The media should fear this, but they don't, they let it happen with a word

[IDrinkaRum]

Links to articles & video about how the Obama campaign has banned another TV station for asking the "S" question

Obama campaign has kicked 3 reporters of 3 different newspapers - Washington Times, N.Y. Post & Dallas Morning News - off his campaign plane because their newspapers endorsed John McCain

Why isn't there more of an outcry from the news media? Why aren't they questioning the rightness or the wrongness of this? How can they stand by and let these people decide who can and cannot cover them on the campaign trail?

Will this continue if Obama wins the Presidency? Will he demand that the 2 tv stations he has banned from doing more interviews with him & Biden be disbanded and more Obama-friendly tv station be put in its place?

What about the newspapers? Will he hunt down more (local, not national newspapers) and find out if they endorsed McCain and if they did, will he censor them also?

When will this end?

If McCain were to do this, wouldn't there be outright condemnation?

[IDrinkaRum]

Also, this just in ...

Al Qaeda now endorses Democrats & Obama in particular according to Reuters

[AdminAssistant]

According to the campaign spokesperson cited in that article, there just wasn't enough room on Obama's plane. If Obama had upgraded to a larger plane to accomodate everyone, people would be b*tching about his "unneccessary spending".

[Pedersen]

Why isn't there more of an outcry from the news media? Why aren't they questioning the rightness or the wrongness of this? How can they stand by and let these people decide who can and cannot cover them on the campaign trail?

Probably because the Obama campaign is not deciding who can and cannot cover them on the campaign trail, and is only deciding who can and cannot fly with him?

I know, it's a preposterous thought, that somebody should be able to say "I don't want to fly with that person", but maybe he should have the freedom to do so?

Will this continue if Obama wins the Presidency? Will he demand that the 2 tv stations he has banned from doing more interviews with him & Biden be disbanded and more Obama-friendly tv station be put in its place?

Whoa. Paranoid much? I mean, really, disbanding tv stations? Over someone saying "I won't do interviews for that tv station anymore"? From the sounds of it, you're saying that any tv station should, at any time, be able to demand an interview out of him. Is that really what you want? Or would you like him to do interviews on occasion, and maybe do some presidential duties?

I know, I have nothing but ridiculous thoughts. So sorry, I'll be quiet now.

If McCain were to do this, wouldn't there be outright condemnation?

Not from me, not for this.

[IDrinkaRum]

No, what I'm saying is that TV reporters should be able to ask questions, that the public is more than likely asking too, and having the candidates answer. Just because you don't like the question, do not throw a hissy fit and then say "I don't want that entire TV station near us." 2 TV Stations asked the Socialist Question. That is a legitimate question. There is some concern from people (I've heard this discussion at the Gaming Store I work at - Gamers are even worried about this), that if we elect Obama, we go from Democracy & Capitalism to outright Socialism. I just think this highly stinks - no other candidate has done this in recent history (or even in bygone history).

Also, you might not condemn McCain for kicking out the reporters for newspapers who didn't endorse him, but others probably would.

AdminAssistant - do you really believe it was because there wasn't any more room? All 3 papers endorse McCain and then all of a sudden those reporters (more than likely 1 per newspaper) were thrown off the plane?

[AdminAssistant]

I believe it's something that can be looked at without playing the media bias card because the Democrats are actually winning this time. I see this as one of many attacks people are pulling out - ANYTHING to keep Obama from winning.

I find the Socialist question absolutely ridiculous.
1) Obama proposes a tax break for everyone who makes less than $250,000. It's my understanding (though I could be wrong) that the Income Tax percentage increases stop at $250,000. As in, someone who makes $10 million pays the same percentage of income tax as someone who makes $100 million. I have a problem with this, personally.

2) Education and healthcare are, essentially, socialized. Should we go back to a system where parents have to pay for schooling? If the kid's parents can pay for the school, then too bad, you can't learn how to read? Then, I guess we should eliminate Medicare, Medipack, Social Security checks, welfare, foodstamps, HeadSmart, Pell Grants - because we're capitalists dognabbit! You're poor? Well, it sucks to be you.

