The definition of rich question! Obama sticks with Kerry's --
$200,000 gross income for a taxpayer. But this means that a family
where only one parent works has to swing it on $200,000. Wait --
wait -- now it's $250,000, Obama says. Make up your mind. As I was
saying: try putting two or three kids through college out of state
on $200,000 gross. Then ask again what rich means -- for
families.
Edwards doesn't "know what a rich person is." Someone get a
mirror. He's right about crushing debt burdens. But college for
everyone? Will that be enforced like health care too?
Sure would like to know Hillary's definition of rich.
Richardson says for the tenth time tonight: "This is what I
would do." Then pauses as if thinking up on the spot what he would
do. He's a "pro-growth Democrat." And Biden and Obama favor
recessions?
Kucinich goes all Ron Paul on us in response to Ruxpin's
suggestion that Dems are nothing but taxers and spenders: don't
fight Iraq with Chinese money, return to bilateral trade, don't
spend money you don't have.
I think Ruxpin is deliberately steering hard questions away from
Hillary. She has now escaped defining rich and pledging to
eliminate earmarks in the space of ninety seconds. Ruxpin gives us
another Chris Dodd monologue and lets the putative frontrunner off
scot free. Followed by a Gravel monologue centering around the
Comptroller-General. Hillary leans forward mid-monologue, cackle at
the ready. But wait! She wants to answer the question -- with
cliches ("there is no free lunch;" "we're going to have to do that
hard work again") and red meat ("we need to deal with the burden on
the middle class"). Completely avoids the question of earmarks.
Next?
topics:
Trade, Health Care, Earmarks, Iraq
About the Author
James Poulos is a doctoral student at Georgetown and the former Political Editor of Culture11. His writing has been published by The American Conservative, The National Interest, The New Atlantis, Partnership for a Secure America, and The Weekly Standard. In addition to AmSpecBlog, he has blogged at The American Scene, Doublethink, and Postmodern Conservative, which he founded. With degrees in political science and law from Duke and USC, he is currently at work on a dissertation about life after Napoleon. In his spare time he anti-blogs at Pish Tosh.
