Help!! My head is exploding! McCain rally in York Pa. Rant

DebJ

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Tue Aug-12-08 04:01 PM
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Help!! My head is exploding! McCain rally in York Pa. Rant

Of interest, I did get interviewed by talk radio (910) . . .that is one of the local Lumbaugh stations (all we have around here). . .
the reporter liked my answer but I doubt it will get air time.
First, though, the reporter asked the woman behind me what her impression was. She was very unsure, uncertain, and the timidity
and uncertainty clearly came through in her voice as she said: "He definitely seems experienced and qualified". There
was no 'definitely' in the tone of her voice. She looked and sounded dazed and confused. In no way was she fired up
and ready to go. (But I sure am!!!)

Her problem was that she didn't know anything more when she left then when she went in, I can attest to that.

I turned around and said into the radio recorder: I'll tell you what my impression is. He didn't have an answer or a plan for anything. For energy,
our industries will take care of that. For poverty, Bill Gates is taking care of that. For other things, yes we need to
address that. . . but no plans for anything. I said I thought McCain was about change. He just said everything is fine
as it is, or offered no plans.

I hope McCain comes near here again. He said he is going to do a city by city bus tour. I will be there. But this time,
I will shout out after his 'answers' But what are YOU going to DO about it? WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR ACTION?

Here's what I heard today, as my blood pressure rose and my face was clearly glowing an angry red (and for an hour afterwords).

Energy: America has always been the leader. Americans created every useful advance and invention ever done (that's a crock).
Summary: the problem will be handled by our industry. USA USA USA. His plan for action? None given. (I guess energy issues are psychological too).

Housing: People should be able to get a HUD loan for the CURRENT VALUE of their homes at a fixed rate. Ok, so if you only owe the current value,
you might not be in that much trouble anyway. What do you do about the other $25k you still owe??

Extreme poverty causing terrorism: McCain nicely had a group of young people from ONE, who just came back from volunteering
in Rwanda. He gave them a nice little talk up (of course, his subliminal point being hey, volunteers, that's the way, no government!@!!)
Then he let one of them speak. And that one young man said As it is well known that extreme poverty such as that in the 3rd world
is a major cause of terrorism and other disruptions in the world, what will YOU do as President to alleviate this poverty? McCain't's answer:
Bill Gates is handling that. He was given an opening on terrorism and his answer: Bill Gates. Gee, is Gates running for Pres too? Of course he
can't support eradicating 3rd world poverty because that would destroy his base's advantage of economic colonialism. ARRGGHHHH.

Vet's benefits: Rah rah sys boom bah our US soldiers are the greatest in the world. Let's applaud them. And we should give them a little
white card so that for NORMAL CARE they can go to a local hospital. NORMAL? care??? So, someone like my Mom's friend who ends up hospitalized
several months a year will still have to drive 150 miles . . . but then, if he dies on the way to the hospital, hey, we saved money!!!!!! AAAHHHHHH!
My husband's vet friend dropped dead of a heart attack while waiting the months required for an appointment. He wasn't even 50 yet, and he dropped
dead in his wheelchair waiting for this country to give him what he earned in active combat.

Agriculture: a woman who owns a family farm that has been in her family for many generations asked how he would help the little farmers to
survive. The little farmers who feed all of us local Pennsylvanians. His answer: Free trade with Colombia and the rest of the world.
Europe rejects our farm goods because they are genetically modified and our meats are loaded with chemicals and hormones. Our genentically modified
seeds provide plants that are sterile, so 3rd world subsistence farmers must re-buy seed every year out of their near-starvation level incomes. That's
why farmers have a tough time exporting. Free trade won't eliminate that. Did McCain offer help for this woman's family?????

Higher education: A young man said he was a former Hillary supporter and now he wanted to find answers on issues. He spoke of struggling to get
through college and didn't know how he would ever pay off his debts. McCain's response: We need to do something (what I say what what what???) to
support math and science education. Next he smugly bragged about his daughter's recent graduation with a degree in Art (I thought ouch that's like
rubbing it in the face of a student who doesn't have a rich daddy. Ignorant). Then he speaks of how we already have programs to handle this issue,
like the one that covers Teacher's tuition and the Peace Corps, etc., and adds we should expand on those types of things (compare to Obama's specifics).
Finally, he says we need to do that (ever-elusive) "something" about the credit situation so students can get loans. The guy asking the question HAS
loans . . . it was THAT burden that was killing him.

Health care: McCain proposes a $5000 per family (or $2500 per individual though he didn't mention that) tax credit for health care. If the individual
chooses an 'innovative' program (I interpret that as doesn't cover crap) costing less, the additional credit can be put in a health savings plan . . .
per his website, he didn't bring that part up. I don't know anyone paying $5000 a year in Fed taxes. My family's earnings over the past 5 years have
been $65-$85k, and last year we paid less than $2000. Our only investment is our home that we bought 2 years ago, and we got a $600 credit for buying
a hybrid Toyota Camry. SO how does this credit help people who don't pay $5000 in taxes? I called two different numbers for McCain. They couldn't tell
me. I asked the first person to find someone who could answer the question. No one could (what I expected). The second number there was just one
lonely old guy to answer the phone, who knew nothing. He said You really want some detailed information. I said, if we don't and if McCain doesn't know
what good a $5000 tax credit is to someone who pays $1000 a year in taxes, what good is this plan? He said, I agree. You are right. We had a nice long
chat and I told him all about Obama. He admitted he knew nothing. He said all the politicians just talk. I said Obama has integrity and told him of his
community service work. I said I always check out the backgrounds of people. I said my husband used to love McCain but now he is very angry and doesn't
know whether the McCain of 2000 is running or this other McCain. (Hubby is a volunteer for Obama, now.) This poor old man pays $1500 a month for his
health care. He said (nicely) that I could vote for Obama if I wanted a tax increase. I said, actually, our taxes will decrease an additional $200 a year
under Obama's plan as opposed to McCains. He said, oh really? I didn't know that. I don't pay that much attention. After our talk, I'm thinking that
while he sits there, lonely, just waiting for the phone to ring, he'll be thinking about Obama.

If someone earning $25-$40 a year ends up with an excess tax credit because in that first year they could not AFFORD health insurance, then what???
Do they even get the credit? McCain's website says: that tax credit can be rolled into a Health Savings Plan, giving them exactly $5000 in health
care the next year - IF the plan will let them withdraw it for each specific health care need they have. What does $5000 cover????? Not squat.
Also, there are so many restrictions on withdrawing funds from my husband's employers health savings plan, it is useless. We're better off putting
it into a regular savings account, because that way if we don't need it for an 'approved' expense, we can still have the money the next year to use
for our health care needs. If it is in the health care savings plan, they tell us what is a qualified expense in their beaurocratic definition of a
medical need. And of course, pre-approval is required. Unless you die first.

McCain's volunteers do not understand his health care plan, and they are surprised that someone does want to understand.

Well, enough ranting. Thanks for the opportunity. My blood pressure is down a bit. But I remain fired up and ready to go. Gotta clean the house
for our Obama Team Meeting tomorrow night. I learned from the McCain meeting (once again) that Republicans are clueless. That doesn't mean they
don't want answers . . . just that they need to be spoonfed. I can see LOTS of opportunities here! I need to explain McCain's 'plans' as well
as Obamas. Pretty much all McCain does is say, oh yes we need to address that. He talks like Schwarnegger (spel?) by explaining to everyone what
the problem is for an extended time, and then says, we need to address that. Plans? None.