• Latest Democratic candidate's debate - who was the winner? The loser (ABC)?
• The Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner.
• Capital Gains Tax.
• Guest: CNS Editor-in-Chief Terence Jeffrey. Last night's debate. Tax.
• Guest: David Corn, Mother Jones. "Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green Groups".
• Dumpster diving.
• Guest: Christy Harvey, Center for American Progress, MicCheckradio.org. "News Under the Radar".
• GAO report on combatting terrorism.

Topics, guests, upcoming events, quotes, links to articles, audio clips, books & bumper music.

Thursday 17 April '08 show

• Latest Democratic candidate's debate - who was the winner? The loser (ABC)?
• On Drudge it says that most people thought Obama won, but the post debate analysis said he lost. The big loser was ABC. Obama's opening remarks were good but not as inspiring as in the past. Her opening remarks were Hillary's high point. The moderators focused on small gotcha stuff. Obama kept going to larger issues.
• Clip:
  "You know, I am here, as is Senator Obama. Neither of us were included in those original documents. But in a very real sense, we demonstrate that that promise of America is alive and well. But it is at risk.

  There is a lot of concern across Pennsylvania and America. People do feel as though their government is not solving problems, that it is not standing up for them, that we've got to do more to actually provide the good jobs that will support families, deal once and for all with health care for every American, make our education system the true passport to opportunity, restore our standing in the world.

  I am running for president because I know we can meet the challenges of today, that we can continue to fulfill that promise that was offered to successive generations of Americans starting here so long ago.

  "
  Senator Hillary Clinton, Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.
• Quote:
  "You in the press need to go easy on Senator Clinton on the whole business of running from gunfire in Bosnia. She made an honest mistake. She confused the Bosnia trip with the time I took her hunting."
  Vice President Dick Cheney, annual Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner, April 16, 2008.
• Clip:
  "Well, Tom, I can tell you that I may be a lot of things, but I'm not dumb. And I wrote about going to Bosnia in my book in 2004. I laid it all out there. And you're right. On a couple of occasions in the last weeks I just said some things that weren't in keeping with what I knew to be the case and what I had written about in my book. And, you know, I'm embarrassed by it. I have apologized for it. I've said it was a mistake. And it is, I hope, something that you can look over, because clearly I am proud that I went to Bosnia. It was a war zone."
  Senator Hillary Clinton, Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.
• Clip:
  "And Senator Clinton's right. She has gone through this. You know, I recall when back in 1992, when she made a statement about how, what do you expect, should I be at home baking cookies?

  And people attacked her for being elitist and this and that. And I remember watching that on TV and saying, well, that's not who she is; that's not what she believes; that's not what she meant. And I'm sure that that's how she felt as well.

  But the problem is that that's the kind of politics that we've been accustomed to. And I think Senator Clinton learned the wrong lesson from it, because she's adopting the same tactics.

  "
  Senator Barack Obama, Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.
• Clip:
  [Gibson]: "There are 8,000 members of Senator Obama's church. And we have heard the inflammatory remarks of Reverend Wright, but so too have we heard testament to many great things that he did. Do you honestly believe that 8,000 people should have gotten up and walked out of that church?"

  [Clinton]: " I was asked a personal question, Charlie, and I gave a personal answer. Obviously, one's choice of church and pastor is rooted in what one believes is what you're seeking in church and what kind of, you know, fellowship you find in church. But I have to say that, you know, for Pastor Wright to have given his first sermon after 9/11 and to have blamed the United States for the attack, which happened in my city of New York, would have been intolerable for me. And therefore I would have not been able to stay in the church, and maybe it's, you know, just, again, a personal reflection that regardless of whatever good is going on -- and I have no reason to doubt that a lot of good things were happening in that church -- you get to choose your pastor. You don't choose your family, but you get to choose your pastor. And when asked a direct question, I said I would not have stayed in the church."

  [Obama]: "Well, let me just respond to -- to two things. Absolutely many of these remarks were objectionable. I've already said that I didn't hear them, because I wasn't in church that day. I didn't learn about those statements until much later. But ..."

  [Gibson]: "But you did rescind the invitation to him ..."

  [Obama]: "But that was on -- that was on something entirely different, Charlie. That -- that was on a different statement. And I think that what Senator Clinton referred to was extremely offensive, to me and a lot of people.

  But what I should also point out is that Senator Clinton's former pastor, I think, publicly talked about how Reverend Wright was being caricatured and that in fact this is somebody who had maintained an extraordinary ministry for many years.

  And so there are two important points: Number one, I wasn't aware of all these statements, and I can understand how people would take offense; but number two, the church is a community that extends beyond the pastor and that church has done outstanding work for many, many years."
  Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.

• Bumper Music: One Original Thing, Cheyenne Kimball.
• Clip:
  [Obama]: "So this kind of game, in which anybody who I know, regardless of how flimsy the relationship is, is somehow -- somehow their ideas could be attributed to me -- I think the American people are smarter than that. They're not going to suggest somehow that that is reflective of my views, because it obviously isn't."

