Is it any surprise that Obama is in love with tire gauges. He's in their financial pocket!!!

Quote :

"On June 16, 2008, John Zimmerman, chief financial officer of Tomkins, gave nearly $7,000 in campaign contributions to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Lo and behold, nary two months later Obama's in Springfield, Missouri, suggesting drivers inflate their tires to save gas (and, by the way, curb CO2 emissions). Coincidence? We think not. Does it come as any surprise that Tomkins owns the Syracuse Gauge Company, which bills itself as manufacturing the "largest selection and variety of tools in the United States for filling tires [and] checking tire pressure"?"

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/inflategate-tir.html

8/13/2008 12:22:55 PM

ha ha ha!

News at 11!

Quote :

"Clearly, Mr. Zimmerman's contributions influenced the Obama campaign to encourage Americans to purchase tire gauges, though most of the lowly devices have already been snapped up by the McCain campaign. Perhaps the most-shocking part of Inflategate is the politicization of a suggestion so simple as following the instructions found in your car's owners manual. It's also something of a tempest in a teapot, seeing how all new cars must have tire-pressure monitors."

[Edited on August 13, 2008 at 12:37 PM. Reason : Inflategate ftw]

8/13/2008 12:35:41 PM

McCain is an asshole:

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2008/07/14/daily79.html

Quote :

"McCain gets $1,930 a month from 'broken' Social Security system Republican presidential candidate John McCain cashes his monthly Social Security checks despite calling the federal program "a disgrace," the Associated Press reports. "I'm receiving benefits," McCain told campaign reporters, but added, "the system is broken." In 2007, he received benefits of $23,157 from Social Security, approximately $1,930 a month. The maximum monthly benefit under Social Security is $2,185. Social Security benefits are determined by age at retirement. McCain, who is 71, has received benefits since he was 65. Last week, McCain told observers at a town-hall meeting in Portsmouth, Ohio, "Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers ... and that's a disgrace." B.J. Jarrett from the Social Security Administration said that individuals can refuse retirement benefits. In 2006, McCain's wife Cindy earned $6 million, and has a net worth of approximately $100 million."

He is married to someone with a net worth of over $100 million, not to mention he gets a hefty cheque for being a senator.

He STILL collects the near maximum for social security benefits, despite saying "the system is broken."

Grats on collecting more in social security benefits than most lower class Americans make in a year, asshole.

8/13/2008 12:55:27 PM

asshole? How so? He paid into the system and is eligible to collect the benefits that he paid for. SS is NOT a welfare system.. yet. It soon will be once they lift the cap on the tax and dont increase the benefits, per obama.

You get more in your SS the more you pay into it.


Its telling, you thought this was unfair somehow.

8/13/2008 2:53:43 PM

Quote :

"Republican presidential candidate John McCain cashes his monthly Social Security checks despite calling the federal program "a disgrace," the Associated Press reports."

Sure, he's entitled. But why does he need to take the money away from "taxes paid by young workers," which he calls "a disgrace" if he's already a multi-millionaire?

8/13/2008 3:03:26 PM

SS is another unsustainable entitlement program. It is very likely that the money I pay in I wont get back any benefit from. THere will be means testing soon for SS, so it will make SS just another form of welfare. I love the idea of a private account/forced savings plan. You get out what you put in, the money is yours, and you can pass on whatever money you have onto your children's account to build wealth overtime. WE also need to stop putting our SS money into the general fund. That alone would do wonders to help SS limp on for a couple more decades.

Young workers, he said, "are paying into a system that they won't receive benefits from on the present track that it's on. That's the point. I don't think it's fair. I think it's terrible."


I agree with him.

[Edited on August 13, 2008 at 3:12 PM. Reason : .]

8/13/2008 3:10:46 PM

Quote :

"asshole? How so? He paid into the system and is eligible to collect the benefits that he paid for. SS is NOT a welfare system.. yet. It soon will be once they lift the cap on the tax and dont increase the benefits, per obama. You get more in your SS the more you pay into it. Its telling, you thought this was unfair somehow."

You're probably one of the ones that was excoriating Gore for not practicing what he preached in regards to the energy usage of his home.

8/13/2008 3:12:10 PM

haha, yes gore fighting to SAVE THE WORLD and McCain cashing in his benefits, that he paid for, are the same thing. Gore telling others what to do in order to save mother earth, then doing the opposite vs. McCain pointing out the flaws of one of our entitlement plans is really a great arguement, really.

Im just curious. Has mccain told seniors to not cash thier SS checks?

