Sen. Barack Obama says if elected, he will require people who make over $250k a year to pay FICA (social security) taxes on the amount in excess of $250k. (I think he means he will ask Congress to pass such a law.)

Under Obama's plan, like now, you would pay taxes on amounts up to the cap of $102k. Under his plan, you wouldn't pay taxes on amounts between $102k and $250k. But over $250k, and you pay.

The 6.2 percent payroll tax is now applied to all income up to $102,000 a year, which covers the entire amount for most Americans. Under Obama's plan, the tax would not apply to incomes between that amount and $250,000. But all annual income above the quarter-million-dollar amount would be taxed under his plan.

Obama has talked before of establishing such a "doughnut hole" in the amount of income subject to the Social Security tax. Friday marked the first time he named a restart level: $250,000 and above.

Here's an ambiguity, at least in the news article. Compare [More...]:

Barack Obama now has a webpage, Fight the Smears, debunking right wing smears concerning him and Michelle. He lists the smears, who is promoting them and details why they are false.

TalkLeft has banned discussion of the smears, particularly the one claiming there is a tape of Michelle using racially charged words, because there has not been a shred of credible reporting to back up its existence. There still isn't. But now that Obama has brought it into the open, our ban is pointless.

So, here's a place to discuss his new website debunking the false assertions about him and Michelle. One caveat: Personal insults against the Obamas or insinuations that the debunked items are true will not be allowed. In other words, you can't perpetuate the falsities. [More...]

The most recent electoralvote.com electoral map provides a picture of the election that I largely agree with. What it means in my opinion is what I have been saying for a while now - this election will be decided by Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan (now add Missouri.)

Right now, the map shows McCain holding the Solid Republican South and Obama holding the Gore/Kerry states (plus Iowa, Colorado and New Mexico). Obama's ability to take his electoral vote number comfortably over 270 depends on a showing of a 1 point lead in Ohio, a 3 point lead in Michigan, a 1 point lead in Missouri and a 5 point lead in Pennsylvania.

To get to 270, McCain needs to hold Ohio and take Michigan and/or Pennsylvania from the Gore/Kerry column (assuming he holds Virginia, if Obama wins Virginia, then he won in a landslide and all of this is moot). More . . .

The NBC/WSJ Poll that has Obama leading McCain 47-41, also has a lesson in reading a poll. Let's look at this excerpt from the poll:

Twenty-two percent say that adding Clinton as Obama’s vice presidential running mate makes them more likely to vote for Obama in November; 21 percent say it makes them less likely to vote for him; and 55 percent say it makes no difference.

Hmmm. That does not sound very good. Sounds like Clinton is a wash at best. Ahh, but let's learn about how to read a poll. What is the real effect?

Also via the Hill today:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) must commit to helping illegal immigrants achieve citizenship or else risk losing the vital Latino vote in the general election, Hispanic Democratic lawmakers are warning.

If he does not promise so-called comprehensive immigration reform, the lawmakers say, the only other way to win over Hispanic supporters of his erstwhile rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), may be to pick her as his running mate.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is meeting with Obama's campaign this week. One member says:[ More....]

The Hill reports that 14 Congressional Republicans are not endorsing John McCain. They are:

Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.).

Their reasons are varied. Some say they will vote for McCain, they just won't endorse or publicly endorse him. Here's the chart (pdf).

Good move by the Obama camp. Obama's statement:

Jim did not want to distract in any way from the very important task of gathering information about my vice presidential nominee, so he has made a decision to step aside that I accept. We have a very good selection process underway, and I am confident that it will produce a number of highly qualified candidates for me to choose from in the weeks ahead. I remain grateful to Jim for his service and his efforts in this process."

Next time, let's be careful BEFORE we name folks like Johnson, who clearly epitomized everything Obama was said to be running against. Politics is phony theatre, but this was a bit too much.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Comments closed.

Jane at Firedoglake thinks Kansas Governor and long-time Obama supporter Kathleen Sebelius would be a good match for Barack Obama as the VP candidate. Jane also addresses reports of Richard Lugar or Chuck Hegel as VP.

I like Sebelius because she's anti-death penalty, pro-choice and not a former prosecutor. She opposed the law requiring voters to show photo id's.

Prediction: It won't happen for three reasons. First, I do not think Obama will pick a female for his running mate. Second, he is too sensitive about attacks on his national security and foreign policy experience and is more likely to pick someone who can bolster both. Third, he is going to go after centrists and conservatives to counter attacks he is too liberal and is not going to pick a progressive on social issues.

Is this a VP audition?

Clark offered opinions on the current state of American foreign policy, the Democrats' emergence as a more "full-service" party on security issues, and -- lest anyone doubt his potential use as a running mate for Obama -- the shortcomings of Sen. John McCain.

"I know he's trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit of national security," Clark said of McCain while speaking from his office in Little Rock, Arkansas. "The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or [in managing] his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is."

In my opinion, and I have long been a Clark fan, if it can work electorally, Clark should get a long look for the VP slot.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Overall, I don't have any strong feelings about who Obama ought to pick right now — though I don't think either Hillary Clinton or John Edwards would be good choices (and I'm not sure either of them wants the job), and I'm not keen on Webb either. Based on a fairly low information "blink" kind of test, I guess my top picks right now are Joe Biden and Kathleen Sebelius. But I could be pretty easily converted to half a dozen other candidates too.

I am curious, because Kevin does not explain it, why does he think Hillary Clinton would not be a good choice and why does he think Joe Biden or Kathleen Sebelius would be good choices? He sort of explains why he thinks Jim Webb would not be a good choice:

John McCain is going after the Jewish vote. He's attracting some major Democratic donors, including one who gave $80,000. to the DNC in 2000. Why? Israel.

Jewish Democrats are concerned about Obama for several reasons. While stumping in Iowa last year, Obama told Democratic activists, “Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people.”

Some Jewish voters interpreted the statement as a sign that Obama would be overly sympathetic to the Palestinian side in future peace negotiations with Israel. And some are concerned about a senior Obama adviser’s comments regarding the influence of American Jews on foreign policy. Merrill “Tony” McPeak, the former Air Force chief of staff, told the Portland Oregonian newspaper in 2003 that the political influence of the Jewish community had hampered efforts to negotiate peace in the Middle East.

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