Jul

24

2007

McCain Bloggers call – 7/24 (Bloggers driving Bentleys!)

by Skip

Arizona Senator John McCain in Franklin, NH (GG file photo)

Once again, Senator McCain holds another call.  This time, he sounded a little bit tired today.  However, as always, willing to take all comers and questions – still the "best blogger caller holder" that I get invited to.  In fact, when Pat Hynes announced that there was time for only two more question, Senator McCain said "let’s do five more"…he does enjoy this!

Best line was when he was asked about the Fair Tax by Captain Ed:

"…Do we tax milk, bread?  We’ll end up only taxing Bentleys (which all bloggers drive)…"

As always, rough notes (mis spells, cracked grammar) after the jump – will fix it later. 

Note: I got most of the names but the blogs were not announced.  I recognized most of them and will do the fill ins later 

 

 


McCain blogger call

Pat Hynes intro

McCain:

St Joe’s Michigan  
a couple of thousand people
need line item veto
he will veto pork barrel bills
protectionism doesn’t work
need a better displayed worker programs instead of the failed programs that we have so far.

Publicity Stunt – the all nighter (1:30am-4:30am).  It was the Dept of Dod authorization (training, education, pay raise).  It had the Wounded Warrior legislation.  The bill was taken down, first time in 45 years – this is disgraceful.  Is blaming this on Reid for attaching the retreat from Iraq on that bill.

Robert Bluey – Barack committed to meeting with Iran, Syria, Venezula – no preconditions.

    It is naive….they have an agenda and this will give them prominence.  Face to face to is overrated.  What is the first topic with the Iranians – wiping Israel off the map, IEDs found in Iraq.
Have to have a prepared agenda that will bolster the

Jennifer Rubin – last call – suggestion that his rivals were going soft on Iraq.

    Doesn’t know if they are or are not – he doesn’t pay that much attention.  SUggested that Romney had a secret (not so) plan to get out.  He wants to win….

Philip Klein – Newt suggested that you are on the verge of dropping out once Mc gets the FEC money

    Respects Newt, but he has no knowledge of what Mc is going to do.  
Followup – still considering taking FEC matching funds?
    Still considering….Newt has no idea of what Mc is going to do.  Has to do whether it will

Ed Morrissy – AMT – elimination of it – both parties have talked about it but have done nothing.  Will Mc be putting legislation forward in the Senate?

    30 mill afftected by 2010.  He is talking about setting up that legisilation….a huge problem.  This year or next

ME!- Are you willing to cut taxes on smaller companies, as other countries are cutting them and seeing revenues rise – a competitive edge against the US

    Reduce tax burdens is something we should examine.  Not support the Dem tax increase…..would leave it around for now.  Shown that tax cuts raises revenues.  Wants to simplify the tax code without increasing rates – have Greenspan do a blue ribbon panel to present to congress.  140 Bill is spent to do taxes

Garrity – preventing a genocide in Iraq is not a reason to stay – Barack

    How can you advocate for stopping genocide in Darfur and getting out of Iraq and allowing it there?  "Curious logic to say stop it in one place in the world and allow it in another."  DOes not understand how     Dems could say this.  How can they say Darfur is more important than Iraq (my paraphrase).

    One has to take into account OUR national interest.  Period.

Betsy Newmark – importance of AMerican freedom and private property.  Two years since Kelo – lots of talk, no action.  Any ideas on getting this going?

    It is beyond him as to why this can be done (taking of someone’s private property).  American have not truly appreciated the impact of this decision.  He thinks it is a sleeper issue and will be giving a speeach on it.

Chris Stuart – Hillary is in NH at an energy roundtable….should we expect to see the same for you and why are the Rs giving this issue to the Dems.

    Global warming is a huge issue.  Energy independence has to be part of a national security issue.  Mentioned Saudi refinery attack, Chavez, Putin in restoring the Soviet empire.
    
    He has talked

Pat – time for 2, Mc says 5 questions

Missed the question and asker.

Ed Morrissy – Follow up on my simplicatifan – FairTax – useful

    Do we tax milk, bread?  End up only taxing Bentleys (which all bloggers drive)
    That’s why a panel and an up/down vote in Congress (uses BRAC as an example).
    Fairer, flatter – has to happen – this is abominable.
    Estonian – 22% flat tax – 99.9% tax compliance.  Can’t we do better if they are

Paul Mirengoff – SOX act, critical for the burden on IPOs and driving captial out of the country.  DO you support reform, especially the double audits for smaller companies

    Yes, reform…would support DeMint proposal to help small companies.  What do we need to preserve as it has had a severe affect on small compainies.  He voted for it and rues the quick action (whenter Congress acts in haste, get bad stuff).