  [Clinton]: "Well, I think that is a fair general statement, but I also believe that Senator Obama served on a board with Mr. Ayers for a period of time, the Woods Foundation, which was a paid directorship position.

  And if I'm not mistaken, that relationship with Mr. Ayers on this board continued after 9/11 and after his reported comments, which were deeply hurtful to people in New York, and I would hope to every American, because they were published on 9/11 and he said that he was just sorry they hadn't done more. And what they did was set bombs and in some instances people died. So it is -- you know, I think it is, again, an issue that people will be asking about. And I have no doubt -- I know Senator Obama's a good man and I respect him greatly but I think that this is an issue that certainly the Republicans will be raising."
  Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.

• Article:
  "Barak Obama is such an elitist. Did you know that he comes from a very rich family? In fact his father, back in Kenya, owned an entire herd of goats. How many Kenyans own even one goat? Not too many. A snob? You have no idea. When Barak Obama Sr. came home with an extravagant portion of bush meat, they would sit around the palatial hut and serve up dinner and turn up their noses if the mustard was anything other than Grey Poupon.

  And Obama's mother? What a snooty broad. She devoted her life to helping poor people in impoverished third world countries. There is nothing more elitist than "caring" about people in poor countries and trying to redistribute money from the rich to the poor. Real Americans try to teach those folks the value of hard work and pay them 5 cents a day to work in sweatshops making $85 sneakers...

  John McCain's family didn't have any goats either. His father was a four-star admiral in the Navy. That might sound "elitist", but you have no idea how badly the four-star admirals were treated by the 5-star admirals. Goats were completely out of the question for the McCain family – did you know that they don't even allow you keep goats on an aircraft carrier?

  John McCain did not come from a wealthy family. Nor did he acquire his wealth from dubious activities like writing best-selling books, like that elitist Obama. No, McCain's wealth came honorably – he divorced his broke-ass first wife and married an heiress, who funded his political career. Americans respect that kind of entrepreneurial pluck. And that word "pluck" is not a typo.

  "
  I'm Bitter About Elitist Obama.
• Article: Clinton finds an ally in McCain.
• Clip:
  [Gibson]: "You have however said you would favor an increase in the capital gains tax. As a matter of fact, you said on CNBC, and I quote, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton, which was 28 percent."

  It's now 15 percent. That's almost a doubling if you went to 28 percent. But actually Bill Clinton in 1997 signed legislation that dropped the capital gains tax to 20 percent.

  "

  [Obama]: "Right".

  [Gibson]: "And George Bush has taken it down to 15 percent."

  [Obama]: "Right".

  [Gibson]: "And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. The government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down. So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected? "

  [Obama]: "Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. We saw an article today which showed that the top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year -- $29 billion for 50 individuals. And part of what has happened is that those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair."

  ...

  [Gibson]: "But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up."
  Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.

• Revenues dropping when capital gains tax increases only works for a year, as people sell their business before the rate increase, so there are fewer sales in the first year that the increased new rate applies. It averages out in the longer term. Most people who own stock own them in 401Ks which are protected from taxes until they retire, and they are likely then in such a low tax bracket, 24% or lower, that they would have pay no capital gains tax. So Charlie Gibson's premise is wrong. And you have the moderator debating the candidate and putting out Republican talking points.
• Bumper Music: The High Road, Jojo.
• Article: RNC: Obama's Taxing Trick.
  "At Last Night's Debate, Obama Said He Wouldn't Tax the Middle Class - But His Cap Gains and Payroll Tax Hikes Would Hit Middle Income Earners"
• Guest: CNS Editor-in-Chief Terence Jeffrey. Last night's debate. Tax. He does not want corporations to pay more tax. Make the USA more attractive to business. He'd get rid of the Federal Department of Education. Recession. Blue states paying more in federal taxes, red states drawing more out. Cost of schools. NCLB.
• Clip:
  "And I have confidence in the American people that when you talk to the American people honestly and directly about what I believe in, what my plans are on health care, on energy, when they see my track record of the work that I've done on behalf of people who really need help, I have absolute confidence that they can rally behind my campaign.

  And, you know, the notion that somehow that the American people are going to be distracted once again by comments not made by me but by somebody who is associated with me, that I have disowned, I think doesn't give the American people enough credit.

  "
  Senator Barack Obama, Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.
• Bumper Music: So Serious, ELO.
• Clip:
  "That's the problem. That's why I'm not too excited about the election. I'm really not excited. The only one I don't want to win is Obama because I know he's a Marxist in his heart. He's an Afro-Leninist, and I know he's dangerous.

  Hillary, I know what to expect from her, which is eight horrible years, but I'm not so sure she's still a Leninist. Her husband has made so much money in so many different capitalist ways that I actually think they've matured and become good Americans.

