YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE.

John McCain today talking about this plumber fellow who makes more money that most Americans:


“He wanted to spread his wealth around. What does that mean? He wants the government to take Joe’s money and give it to somebody else, “McCain said as the crowd booed. “His hard earned dollars. We are not going to stand for that. America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by spreading the wealth; we became the greatest nation on earth by creating new wealth.”

I believe Senator McCain that if you look back at the history of this country, there has been a decent amount of wealth re-distribution. And that such wealth-redistribution has helped a number of groups keep their heads above water. For instance the elderly, 20 percent of whom rely on Social Security for most or all of their income.

And then there are the younger people in poverty; the U-S poverty rate is much higher than that of European nations. Why? Generally because of a lack of GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION. Many of the people living in poverty in this country have jobs but just can't make ends meet with those jobs. In Europe, the government safety net is much stronger. The U-S has pretty much maximized labor market participation, but more than 15 percent of Americans still live below the poverty line.

Senator McCain: how do YOU propose to get these people above the poverty line without government intervention? And without some wealth re-distribution?

Lack of a job hasn't been the problem here; it's that the jobs often don't pay enough to take care of the basic costs of living. Not to mention the basic cost of getting decent health care.

But then, having married a multi-millionaire, you Senator McCain really have no idea what I"m talking about do you?

Yup, John McCain is a Republican: a rich guy who thinks that the poor just need to get their act together but never once bothers to walk in their shoes for a moment. A rich guy who thinks somehow that his massive wealth is sacred and not to be touched. A rich guy who, deep down, thinks the poor deserve to be poor.

Jeez, this elderly, half-insane asshole pisses me off.