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by Skip Murphy

Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom (and how Government is taking that away from us). My fight, from a Conservative (with small "L" libertarian leanings) and evangelical Christian perspective, is with the Progressives that are forcing a collectivized and secular humanistic future upon us. As TEA Party activist, citizen journalist (and pundit!), my goal is to use the New Media to advance the radical notions of America's Founders back into our culture again.

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  • http://tinyurl.com/7lssy Ian

    It sounds as though McCain is a bit disingenous on a previous comment that he WOULD SIGN the FAIRTAX BILL if it got to his desk. For him to make the comment that we’d “only tax Bentley’s” completely misrepresents the FairTax which – in fact – frees American families to fully enjoy the fruits of their labor (no more withholding) while untaxing necessities (via the monthly cash prebate).
    While many who are invested in the current income tax system seek to demagog the well-researched FairTax plan (*), its acceptance in the professional / academic community continues to grow (**). Failure to enact the FairTax – choosing instead to try to “flatten” a NON-FLATTENABLE income tax system – will result in an IRREVOCABLE ECONOMIC MELTDOWN. (*** Impossible, you say?)
    Here is why the FairTax MUST replace the income tax. It’s:
    • SIMPLE, easy to understand
    • EFFICIENT, inexpensive to comply with and doesn’t cause less-than-optimal business decisions for tax minimization purposes
    • FAIR, loophole free and everyone pays their share
    • LOW TAX RATE, achieved by broad base with no exclusions
    • PREDICTABLE, doesn’t change, so financial planning is possible
    • UNINTRUSIVE, doesn’t intrude into our personal affairs or limit our liberty
    • VISIBLE, not hidden from the public in tax-inflated prices or otherwise
    • PRODUCTIVE, rewards, rather than penalizes, work and productivity
    Its benefits are as follows:
    FOR INDIVIDUALS:
    • No more tax on income – make as much as you wish
    • You receive your full paycheck – no more deductions
    • You pay the tax when you buy “at retail” – not “used”
    • No more double taxation (e.g. like on current Capital Gains)
    • Reduction of “pre-FairTaxed” retail prices by 20%-30%
    • Adding back 29.9% FairTax maintains current price levels
    • FairTax would constitute 23% portion of new prices
    • Every household receives a monthly check, or “pre-bate”
    • “Prebate” is “advance payback” for monthly consumption to poverty level
    • FairTax’s “prebate” ensures progressivity, poverty protection
    • Finally, citizens are knowledgeable of what their tax IS
    • Elimination of “parasitic” Income Tax industry
    • NO MORE IRS. NO MORE FILING OF TAX RETURNS by individuals
    • Those possessing illicit forms of income will ALSO pay the FairTax
    • Households have more disposable income to purchase goods
    • Savings is bolstered with reduction of interest rates
    FOR BUSINESSES:
    • Corporate income and payroll taxes revoked under FairTax
    • Business compensated for collecting tax at “cash register”
    • No more tax-related lawyers, lobbyists on company payrolls
    • No more embedded (hidden) income/payroll taxes in prices
    • Reduced costs. Competition – not tax policy – drives prices
    • Off-shore “tax haven” headquarters can now return to U.S
    • No more “favors” from politicians at expense of taxpayers
    • Resources go to R&D and study of competition – not taxes
    • Marketplace distortions eliminated for fair competition
    • US exports increase their share of foreign markets
    FOR THE COUNTRY:
    • 7% – 13% economic growth projected in the first year of the FairTax
    • Jobs return to the U.S.
    • Foreign corporations “set up shop” in the U.S.
    • Tax system trends are corrected to “enlarge the pie”
    • Larger economic “pie,” means thinner tax rate “slices”
    • Initial 23% portion of price is pressured downward as “pie”
    increases
    • No more “closed door” tax deals by politicians and business
    • FairTax sets new global standard. Other countries will follow
    (*) Tax Panel Rebutted
    (**) Econs’ Open Letter to Congress (Lists every tax that FairTax will eliminate, together with the power they represent to pol’s and lobbyists.)
    (***) Listen to an interview where Prof. Kotlikoff elaborates on the Meltdown In Progress!
    The time for sitting around, pontificating, is over. We have NO CHOICE but to demand Congress Scrap The Code – NOW!

  • http://www.OperationOffTheFence.org Marsha Whitt

    FAIR TAX NOW, as written!
    OPERATION: OFF THE FENCE!

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