OK, I’m sick of the line that lower-income folks are getting the income tax rebates under Obama because they are still paying taxes.  THEY AREN’T!  They are partially funding their OWN RETIREMENT / DISABILITY PLAN!  The government, in its infinite wisdom, decided that Americans could not be trusted with that 6.5% of their income (actually 13% because each employer has to throw in another 6.5%) to invest it properly for the future.  The Medicare portion of it is a prepayment on medical insurance for the golden years. 

THESE ARE NOT TAXES.  This is a deferred benefit that each person will receive without means testing, at least for now.  Since there is a maximum that each person can pay each year (again, for now), the higher-income people aren’t being burdened any more than others.

I saw this clip of Bill Clinton doing his backhanded compliment of Obama at a rally.  It APPEARS as an endorsement, but just think about what Clinton is really saying here about Obama’s reaction to the economic crisis (emphasis mine):

First he took a little heat for not saying much. I knew what he was doing. He talked to his advisers – he talked to my economic advisers, he called Hillary. He called me. He called Warren Buffet. He called all those people, you know why? Because he knew it was complicated and before he said anything he wanted to understand.

…

The second thing – and this meant more to me than anything else, and I haven’t cleared this with him and he may even be mad at me for saying this so close to the election – but I know what else he said to his economic advisers – he said, ‘Tell me what the right thing to do is. What’s the right thing for America? Don’t tell me what’s popular, you tell me what’s right, I’ll figure it out and sell it.’

I just had to laugh at that.  Good ol’ Bill “depends on the meaning of is” Clinton.  I have a friend who is JUST LIKE THAT.  He tells someone he doesn’t like much exactly what he means to his face, and he says it such that the person thinks it’s a COMPLIMENT!  But the rest of us know what he REALLY means. 

This quote took on new meaning this morning when I heard a clip on the radio from Obama.  I’m not sure where the speech happened, and I haven’t found the text on the net.  Obama said something to the effect that the country needs a new driver, and we need someone else to take the wheel. 

I’m sorry, but I’d like someone at the wheel to know where he’s going and not have to ask Hillary and Bill and Warren and other advisors for directions.

Update: Here’s the take over at Hot Air.

Iran has threatened the US with suicide attacks.  Maybe McCain hasn’t seen that yet, because he did not bring it up at his rally this morning.  He needs to bring it up at the next one. 

Remind voters that the economy is not the only issue in this nation right now, and here’s a new threat of suicide bombers by the country Obama wants to invite to the White House for a nice social dinner.  McCain needs to show people that this is the proof that what Biden said WILL come true if Obama is elected.