8/13/2008 3:15:48 PM

rofl

Just the reply I expected.

Excuses excuses excuses.

If you're trying to make a point

And you're already worth millions upon millions

It might make a bit of political sense to refuse the benefits.

8/13/2008 3:25:19 PM

Quote :

"Im just curious. Has mccain told seniors to not cash thier SS checks? "

8/13/2008 3:29:36 PM

I'm not sure how that is at all relevant.

8/13/2008 3:30:51 PM

Do as I say (criticize system), not as I do (rake in the dough).

McCain obviously doesn't have a problem with exploiting the system he says is broken. Thats pretty bad when it comes to a social program strapped for cash when you are making millions annually. Spin it anyway you want, but not to admit how ironic and ridiculous anti-entitlement McCain is taking money from the government when he doesn't need it is just partisan and hollow.

And Obama is not without exploiting systems he berated either. Paging public campaign financing.

and eyedrb you changed your quote, which one is what he really said? Its not fair that young people may not see these benefits or that they have to pay for the elderly? thats a pretty big change.

8/13/2008 3:38:57 PM

Quote :

"I'm not sure how that is at all relevant. "

I bet that happens alot

rogue, I didnt change anything. It was what I read when I googled this.

I dont follow your logic on how you feel he is exploiting the system. This is ONE thing that everyone (well workers) pay into up to a maximum and at your retirement age can collect upto a certain dollar figure. One thing that is fair about SS, which will change under obama, is that both the tax and benefits are capped. So, I pay as much in SS tax as Bill Gates and other millionares. When ever they retire, we would both receive the same SS check amount. (if we were the same age) That is fair. I dont fault anyone for collecting on the promises that they have paid into.

So basically you guys have proved my point. Means testing will be allowed to pass, as you all are doing it right now.

8/13/2008 3:54:52 PM

Quote :

"So basically you guys have proved my point. Means testing will be allowed to pass, as you all are doing it right now."

What in the fuck are you talking about?

8/13/2008 4:13:25 PM

what dont you understand?

8/13/2008 4:14:46 PM

do you know what means testing is? i didnt think so

8/13/2008 4:14:53 PM

Is he technically exploiting the system? No.

And that is your technical and legal statement. And yes going by that it is correct. He has a right to collect SS benefits due to his payment into the system over his lifetime of work.

Now what you clearly see, but either refuse to recognize because of ideology or debate tactics, is that there is something clearly wrong with a Presidential candidate who has been in Congress 26 years, his combined income over $1million annually, and who clearly finds fault in a broken system.

Sure he passes the means test[ing] but does it make it morally right as a engaged and intelligent citizen, who is running for President, to accept funding from a social program he knows is failing?

The case is he knows better and should not be collecting since he is so well off. Does he have to? No. But just saying "Oh well you see here silly poster is that he is in full legal right to do so, so he can no matter what anyone thinks" is a poor argument. Because if this was a Democrat, every Republican would be screaming about how the liberals support a welfare state till the proverbial cows come home.

And a ? Honestly now.

Also I must have misread your quote originally. If indeed Social Security goes the way some people say it will (extinct) then yes it is unfair to young people.

[Edited on August 13, 2008 at 4:59 PM. Reason : how pissed would america be if Bill Gates collected SS? ]

[Edited on August 13, 2008 at 4:59 PM. Reason : i'm going home, i apologize if it seems i am posting and running. ]

8/13/2008 4:57:58 PM

Sen. McCain has just announced that he's sending his own delegation to Georgia (Sens. Lieberman and Graham) and now he's insisting that it's not a time for politics and partisanship.

LOLLLLLL

8/13/2008 5:01:22 PM

but Lieberman is a Dem-- Independent.

surely it must be bipartisan, then.

8/13/2008 7:41:40 PM

rogue, I see your point. And I have NO problem with ANYONE who is 65 to 67 collecting thier SS regardless of thier income. Im saying YOU all are means testing people out of thier money, and it will become acceptable as the boomers start dying off to means test people out of thier money. (hell, they are doing it now with taxes).

Does McCain, Warren Buffet, or even Gates, when he gets that old, need thier SS money? Hell no. Do they deserve it? You bet.

The problem is that in its current form SS wont last, the numbers dont match up. (neither will the other entitlements... so why not add some more right?) Something needs to be done about it, but means testing people out of thier money isnt the answer. Private accounts, raising the age of eligiblity, and yes raising the tax cap, but still capping it, with a moderate increase in maximum payout is a better way to go, imo. Look id love for the govt to get out of the retirement, housing, food and drug, healthcare business all together. I think things would work much better and people would have more of thier money. But I dont find it hypocritical that someone in govt is talking about a future disaster with a program while on said program that EVERYONE in this country qualifies for.

