I was glad to see McCain make some of these contrasts so successfully. McCain: I have fought against earmarks for my entire career, and he’s asked for $932 million. Obama: Hey, have I told you about how I oppose tax cuts? McCain: Lowering business taxes is necessary because if a business can get an 11 percent tax in Ireland, and must endure 35 percent here, that business will leave the U.S. We must prevent that by giving American businesses a chance to give plenty of people jobs and opportunity. Obama: Dear American Business Owners, Your taxes aren’t really high or onerous. It’s in your imagination. I’m getting rid of your “loopholes.” Sincerely, Barack Obama McCain: I will lower spending in the aftermath of this bailout plan by putting a spending freeze on everything but military spending, vets’ programs, and entitlements. Obama: Um, that’s using a hatchet when you need a scalpel. Um. Um. I’d cut some stuff, too. Obama’s best moment of the debate is when he tied McCain to Bush, much less ham-handedly than usual, by saying it was “hard to swallow” that he’s standing up for spending cuts now when he voted for Bush’s budgets.
