"... how do Republicans who call Obama a socialist explain their support for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, welfare and the Earned Income Tax Credit?"...
Patrick Buchanan
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29302
Maybe Pat Buchanan would like to see us drop all those programs. I don't believe the vast majority of Americans, including John McCain, would. I'll bet McCain doesn't oppose his first wife getting Social Security and Medicare after he left her with her long-term injuries from a terrible car accident. He knows she needs some help.
Yet, Senator McCain insists on calling Obama a socialist. Well, if believing in the general idea of social programs makes a person a socialist, then I guess I'm a bit of one too. For example, I believe in public libraries where anyone can go in and get a library card and check out books and CDs and DVDs. I believe those libraries ought to be supported by taxes.
It seems to me that those who benefit the most from America's economic prosperity ought to be required to pay more in taxes, to "give something back" to the country that gave them the freedom to become so wealthy.
Here's a question for the capitalist purist who wants to abandon all social programs and give huge tax breaks to the wealthy: How do most rich people make their money? Do they do it by their own hard work? Or do they make their fortunes profiting from the labors of others? Another question: Do they pay a fair wage to those workers? If everyone paid fare wages, then socialism would likely evaporate.
Joan Kroc was the widow of Ray Kroc, the McDonalds Drive-In franchise founder. She gave away tons of money to various causes, including National Public Radio; and she donated millions to build community rec centers, etc. All of that is commendable. But one day it occurred to me: Why should she have ALL that much money? Why didn't her husband or she require every McDonald's franchise operator to pay a livable wage to their employees, who flip the burgers and fry the fries? That would, of course, mean less profits for the owners and the Krocs. But, instead of that, a lot of McDonalds' employees are living under the poverty line. Is that what capitalism should look like? Looks like a crock to me.
And what about Cindy McCain? Did she work really, really hard for her $100,000,000 beer distributor fortune? Or did she benefit from the hardworking people who staffed the breweries and drove the beer trucks, etc.? Why should Cindy end up with such a huge fortune, while so many of those workers were no doubt living paycheck-to-paycheck? It wouldn't hurt Cindy to pay more taxes, so that social programs will have more to help the workers who made her rich.
Patrick Mulhaney, a sometimes semi-socialist
Bush knew Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction 
John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as "not one of us," I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence.
At a Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, "Kill him!" At one of your rallies, someone called out, "Terrorist!" Neither was answered or denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., the crowd was seething with hatred for the Democratic nominee - an attitude encouraged in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local Republican chairman.
Shame!
John McCain: In 2000, as a lifelong Republican, I worked to get you elected instead of George W. Bush. In return, you wrote an endorsement of one of my books about military service. You seemed to be a man who put principle ahead of mere political gain.
Posted August 17, 2008 | 04:43 PM (EST)