Wes Clark for VP? - HooYa!

Wes Clark rocks! He gives due respect to McCain's service, but "talks truth to the spin". McCain is not a proven leader in foreign policy and military strategy. "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran" are lyrics... it is not a military strategy for the Middle East.

I have followed Gen Clark since 2003. I was on his short-lived bandwagon. Bought the bumper stickers, and T-shirt! Thought he was the right guy for dealing with the post-9/11 world. I wasn't too happy when he choose HRC's campaign, but it looks to me like he's already re-positioned for some role in the Obama campaign. His book, "Winning Modern Wars - Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire" [2003] , is a great mil-strat read. For a military history wonk like me, it's a good critique of Gulf War II.

Possible VP? What a contrast he'd be to the last 8 years of Darth Cheney, who was always hiding somewhere, in an undisclosed location!

UPDATE 7/2/08 -- Republicans are irate, Obama moderates and Wes & his supporters stand their ground.

McCain's Swift Boatees Response

Obama moderates

McCain - You've Been "Swifted"

Jon Soltz - Don't Back Down!

Gen. Robert Gard backs Clark

Show Me The Money - Tax Plans 2009

Tax Policy Center Report

from CNN

It's a pretty clear distinction between Obama and McCain.

If you make more than $600,000 per year you'll likely favor McCain's plan. This report indicates that folks with incomes north of $160,000 per year would see a significantly higher average tax with Obama's plan vs. McCain's. Obama's plan clearly favors middle-class incomes.

Will "wedge issues" sway lower income voters to vote for McCain, against their own economic self-interest on this taxation issue?



And a related prior story about Warren Buffet...

"We have the chance in 2008 to repair a lot of damage," said Warren Buffet,

[clip]

... as he slammed a system that allows the very rich to pay taxes at a lower rate than the middle class.

Buffett cited himself, the third-richest person in the world, as an
example. Last year, Buffett said, he was taxed at 17.7 percent on his taxable income of more than $46 million. His receptionist was taxed at about 30 percent.

Buffett said that was despite the fact that he was not trying to
avoid paying higher taxes. "I don't have a tax shelter," he said. And he challenged Congress and his audience to see what the people who "clean our offices" are taxed, to loud applause.

[clip]

... public frustration has grown over executive compensation and disparity in pay. It also comes as Congress debates changes to the tax code that would decrease take-home pay for managers of private-equity firms and hedge funds, pools of money for wealthy families and institutional investors. The rich can take advantage of tax loopholes, including one that allows those managers to pay the capital gains tax rate of 15 percent instead of the ordinary top income tax rate of 35 percent.

Buffett said that he and other privileged Americans must do more to help the less fortunate.

June 26, 2007 - Campaign Fund Raising Event for Clinton - Wash Po article