The Tax Policy Center revised their earlier analysis on the two campigns tax and revenue policies to address the criticism that what the candidates say on the stump differs from what the campaign staffs had provided, An Updated Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidate's Tax Plans. So how much of a difference in cost?

The difference from what McCain saysd on his speeches versus what his campaign staff claims is his economic policy is a whopping $2.9 trillion more over 10 years, and that is from reducing revenues by $7 trillion versus $4.2 trillion.  That is a whopping 65% increase in revenue shortfall.

Obama, on the other hand actually increases revenues by $400 billion from the relatively (relatively being key here) modest $2.8 trillion.  The Obama plan, as described in speeches, raises reduces tax revenues by just $2.4 trillion over the 1009-2018 period.

This is one of those issues that John McCain regularly gets a pass for in the media. Yet, it so reeks with greed and hypocrisy that it makes me want to knock my head against the wall a few times every time I hear it.

Last year, Republican presumptive nominee Senator John McCain earned a total of $23,157 from Social Security benefits, or approximately $1,930 per month. The amount is near the maximum benefit allowed under the federal program. (benefits are determined by age at retirement)

Even after calling the program "a disgrace," McCain reportedly accepts and cashes each and every one of his monthly checks; despite having the option to refuse all benefits. (according to B.J. Jarrett from the Social Security Administration)

Some have asked about my condition.  Some don't know me.  Hope is a theme, and so is frustration.  I think that hope trumps frustration, which is a mere obstacle on the way.

Catch 23
By David Glenn Cox

Probably the most profound statement made by a US President in the last fifty years was, "It all depends on what your definition of is, is." We no longer have Presidents who make profound statements, they would be lost over the heads of the masses and so the old axiom kicks in: If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.

I just read an article on Truthout about a billionaire named Peter Peterson who set up a foundation with a $1 billion (that's right $1 billion) endowment to reduce government spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

So here is my question: If he can give away $1 billion, why does does he care about government spending on these programs? He obviously isn't hurting financially because of it. Is he upset because he has to pay taxes at all and only earns several billion dollars a year instead of multiple billions a year? Does anyone else think this man is sick?

Oh, and I might add that the article states that "as a manager in a private equity fund, Mr. Peterson was allowed to take advantage of the fund manager tax subsidy - a provision of the tax code that allows some of the richest people in the country to pay much lower tax rates than ordinary workers.

   With his enormous wealth, Mr. Peterson was probably given more than 1,000 times as much money through this tax subsidy as the typical worker can expect to see on her Social Security."

Typical.

Having read the brief diary by edg regarding his mother's health care situation, I think it's as important as ever that we take the time to focus on the real and relevant benefits that a universal single-payer medical system will provide us. And one of those benefits, which I'll discuss briefly, is that single-payer health care (SPHC) can quite likely save social security, while simultaneously adding billions of dollars back into the economy.

Allow me to vent regarding the following:

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.

(San Francisco Business Times)

 If you ever want to see why this nation is totally screwed with the GOP at the helm, then look no further than this little gem from the AP.

A few days ago, John McCain called the Social Security system "a disgrace," and he wasn't just talking about its current financial shape (which actually isn't all that bad) -- but the whole shebang. I find it almost impressive that the Republicans are still pushing their privatization scheme, even in the midst of what appears to be a global economic meltdown. They really do seem determined to take away every last anchor of stability in people's lives. I guess when you've married into the Budweiser fortune, you don't have to worry about things like "the future."

No, that's not a headline you can expect to read.  But it's the truth.

Here's the sequence of events:

I don't really believe in "working the refs." I know it's sloppy, dangerous and bad politics and reeks of whining and victimhood. But there are times I get so frustrated with the news media's framing of the two candidates.

McCain was recently quoted as saying, Social Security Is A "Disgrace". But it barely registered in the mainstream media. It got me thinking, can you imagine the media scrum had Obama said that?

I've been doing some research into  long term benefits of immigration - especially the illegal kind.  Nightprowlkitty's latest blog on the ICE raids, followed by criminal sentencing and deportation of immigrants  at Postville convinced me to pipe up on the subject.

DENVER, CO -- Following up on his comment that  " we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace and it's got to be fixed,"
McCain expanded on his criticism of a program that has kept millions of seniors out of homeless shelters by calling for the repeal of the Fifth Commandment, which reads as follows:

(Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you")

"Here's some straight talk.  Why should God expect us to honor our parents?  It's rank socialism.  Throw e'm out in the street I say."  

McCain also noted that Medicare works the same way as Social Security, with the working children of senior citizens  forced to pay for their health care.  "It is an absolute disgrace that parents health is maintained at the expense of their children in their later years.  Think how much money our children could save if they didn't have to keep their parents alive.  Think how much we could reduce health care costs

This Op-Ed in the Hill is one of the few I've seen in a hill paper (i.e. Politico, the Hill, Roll Call, etc) which actually hits McCain for his double talk. Sadly, there's a lot more examples than this article could cover... What happened to the John McCain of 2000?

I didn't really know that the Gramm comment was THAT damaging to the McCain campaign, but from their subsequent actions I can see that they are all up in arms and panicking about this Gramm thing.

Oh, also Pastor Hagee has thrown a legal tantrum at Youtube and Youtube has agreed to temporarily purge Hagee videos, including this Max Blumenthal classic "Rapture Ready"

John McCain has has come out in favor of Social Security Privatization, or as he calls it, personalization (sound familiar?).  From his website:

John McCain Will Reform Social Security. He will fight to save the future of Social Security while meeting our obligations to the retirees of today and the future without raising taxes. John McCain supports supplementing the current Social Security system with personal accounts – but not as a substitute for addressing benefit promises that cannot be kept. He will reach across the aisle, but if the Democrats do not act, he will. John McCain will not leave office without fixing the problems that threatens our future prosperity.

Hear that?  He will not leave office without implementing Bush's plan for Privatizing Social Security.

McCain's disrespect for Social Security is becoming more and more apparent.  It is a huge winning issue for us - if we can get people talking about it.

Today there was a recommended diary; Campaign-ending McCain Quote: Social Security is a Disgrace, which I found to be fairly disappointing. What was disappointing was that it claimed that John McCain said something he did not say, that Social Security is a disgrace, and used a logical fallacy as its evidence. I am surprised. Are we all republicans? John McCain didn't say that Social Security was a disgrace; he said that the method used to fund it was a disgrace. I disagree with his statement. However, his statement by no means was an attack on the underlying principal of Social Security, which is simply to provide the elderly and disabled with income. The comments confused the two (the method of funding the system and the underlying principal of the system), and presumed that the two concepts were one in the same.

First of all, a tip of the hat to Michael Leon for his post on recent comments by presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain blasting Social Security as a "disgrace," despite the fact that the Social Security system has served as financial bedrock of retirement security in this country for nearly a century.  Here's a little video of Josh Marshall ripping John McCain apart: