FACTCHECK.ORG

The $32,000 Question

The McCain campaign falsely claims that Obama voted to raise income taxes on individuals earning "as little as $32,000 per year."

By Joe Miller | factcheck.org

Jul 8, 2008 | Updated: 6:11 p.m. ET Jul 8, 2008

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Posted By: garysgary @ 07/15/2008 10:01:07 AM

Comment: McCain is a liar and probably a traitor. For more than thirty years the good people of Arizona have had an illegal immagration problem. McCain has been a congressman and powerful senator from Arizona for thirty years...he has nothing...zero...zip for his constituents. Not one bill...not one law...not one solution for this problem. But...he sure will vote to send trillions of dollars to Iraq and thousands of US soldiers to their death to protect Israel! He won't protect our border but he will listen to Joe Leiberman and do everthing he can to protect Israel. When did Israel beome our 51st state? Is an attack on Israel really an attack on the US! Is Israel really more important than Arizona?...or Nebraska...or Texas? When an elected official puts another country's interest ahead of US interests, that's treason in my book!
Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/12/2008 7:26:44 PM

Comment: Yeah judgment like voting NO for the NEW GI BILL, Hey Mr. McCain who are we suposed to be killing in Iraq, sunni or shia? What's a Kurd? And even though the US weapons inspectors said there were NO weapons, expolsives, or ammunition from Iran, and the latest NIE said Iran had backed away from uranium enrichment...why are you deterimined to take this country into another, a third war? Is it because of your "experience" and "Judgment"?
Posted By: MariaIsabella @ 07/11/2008 10:08:37 AM

Comment: "The McCain campaign relies on an AP article which puts the cutoff at $31,850, but that figure is from 2007, not this year."

That one statement says it all. These are the people who want us to entrust our country to? As if his top economic advisor Gramm's insulting comments aren't enough proof that McCain and his buffoons are out of touch with reality, they base their "expertise" on a news article. Took old Johnny less than a day to throw his best friend to the dogs, while insulting Belarus in the process. Sad thing is, there are those who actually believe he doesn't share Gramm's views, even after his own statements that he thinks the economy is strong.
Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/10/2008 4:49:08 AM

Comment: Just in case you happened to see the ABC News piece
(if you watch ABC News) with interviews of 5 military folks in Iraq - 3
planned to vote for Obama and 2 for Hillary; no mention of any McCain
supporters. Well, here???s the ???Rest of the Story.???

This from Major General (ret) Buckman

My niece, Katelyn, stationed at Baluud , Iraq was assigned, with others of her detachment, to be escort/guard/ watcher for Martha Raddatz of ABC News as she covered John McCain???s recent trip to Iraq

Katelyn and her Captain stood directly behind Raddatz as she queried GI???s walking past. They kept count of the GI???s and you should remember these numbers. She asked 60 GI???s who they planned to vote for in November. 54 said John McCain, 4 for Obama and 2 for Hillary.

Katelyn called home and told her Mom and Dad to watch ABC news the next night because she was standing directly behind Raddatz and maybe they???d see her on TV. Mom and Dad of course, called and emailed all the kinfolk to watch the newscast and maybe see Katelyn.

Well, of course, we all watched and what we saw wasn???t a glimpse of Katelyn, but got a hell???uva view of skewed news. After a dissertation on McCain???s trip and speech, ABC showed 5 GI???s being asked by Raddatz how they were going to vote in November; 3 for Obama and 2 for Clinton .. No mention of the 54 for McCain.
Posted By: Nins @ 07/09/2008 1:18:05 AM

Comment: Did you know that if McCain is elected you will have to pay income tax on the value of the medical insurance that your employer gives you? Worse still, he is offering a tax break for people who pay their own insurance, BUT only $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families.

Let's say you have a family of four. Your insurance policy costs would be at least $1,500-2,500 per month under a self-pay plan, which cost more than employer group plans. So, you pay $18,000 -$30,000 per year for insurance, and you get to deduct only $5,000 of that. If you paid $25,000 for you insurance, you would be out of pocket $20,000 per year. This is FAR WORSE than the current system, where if you are self employed you can deduct 100% of you medical insurance costs.

