November 10, 2008
Obama’s 95 Percent Solution . . . to
McCain’s Zero
The day before the election, I watched Barack Obama
coasting to victory before an exuberant
crowd. Referring to his tax cut for
middle-class families, the soon-to-be Leader
of the Free World asked, “How many of you
are making more than $250,000?”
No hands.
That’s when it hit me. I’m not going to make
more than $250,000 this year, either.
Mr. President-Elect, I’ll take my share in large
bills.
Which brings me back to the issue that, in my view,
ultimately decided the election. At the end
of the day, I knew what Sen. Obama was
promising me – whether he could deliver or
not.
-
A tax cut – since I’m (unfortunately)
one of his favored 95 percent.
-
Cheaper health care ($2,500 a year
cheaper) with better coverage and fewer
restrictions.
-
$10 billion in monthly savings from Iraq
to pay for some of these goodies, even
as he strengthens the military, surges
into Afghanistan and nabs Osama.
-
Investments in alternative fuels that
will create thousands of jobs.
In contrast, what did John McCain promise me? Joe the
Plumber? No wait, he said he’d give Joe a
tax cut. Because he was rich, or because he
wanted to be rich?
Mac pledged to be a maverick. Meaning he would veto
earmarks – which, Barry reminded us, account
for $18 billion in a $1.5 trillion budget.
Heck, they spent that the first 15
minutes of the Big Bank Bailout.
McCain would stand up to greed on Wall Street. By
giving away $300 million to people who got
too greedy with their mortgages. Sarahcuda
would be a maverick, too. Plus help
special-needs children. And don’t forget:
“Drill, baby, drill!”
Why does it seem like McCain stacked up against Sleek
Barry’s 95 percent solution with his own
offer of pretty much . . . zero?
I know, I know. Mac’s a conservative Republican.
They’re not supposed to make promises to buy
votes, right?
Yeah? What if he had offered the following?
“Senator Obama is going to go through the budget
line-by-line and eliminate outdated
programs? I’m still waiting for him to name
one. Me, I’m going to appoint a
Giuliani Commission to review our government
top-to-bottom and redesign it for the needs
of the 21st Century.”
See? Simple. Specific.
“Americans have said they are more afraid of the IRS
than Osama bin Laden. It’s a scandal that
more than half of you get professional help
just to file your taxes. I’ll throw out that
huge, complex and confusing code and have
Mitt Romney head a team designing one that
makes paying for government as easy and
convenient as paying for any other service.”
Go, baby!
“I’ll speed up airport lines with common-sense
security techniques – and end the indignity
of strip-searching 77-year-old grandmothers
in wheelchairs who everyone knows are not
going to blow up planes and confiscate baby
food. And I’ll fix the air traffic control
system to end the epidemic of three-hour
delays that frustrate, discomfort and
inconvenience customers.”
Now you’re pushing my buttons!
“I’ll push for smart transportation systems that do
away with the 4.2 billion hours Americans
spend sitting in traffic every year . . .
not to mention the 2.9 billion gallons of
wasted fuel that worsen our energy crisis.”
Vroom!
“I’ll go beyond more drilling to introduce real,
consumer-driven energy solutions, not
alternative-fuels fairy tales. I’m going to
end the ethanol boondoggle I’ve always
fought – the one that helped drive up the
price not only of gas but also of milk and
bread with no environmental benefits – and
get refineries built for the first time in
decades. All that will increase capacity,
reduce our dependency on imports and end
rollercoaster rides on energy costs.”
Ka-ching!
“You want better, cheaper and more responsive health
care? Me too. I’m not only pushing a tax
credit to give you control of your health
instead of employers and insurers, but also
nationwide competition among plans. Despite
what Senator Obama said, that’s what we’ve
done with Medicare Part D and it has kept
prices low and satisfaction high. Not to
mention malpractice reform that will keep
your doctor in business by reducing premiums
that can run as high as 50 percent of his or
her income.”
Say aawwww.
“And I meant what I said about school choice being the
civil rights issue of our generation, and
not just inner-city schools. Competition
will make even great schools greater. Not to
mention that I’m going to reduce – not
increase – Washington interference so your
school districts can spend precious dollars
on educating your kids instead of on armies
of bureaucrats fulfilling federal
regulations.”
There’s more, but get the idea? As a popular president
running for re-election once said,
“Government should help people improve their
lives, not try to run their lives.”
Say what? That was W?
Oops. So strike the quote. But second the emotion.
Memo to GOP: Consider taking O up on his call not for
bigger or smaller but rather “better
government” – government that really works
and is focused on people’s real needs today.
By coming up with an agenda that proves that
“better government” means Republican (Big R,
small $) government.
© 2008
North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.
Click here to talk to our writers and
editors about this column and others in our discussion forum.
To e-mail feedback
about this column,
click here. If you enjoy this writer's
work, please contact your local newspapers editors and ask them to carry
it.
This
is Column # RM013.
Request permission to publish here.