[Boozy]

People are worried about becoming a socialist country?

You just essentially nationalized your entire banking system, a move that would have been too commie even for us here in Canada.

Guess what, folks...

[AdminAssistant]

People are worried about becoming a socialist country?

The extreme upper class is freaked out because they don't want to lose another cent of their millions. It's not about socialism, it's about a candidate whose policies won't benefit their bank account. The rest is fear-mongering.

My question is: What does Marx have to say about this?

[IDrinkaRum]

Marx and Engels wanted the working class to band together and completely get rid of the government and the so-called "rich". But there's the catch. My husband makes around $100,000/year. Does that make him & I rich? We definitely make more than some people and yet we definitely make less than those who are in the million dollar homes around where we live.

Also, Marx & Engels wanted the wealth to be spread around to everyone. Everyone would have their finger in the pie. There would be no religion, no government, nothing. Man would be kind and gentle to their fellow man. There would be no pride, no prejudice nothing but peace, love & harmony. That is (technically, with my spin on it) Communism in a nutshell. What Russia was and what China & North Korea are, isn't Communist - not by a long shot.

Also, Obama started out by saying those making $250,000 and more will be taxed and then a few weeks later he said that those making $200,000 and more would be taxed and shortly after that, Biden said those making $150,000 and more will be taxed.* Not even Obama, Biden and the Democrats can agree on the "magic number" that makes the Rich the Rich.

We live in a Capitalistic society. Don't forget: He who makes the most money wins. He who dies with the most toys wins. Etc., etc. We were built on the idea that people do whatever they can to get ahead. Entrepreneurial dreams helps this economy. Why would I want to invent something that would help humankind that will make me millions of dollars, if I'm going to be taxed out of the wahzoo?

And I agree that those with the most money should help the economy and the poor. However, being forced to, being signaled out just for being rich? Everyone does realize that if the government were to take all the money of the top 5% of cream of the crop of the "rich" people in America, that money would only run our country for more than 6 months but less than a year? Do we really believe that making the rich pay more taxes will actually help the economy? The rich will just get better at hiding their money and assets.

If you think the rich need to pay more, then go ahead, invent something, start a company, write the Great American Novel, star in the next Great American Movie based on the Great American Novel and make millions of dollars. Then come back and tell me that you think it's fair you're being targeted by the Government with all those taxes.

*Article discussing the $250,000/$200,000/$150,000 dollars for tax cuts/increases or whatever the heck Obama is peddling this week

[AdminAssistant]

If you think the rich need to pay more, then go ahead, invent something, start a company, write the Great American Novel, star in the next Great American Movie based on the Great American Novel and make millions of dollars. Then come back and tell me that you think it's fair you're being targeted by the Government with all those taxes.

As someone who's dedicated themselves to teaching college students the importance of the arts, I doubt I'll ever have that problem.

[Amethyst Hunter]

[Will this continue if Obama wins the Presidency? Will he demand that the 2 tv stations he has banned from doing more interviews with him & Biden be disbanded and more Obama-friendly tv station be put in its place?

What about the newspapers? Will he hunt down more (local, not national newspapers) and find out if they endorsed McCain and if they did, will he censor them also?

*yawn* More fearmongering. I'm not impressed.

Washington Times, I believe (unless I'm thinking of another Washington-paper) is notoriously right-wing. So of course they'd print as much anti-Obama stuff as they can fill their pages with.

The socialist stuff is bullshit, as others have pointed out. And for someone who's supposedly so willing to boot out the press Obama sure didn't seem to have a problem with media when he made that half-hour infomercial the other night.