So, if you're not self employed, you would stick with your Employer's plan. Employer plans for a family of four have a value of $900-$1,500 per month totaling 10,800-$18,000 per year. Surprise! On April 15th, you owe tax on all of that as INCOME to you. Say your bracket is 25%, and the value of your Employer medical plan is $14,000. You will OWE THE IRS an additional $3,500, and that's ON TOP of whatever monthly premium you already pay to your employer for your insurance.

Many analysts say that McCain's new rules would encourage employers to stop offering health benefits. If that happened, then far fewer Americans would be insured than are insured today, because what family of four can afford $18,000-$30,000 out of pocket per year for self-pay health insurance?

Furthermore, McCain's plan does not require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions of people who self-pay their insurance. People under employer group plans have all of their pre-existing conditions covered. This is a hugely unfair aspect of the current system. Insurance companies can afford to cover the pre-existing conditions of the much larger pool of people with group insurance, but they refuse to pay the pre-existing conditions on the smaller pool of self-pay customers. They have been allowed to price gouge the self-pay customers, which is a form of market manipulation that should be illegal.

So let's say one of your kids had diabetes and you have high blood pressure, then your employer stops offering insurance. You now have to buy your own, but you and your child are INELIGIBLE due to pre-existing conditions. Oh, yeah, they will let you buy the insurance, but you can't use it for any pre-existing condition until you have paid on time every month for two years. And you know what happens at one year and 11 months? You get a letter saying your policy has been cancelled. I have many patients this has happened to.

McCain's plan SUCKS.

It does nothing to help middle class working Americans afford or obtain medical insurance. In fact, it makes the current system WORSE.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/29/mccain_unveils_health_care_pla.html?nav=rss_email/components
Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/09/2008 1:02:49 AM

Comment: No I think it's that Nobody "fact checks" factcheck, thus we don't really care what the agendist have to say...
- Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 2:32:42 AM
  
  Comment: I thought vetting the vetter were just a distraction?
- Posted By: Nins @ 07/09/2008 1:21:09 AM
  
  Comment: You don;t say that FactCheck is "agendist" when they say something that supports McCain.
  
  They are not always right, but they do seem fairly impartial at this point.
  
  Is "agendist" even a real word?
  - Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/09/2008 6:03:58 PM
    
    Comment: Not really a real word, but if BUSH can do it, I mean if the man who calls himslef "president" can do it, hell yeah so can I.
    MSNBC IS CONstantly busting "factcheck" on both sides of the fence. BTW I would not p!ss on McCain if he were on fire ;)
Posted By: Wisconsin Voter @ 07/08/2008 11:55:46 PM

Comment: Zombiehero, so you are not bothered at all that McWar was outed in two lies in one day? We are not talking about Obama so stop trying to push McWar's lies on Obama.
- Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 1:00:16 AM
  
  Comment: What lies might those be?
  - Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/09/2008 1:04:24 AM
    
    Comment: LMAO, becareful what you ask for...here's an Idea ask American POWs what lies McCain have told, that's a great starting point. Just google "why POWs hate McCain"...haev fun.
    - Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 2:31:59 AM
      
      Comment: If we want to have a lie-fest I'm ready to go, Obama's laundry list of lies keeps growing every day.
      - Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/09/2008 6:07:18 PM
        
        Comment: Hey Zombidouche, It's not me, and they are NOT lies, funny thing is, all the information on Mccain was out there LONG before he EVER was "running". Obama has been in Government for a few years now, but it was only when he began to run that all the "horrible" propaganda began to surface, McCain's "experience goes back for years...lol...as do those who know who he TRULY is and what he TRULY STANDS FOR.
        
        Hey tell me what was McCain's vote on "Bill # S22"?
        
        Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 7:43:01 PM
        
        Comment: Oh that's original HD. I'm surprised your still not calling all Hill Supporters racist still.
        It's a no, because like McCain stated we need to keep troop levels up. I don't agree with him but hey I don't have to agree with everything McCain does right?
        How's this one for you. How did Obama vote on the new FISA bill? The one that he had vowed to filibuster if it had retro immunity?
        
        Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 7:51:08 PM
        
        Comment: Just in case you don't know Obama voted for it....and McCain didn't (pulled an O and didn't vote.). Oh snap
        
        http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/07/09/fisa/
        
        Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/09/2008 10:30:17 PM
        
        Comment: And you think that McCain's NO VOTE is an "OH Snap!" moment? You think MCCAIN NOT SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS is a snapalicious thingy...cool glad to know that like McCain YOU also HATE OUR TROOPS.
        
        Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 11:28:12 PM
        
        Comment: "To be clear: Barack will support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies."
        
        H.R. 6304 (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 )
        Measure Title: A bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.
        
        Obama (D-IL), Yea
        
        Clinton (D-NY), Nay
        
        Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 11:13:28 PM
        
        Comment: Ha ha you are seriously delusional. Obama's the one that keeps trying to deny the Troops money for supplies. I think Obama's FISA vote finally did you in...don't worry, we understand.
        
        Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/09/2008 9:50:24 PM
        
        Comment: Hey Zombisnap, have you actually read the bill? Does not bother me at ALL I don't care.
        
        Oh BTW speaking of McCain was not there for the vote...snap!, just like when the Senate voted on S22 aka "The New GI Bill" that SUPPORTS OUR TROOPS, JOHN MCCAIN DOES NOT SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, OH SNAP!!!
        Do you agree with your old man on that one also? The whole thing is a joke anyway, McCain stands a better chance of doing another 32 propaganda films for the VC then he does of winning this election...lol
        
        But it will be fun to watch him selfdestruct, sit back ;)
        
        Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 11:25:24 PM
        
        Comment: I know you don't care otherwise you wouldn't be defending Obama on this one.
        Keep on belittling McCain service, it's only going to bite Obama anyway, so please tell us all about how you think McCain is really a traitor and Manchurian Candidate.
        Yes it will be fun to watch Obama bleed Ultra Lib voters....Huff a puff, Kos, and MoveOn aren't happy, all those new voters Obama keeps on promising will stay home because they now know that Obama is a politician first and foremost and will do anything for Votes....no pander is too difficult for the Great Obama. I can't wait to see Obama poll number on friday. =)
        
        Posted By: willnotvoteobama @ 07/10/2008 12:28:47 PM
        
        Comment: NOT TO MENTION JESSE'S KNIFE AND NUTS (OBAMA'S) TALK !!
        
        Posted By: HDavidson @ 07/11/2008 3:10:40 PM
        
        Comment: If I am belittling McCain as you have so whinned...let himunseal his records for all to see...lol, then see who it bites you joke ;)
Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/08/2008 9:31:45 PM

Comment: I'm surprised Obama supporters aren't in here blogging away bashing McCain. Maybe they are still mad at factcheck for their last 2 articles on Obama resume padding and false money claims.
- Posted By: Nins @ 07/09/2008 1:19:10 AM
  
  Comment: I didn't see either of those articles. As usual, zombie is making thing up.
  - Posted By: willnotvoteobama @ 07/10/2008 12:29:43 PM
    
    Comment: THEY ARE STILL HERE ON NEWSWEAK OR YOU CAN GO TO WWW.FACTCHECK.ORG !
  - Posted By: Zombiehero @ 07/09/2008 2:31:19 AM
    
    Comment: Obama Polishes His Resume http://www.newsweek.com/id/142884
    Funny you don't remember seeing it, you posted comments in that article's blog. Of course it was your usual jihad copy/paste stuff.
    
    Obama's Lame Claim About McCain's Money http://www.newsweek.com/id/142399
    You still didn't see that article either? Oh wait, yes you posted in it too.
    
    Sorry Nins but your either lying, have a selective memory or just trying to smear me.
Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 07/08/2008 8:09:51 PM

Comment: Its a question mark. Let FACTCHECK return to this subject after the Obama inauguration,say,somewhere in the first hundred days,and perhaps we can check the veracity of FACTCHECK.[As Clinton ,in 1992,made helping the middle class a cornerstone of his candidacy and then upon becoming president,taxed the hell out of them,ushering in the GOP ''Contract with America''].
- Posted By: willnotvoteobama @ 07/10/2008 12:30:38 PM
  
  Comment: GOT TO LOVE THAT NEWT GINGRICH !