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Judging from the growth of economic inequity in this country some may conclude there has been a class war going on, that it is over, and the rich have won. There is little question that the rich are doing better; that the poor and the middle class are doing worse. Logic suggests that looking at the positions of our Presidential candidates on estate taxes should tell us where they stand on the middle class. McClain should oppose estate taxes, right? Obama should favor them, right? Wrong on both counts. Why?On estate taxes one would expect Democrat Obama to be for favoring the middle class, and Republican McClain to be against, favoring the rich. When we look at the recent record, however, it's "Alice through the Looking Glass", the world turned upside down. That being the case the question of why must be addressed.
www.themiddleclass.org website describes itself as "a toolkit for holding Congress responsible". It evaluates legislation as to its desirable impact on the middle class and takes a "for" or "against" stance. It records each Congressperson's vote on each piece of legislation that impacts the middle class, then annually grades each Congressperson's score. Senator Kennedy, for example, scores 100 percent year to date, an A+.While 2008 annual scoring will not be available until March of next year, year-to-date scoring scores Obama 88 percent, a B, while McClain scores 61 percent, an F. Yet when we look at one of this years votes on a particular pieces of legislation you wonder just what in the hell is going on.
S.AMDT. 4196 TO S.CON.RES. 70 - Amendment To Avoid Subjecting Thousands of Families, Family Businesses, and Family Farms and Ranches to the Estate Tax of 2008 :The middle class opposes, vote nay.
McCain votes nay, for the middle class.
Obama votes yea, against the middle class.
McCain's vote can only be rationalized on his earlier stance as a maverick. Today, considering how he has had to kiss-up to the right wing and the rich, would his position change? Probably not, provided he stays a Senator.
Obama's vote is more perplexing. Was he, is he sucking up to the rich? How does he play the game of politics? Perhaps some earlier history might be instructive.
Following the Democrat ascendancy to a majority in the Illinois Senate, Senator Emil Jones was elevated to president of the Senate due to his seniority. It was he that played "king maker" in pushing the then Illinois Senator Barack Obama's state reputation sufficient for him to be nominated and win his election to the U.S. Senate.
As a "not quite so" side note his wife, Michelle Obama, was then Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the University of Chicago Hospital earning a salary of $122 thousand. Following her husband's election to the U.S. Senate, Michelle's salary was increased to $317 thousand.
Since, Senator Obama earmarked $1 million for the University of Chicago Hospital and tens of millions directed to Illinois Senator Jones's district. Jones has been quoted as referring to federal earmarks not as "pork" but rather as "steak".
The Democratic party has long joined the Republican party it it's sell out to corporate America and the wealthy elite. Don't trust either of them, neither McCain nor Obama.
If you would like to see the Democrat party return to it's roots, to fairly represent middle America, vote for a third party. When enough of us do, it will.