Also, you're gonna listen to anything friggin' *al-Quaida* says? I don't know whether to laugh or throw up. You do realize that these shitheads did the *exact* same thing - endorsing Teh Scarey Liberal - in 2004 with John Kerry? The whole point of these assholes is to make war. They want the person who will cause the most war. In 2004, it was Bush. This year, it's McCain (who's made no secret of his warmongering). AQ knows that this reverse psychology is designed to send paranoid people rushing to support the one most likely to give them the war they want. So that just tells me that Obama is DEFINITELY the more qualified to lead and the less likely to start off more war, especially the kind that would spiral out of control.

Frankly, at this point, I hope Obama wins just so I can have the pleasure of seeing the heads of the people who continually spout this bullshit explode.

[Boozy]

So when Bush cut taxes for the rich, this was also socialism?

I don't think that word means what the McCain campaign thinks it means.

Tax policy is not socialism. This is a disagreement on fiscal policy in a capitalist system. I have to agree, this just sounds like fear-mongering.

FYI - The US has one of the lowest upper-level tax rates in the world. There is and has never been any indication that cutting the tax rate for the upper level has led to an increase in the GDP for the US. The tax rate is plenty low enough to stimulate growth.

[IDrinkaRum]

Obama & the Democrats =/= Robin Hood. I have a distinct distaste for those voting Obama saying that if others don't vote for him, then they're racists.

As someone who's dedicated themselves to teaching college students the importance of the arts, I doubt I'll ever have that problem.

Yes, because in America (and other developed countries, it's unheard of of people changing careers and/or doing something on the side to earn them more money.

Part of me hopes Obama wins also, so the American public can see how much they've lost by voting him in. Even Biden has said that if Obama is voted in, we'll face a crisis from foreign nations within the first 6 months of his Presidency. But then again, it won't be Obama's fault if his Presidency is a failure, it'll be the fault of all those rich, fear-mongering people here in the States who refuse to "share" their money with the rest of the poor people in this country. (<--sarcasm & a distaste for hating those who have done something to make themselves money).

[AdminAssistant]

Yes, because in America (and other developed countries, it's unheard of of people changing careers and/or doing something on the side to earn them more money.

Yes, heaven forbid I do something that actually makes me happy. Hey, I could've gotten a business degree like Big Sis. I'd have a steady salary, be able to get a great job with just a bachelor's, be financially stable, and be absolutely miserable the rest of my freakin' life.

I've been poor all my life....there's more to life than money.

However, I've chosen a way for me to do what I love and, hopefully, have a career. I'll never be rich. But I'll be happy.

But if it weren't for taxes that went to support public schools, public universities, and scholarships, I'd never be able to have the chance to make a better life for myself.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I have a distinct distaste for those voting Obama saying that if others don't vote for him, then they're racists.

I voted for Obama, and I don't believe that those who won't are racist. Personally, I'm just tired of the whole race card thing. (FYI, I am white, so feel free to castigate me on that) I'm sure there's instances where it could be applicable, but to me, race matters about as much as what color underwear the candidates wear. I'd still have voted for Obama if he were green with neon pink polka dots.

And y'all know how much I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE the color pink.

As someone who's dedicated themselves to teaching college students the importance of the arts, I doubt I'll ever have that problem.

Erhm...not my quote, I'm afraid.

Part of me hopes Obama wins also, so the American public can see how much they've lost by voting him in. Even Biden has said that if Obama is voted in, we'll face a crisis from foreign nations within the first 6 months of his Presidency.

And who would you want during that hypothetical crisis? A man who has an obvious temper tantrum problem, who's joked in a not-so-joking way about bombing antagonistic countries, whose VP pick has flat-out said on national TV that *she'd* start trouble with a major nuclear nation if she could and who has obvious ties to an apocalyptic church that believes in subjugating women and gay people and destroying the earth so that their bastardized version of God can come back to rule?

Or a man who has consistently displayed a calm, cool, rational head during a pressure-cooker of a campaign, a man who surrounds himself with likewise-similar and intelligent people, a man who isn't afraid to sit down and talk with people first before resorting to a carpet-bomb 'strategy' in order to solve problems?

I know who I'd pick in a heartbeat.