they just increase taxes to pay for it. Having this massive program added to the budget is going to affect my life much more than some republican telling me abortion is bad and gays shouldn’t marry.
Pass laws and provide financial incentives to make the private system better. Give tax breaks to corporations that provide health care for their workers. But don’t just say, “It’s broken so the government should do it at any cost”.
And please, enough with the “but look at all these other modern countries that have government health care” arguements. None of them are even close to the size of the US, nor do they have nearly the level of obesity and useless people who don’t contribute anything to society.
^ well spoken
CNN Breaking News Alert…
– Mitt Romney will endorse John McCain as the GOP nominee for president, CNN has learned.
Enjoy your brokered convention Dems. :walter:
Sounds good but, why “living wage”?(That is what has gotten WNY in trouble)
I have to compete with other companies that pay $.17/hour.
They fucked the bill with that one.
1% on taxable income?
The only thing this bill will do is let them brag about how they are trying to help US workers.:rolljerk:
yet you complain about poor people looking for handouts. They have to compete too. :picard: God forbid you have to pay your employees something that they can actually live on, to get your tax break.
Let me pay them the same rate as the workers get paid to produce all the garbage they buy at WalMart.:gotme:
They can’t have their cake and eat it too.
Jesus Christ.:deadhorse2:
It is simple math, if you can’t do it, I can’t help.
If the government didnt step in, you and your manufacturing buddies could get together and refuse to pay any laborer more than a dollar an hour. The workers would have no choice but to work or starve, like in those countries. Is that better? Not to mention that paying them a living wage motivates people to get off welfare, reduces them stealing your shit or selling drugs, reduces the cost of prosecuting people for stealing your shit and selling drugs, etc.
Wake up and smell the joe Joe.
It is already starting to happen.