  "
  Savage on Obama: "He's an Afro-Leninist, and I know he's dangerous".
• "The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations." Flag Etiquette.
• Clip:
  "We will let the Iranians know that, yes, an attack on Israel would trigger massive retaliation, but so would an attack on those countries that are willing to go under this security umbrella and forswear their own nuclear ambitions."
  Senator Hillary Clinton, Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.
• Treaties, the domino effect in World War I.
• Book: "We The People". Thom has not heard of any progress on producing a version for schools.
• Quote:
  "... Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law." ...
  Article 1 Section 7, U.S. Constitution.
• It is Congress that raises taxes, not the president.
• Bumper Music: Messes, Chuck Cannon.
• Clip:
  [Stephanopoulos]: "But a simple yes-or-no question: Do you think Senator Obama can beat John McCain or not?"

  [Clinton]: "Well, I think we have to beat John McCain, and I have every reason to believe we're going to have a Democratic president and it's going to be either Barack or me. And we're going to make that happen.

  And what is important is that we understand exactly the challenges facing us in order to defeat Senator McCain.

  He will be a formidable candidate. There isn't any doubt about that...."

  [Stephanopoulos]: "But the question is, do you think Senator Obama can do that? Can he win?"

  [Clinton]: "Yes. Yes. Yes.

  Now, I think that I can do a better job. I mean, obviously, that's why I'm here."
  Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.

• Clip:
  [Stephanopoulos]: "Senator Obama, do you think Senator Clinton can win?"

  [Obama]: "Absolutely, and I've said so before. But I too think that I'm the better candidate. And I don't think that surprises anybody"
  Democratic Debate in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008.

• Article: Exclusive: Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green Groups, James Ridgeway, Mother Jones.
  "Meet the private security firm that spied on Greenpeace and other environmental outfits for corporate clients. A tale of intrigue, infiltration, and dumpster-diving."
• Guest: David Corn, Mother Jones. "Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green Groups". Dumpster diving. Trespass. Impersonating police. Violation of privacy. Some of the targets are considering suing. What if it were Greenpeace doing it?
• Bumper Music: Me And My Gang, Rascal Flatts.
• Peter, a lawyer, called and explained the legality of going through garbage. The Supreme Court gave the police the right to do so without a warrant - outside home. Law of abandonment - if you put rubbish out for pickup by the city, it is not abandonment. There are also some city ordinances.
• Bumper Music: Five to One, the Doors.
• "Corporate income taxes in fiscal 2003 accounted for 7.4% of all federal tax receipts, down from a post-war peak of 32% in 1952. With one exception (1983), last year’s percentage is the lowest recorded since data was first published in 1934."
  Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 2003 Annual Report.
• Article: McCain Admits His Economic Plan ‘Disagrees With The Experts’.
• Guest: Christy Harvey, Director of Strategic Communications at the Center for American Progress, MicCheckradio.org. "News Under the Radar". Yesterday's story about the liberty city 7 who were said to be al Qaeda and were used to scare people before 2006 election. The judge ordered a mistrial for the second time. There's a hearing on 23rd about a third trial. The reason for the mistrial was the weird setup. They smoked pot, hatched a silly plot, had no money, skills, contacts, etc. The FBI gave them money, cell phones, an "al Qaeda swearing in ceremony" which they videotaped, suggestions, etc. One has already been acquitted. John McCain's economic plan, $1.7 trillion tax cut. Berkshire Hathaway's annual report said corporate taxes were at the lowest level. Andrea Mitchell, wife of Alan Greenspan, called him out. He said he disagrees with the experts. 1 out of 5 returning vets has PTSD. McCain has not signed on for the GI bill, and not enough money. Joe Lieberman wants to to be keynote speaker at the RNC.
• Bumper Music: Ain't Talkin', Bob Dylan.
• Report: COMBATING TERRORISM: The United States Lacks Comprehensive Plan to Destroy the Terrorist Threat and Close the Safe Haven in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas, GAO (summary).
• Ellen Ratner of Talk Radio News. The correspondents dinner last night. Romney, Cheney funniest, the comedian least. Cheney on Hillary and gunfire, and "Barack Obama and I have had our disagreements, and frankly I do wish he'd keep these things in the family." He has an excellent writer. The GAO report just come out. Reid commented, "The Bush administration's limitless commitment of our limited resources to the war in Iraq has compromised our focus". “al Qaeda is now using the Pakistani safe haven to put the last element necessary to launch another attack against America into place, including the identification, training, and positioning of Western operatives for an attack. It stated that al Qaeda is most likely using the FATA to plot terrorist attacks against political, economic, and infrastructure targets in America ‘designed to produce mass casualties, visually dramatic destruction, significant economic aftershocks, and/or fear among the population.’” Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J. said, "For anyone wondering how we're doing in the fight to get the terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11, this report pretty much says it all". Rand Corp reports 300,000 vets have major depression or PTSD, brain injury. See VA Watch Dog. Many pilots have killed themselves, many vets. Secretary Rice is going to Kuwait, saying other countries should contribute.