SS is NOT a welfare program in its current state. If they take of the tax cap and do nothing to raise benefits, then it will become just that. And NO, I would not be screaming about a democrat on SS who is trying to address SS. Im sure everyone of them over 67 in govt is taking thier checks.

8/13/2008 7:41:46 PM

Quote :

""The Senator's goal was to be tough and smart," Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, "and so when the action (in Georgia) happened on Thursday, he immediately called for a ceasefire, condemned the unwarranted use of force by Russia. It was a bad crisis for the world. It required tough words, but also a smart approach to call on the international community to step in -- and I'm very, very happy that the senator's request for a ceasefire has been complied with by President Medvedev.” "

Pretty soon...Obama's people will be giving him credit for a sunny day.

8/14/2008 10:31:39 AM

^funny.

He also "talked tough" and called for a UN resolution. LOL.

8/14/2008 10:34:29 AM

Quote :

"Im saying YOU all are means testing people out of thier money, and it will become acceptable as the boomers start dying off to means test people out of thier money. (hell, they are doing it now with taxes)."

Jesus Christ. We aren't saying that at all you partisan hack. We are saying if you are making it part of your pandering to get elected that the system is broken, you might could consider offering an olive branch by not collecting it. Just think of the political good will he could get by doing this and encouraging other high income people to volunteer to not take it. It's win win for him.

8/14/2008 12:22:53 PM

I see what you are saying eyedrb. I think its definitely a ideological difference we have concerning SS. However I think the fixes you suggested are all valid ones I hope both candidates look to implement in the years to come. Am I a fan of the privatization aspects? No. But its silly to run "entitlement" or welfare programs by straight political lines.

I personally think McCain makes this a liability to the electorate and "liberal" media by actively taking funds from a lacking system while his tax records show he far from needs it. I'm just laying part of how it will be spun and to an extent trying to explain a level of "truth" from one point of view.

Agree to disagree then?

8/14/2008 1:51:12 PM

Troops Deployed Abroad Give 6:1 to Obama over McCain

Wow. Kind of sounds like the troops overwhelmingly don't like John McCain, at all. Or to the degree they like him, they still don't want to see him as their leader.

According to an analysis of campaign contributions by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Democrat Barack Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than has Republican John McCain, and the fiercely anti-war Ron Paul, though he suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination months ago, has received more than four times McCain's haul.

I guess that means McCain will now be accusing the troops of hating the troops. Where's Joe Lieberman?

http://www.americablog.com/2008/08/troops-deployed-abroad-give-61-to-obama.html

8/14/2008 3:58:46 PM

Obama hates the troops so much he is willing to take 6 times as much of their money as John McCain. That's not change we can believe in.

8/14/2008 4:06:14 PM

Quote :

"Wow. Kind of sounds like the troops overwhelmingly don't like John McCain, at all. "

Are you fucking serious?

From the article

"Among soldiers serving overseas at the time of their donations, 134 gave a total of $60,642 to Obama while 26 gave a total of $10,665 to McCain."

A better article should have just said 5x as many military people overseas support obama. Then shown the actual numbers at the end. I guess 6 to 1 does sound better. LOL

8/14/2008 7:51:01 PM

^ haha beat me too.

Way to go gunzz. You succeded in quoting a blog that argues that the opinions of hundreds of thousands of people can be divined from a total non-random sample of 323. WTG. lol

Also from the original article (not the blog post).

Quote :

"A former West Point professor, Jason Dempsey, noted that the small set of contributions from deployed troops at this point in 2008 -- just 323 donations -- should not be extrapolated to form conclusions about military personnel overall. "If, on a bad day, a guy gets that letter that says [his tour has been extended] from 12 to 15 months, that could spur a quick donation and expression of anger," he said. "Donating helps members of the military express their political views privately.""

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/troops-deployed-abroad-give-61.html

hahahahahaha

[Edited on August 14, 2008 at 8:13 PM. Reason : ``]

8/14/2008 8:12:06 PM

you're arguing the difference between 5x and 6x ... are you tools serious???






