Obama, The Friendly Socialist? - Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic

[steve2470]

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/obama_the_friendly_socialist.php

16 Oct 2008 07:36 am
Republican and conservative readers tend to send me one of four types of e-mails these days.


(1) This column is getting too pro-Obama because I'm a closet liberal and member of Obama's amen chorus....... Pro-Obama is defined herein as having the desire to write critically about Sen. McCain and jumping into the tank for Obama.

(2) This column is getting too pro-Obama, but hey, he's over 50 in the national polls and Sen. McCain is running a lackluster campaign, and if one campaign is outhustling another, if one campaign is distorting stuff more, then you've got to call 'em as you seem 'em, even if some of your readers are going to complain.

(3) E-mails saying that, despite the mood of the national electorate, this column has been fair.

(4) E-mails wondering why I'm not covering such-and-such a comment by Obama.

One correspondent wondered why I hadn't posted anything on Barack Obama's admission that he's a socialist. That he, in the words of the Republican, "wants to take money and "spread the wealth around?"

more at link above

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. Doesn't Obama support *progressive* taxation?

Ambinder says

"If you've got a plumbing business, you're going to be better off it you've got a whole bunch of customers who can afford to hire you, and right now I think everybody's so pinched that business is bad for everybody and I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody. "

He's simply restating support for a regressive income tax, not making a larger statement about the economy."

[HamdenRice]

3. Probably a mistake. The writer must have been thiking "progressive"

because Obama was saying richer people should pay more and opposing the flat tax which is regressive.

[whosinpower]

2. Vs the republicans who

Want to spend your money, and your kids money, and your grandkids money....and spread the debt around.