Obama finally spoke to my sister

[kpete]

MON JUL 25, 2011 AT 10:11 PM PDT
Obama finally spoke to my sister
byVA gentlewoman

My sis is a typical middle-class American. She works as a middle manager for one of the huge telecom companies. She's been squeezed, moved around because of downsizing, had her retirement postponed four or five times, is in foreclosure, barely hanging on.

But she is politically disconnected and uninformed and she's never ever before had a personal reaction to a political speech. But tonight she called me.

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The line in Obama's speech about the boss being taxed less than his secretary cut right through the political rhetoric and spoke to her. She'd looked at her company's annual report and realized that the CEO's increased company-paid life insurance premium would have paid for the salaries of the two co-workers in her office who were laid off, whose jobs she is now being expected to do for the same salary they've paid her for the last four years.

So here's a note to President Obama and his policy wonks and speechwriters. If my sister is who you need to get on board with you, try that line again more prominently. And maybe even really mean it. Because you finally got my sister on board and she's even calling you to tell you so.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/26/998848/-Obama-finally-spoke-to-my-sister?via=siderec

[elleng]

1. That's good. He has been using that 'line,' but effective at prime time.

[rfranklin]

2. It's class warfare and it's good...

The right wingers and their think tankers and pundits and politicians have been waging a successful class war against the middle class for years. Whenever we return the favor they scream like stuck pigs and claim we're being unAmerican, socialists...even COMMUNISTS!

But this is what President Obama needs to do more often. Sharply draw the lines and make absolutely clear what the right wingers are fighting for...they are fighting for a bigger share for the mega wealthy who have stuffed themselves by depriving every other American of a share of the pie.

[WhiteTara]

3. And the next time he says it, it should be phrased

in a more forceful manner. I thought that was really awkward; but was a great point.

Last night he was the best I've seen him in awhile.

[Stuart G]

4. k & r

[piratefish08]

5. what is it in the proposal V.7.3 that addresses the disparity in tax rates??

will this be addressed in an agreement or is it an admission with no solution?

[karynnj]

7. I think it is just an elimination of the loophole on ho to tax "carried interest"

for hedge fund guys.

[piratefish08]

8. okay. So nothing to address the income/tax rate disparity.

[karynnj]

11. Only for the people who currently benefit - getting a 15% rate (as if it were a capital gain)

rather than regular income. (Caveat - I don't understand this very well.)

[karynnj]

6. Add in that the Ryan plan actually eliminates taxes on capital gains altogether

- as well as eliminating the estate tax. These are policies the robber barons would have envied.

[Armstead]

9. I think the "really mean it" part is the sticking point

[MadinMo]

10. K&R

Wish I could recommend x100. Been there done that --- I was forced out of a job while the bigwigs got richer.

I was able to contact Sen. McCaskill via email with no problem. Sen. Blunt's contact form on the internet is garbled and unusable..... go figure.