[Edited on August 14, 2008 at 8:21 PM. Reason : ]

8/14/2008 8:20:44 PM

^ hahaha way to miss the point. I'm arguing that a non-random sample of 323 donations (note, these are not even individuals as a person can make multiple donations) is not a good starting point for determing the opinion of hundreds of thousands of troops stationed over seas, which gunzz unfortunatley tried to do.

Thanks for playing. hhahaha oy moy have some soy.

PS* Normally when I type "haha" I am just laughing 'on the inside'. But right now I am actually chuckling outloud at how poor the quality of attacks on McCain have become. It's actually very entertaining.

[Edited on August 14, 2008 at 8:30 PM. Reason : ``]

8/14/2008 8:25:42 PM

Contributions from All Military Personnel
Recipient						Total		Number
Obama, Barack						$335,536	859
McCain, John						$280,513	558
Paul, Ron						$232,411	537
Clinton, Hillary					$167,050	376
Republican National Cmte				$135,902	219
Huckabee, Mike						$66,751		127
Thompson, Fred						$46,400		93
Romney, Mitt						$43,307		96
Giuliani, Rudolph W					$22,050		47
National Republican Senatorial Cmte			$21,885		26
DNC Services Corp					$16,873		53

Total							$1,368,678	2991

8/14/2008 8:39:36 PM

^ ??

8/14/2008 8:44:24 PM

^^ ??

8/14/2008 8:45:30 PM

agreed.

Moving on. In other news, Obama supporters claim another anti-Obama ad is "racist" for unclear reasons.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0808/Tenn_GOP_keeps_pushing_character_envelope.html

If you ask me, I still think Obama Supporters are the main reason Obama does not lead by a larger margin. No one likes being called racist just because they dislike the candidate you support.

Either way, these types of reactions just bring a huge smile to my face. "You're not voting for Obama?? You must be a ra-ra-ra-raaacccciiistt!" hahaha.

[Edited on August 14, 2008 at 8:56 PM. Reason : ``]

8/14/2008 8:52:16 PM

^ ??

8/14/2008 9:01:27 PM

Quote :

"If you ask me, I still think Obama Supporters are the main reason Obama does not lead by a larger margin."

8/15/2008 12:58:28 PM

I am almost getting apathetic about the election. At first I thought it was a ploy to win the hardcore conservative vote but i am getting disgruntled at his mimicry of Bush & Co. There is NO WAY i'm voting for Obama so i guess i just won't vote.

8/15/2008 1:00:55 PM

It will be amusing to watch conservatives grumble and make excuses in 2016 when the United States is back on top of the world instead of this awful corrupt shit hole it currently occupies.

8/15/2008 2:57:52 PM

usa is a shithole, 99% of other countries are much better

8/15/2008 3:10:51 PM

^^ hahaha. wow.

8/15/2008 5:12:42 PM

USA#1 best in the world rah rah nationalism

8/15/2008 5:13:43 PM

Quote :

"Contributions from All Military Personnel"

There is also a decent amount of minorities in the armed forces

8/15/2008 5:36:17 PM

tanzarian, I dont consider 3k of 1.5Million in active military, and anothe 1.5M in reserves to be a good sample pool. Maybe its just me.

socks, yeah joe totally missed it but his reply was pretty funny.

8/15/2008 6:31:36 PM

Quote :

"Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential candidacy will receive one final tribute when her name is formally placed into nomination at the Democratic convention. "

Don't worry Barack... it's just symbolic. Nothing to worry about.




http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/15/america/15clinton.php

8/16/2008 1:28:31 AM

8/17/2008 1:35:50 AM

careful, Mister Hillary McCain.

your racism is showing.

8/17/2008 1:40:24 AM

seriously, the more he cocks his head like that, the more I can't help but think he is a giant douche.

8/17/2008 1:41:35 AM

Schmoe, Sho'nuff????



[Edited on August 17, 2008 at 2:43 AM. Reason : ``]

8/17/2008 2:37:12 AM

Gasp! Did someone say something that doesn't kiss Obama's arse??! This is why I defected from the Democrats...no fucking personality and can't see the humour in anything.

That hillbilly pic is not racist. I went to hs with a half black guy that was one of the biggest rednecks in town. Drove a big truck, wore carharts, the whole deal. That's a black guy I want to elect prez.

8/17/2008 3:04:50 AM

Quote :

"Don't worry Barack... it's just symbolic. Nothing to worry about. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/15/america/15clinton.php"

It was Obama's idea, he needs to win back Hillary-votes. Hillary could care less, she knows running away with the nomination now would divide the party and turn sour what should have been a clean-sweep election.

8/17/2008 3:36:48 AM