Obama Action Wire

Big Oil thrives, middle class struggles

Action Wire — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:01:11 EDT

Yesterday morning we woke up to news that America's GDP has fallen for the first time this year, meaning we're producing less and selling less.

In short, our economy is shrinking.

Also yesterday, ExxonMobil announced the highest corporate profits in United States history.

John McCain's economic plan? Give $4 billion in new tax breaks to Big Oil companies like ExxonMobil -- and leave 101 million American households with no tax relief at all.

We don't have to take another four years of this. Sign up to help get out the vote for Barack.

Corporate profits won't heat Americans' homes this winter or put food on the table.

We need change.

Barack Obama has an economic plan to give tax breaks to 95 percent of working families and create jobs by investing in people.

See what you can do before Election Day to help bring the change we need:

http://my.barackobama.com/november

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

A Clear Choice for Change

Action Wire — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:37:01 EDT

After decades of broken politics in Washington and eight years of failed George Bush policies, Americans are one week away from change.

Today, Barack delivered a compelling argument for change and drew a sharp contrast against the negative and hateful attacks that are driving John McCain's campaign.

Watch excerpts from Barack's speech, then share the video with everyone you know.

http://my.barackobama.com/clearchoice

In one week, Americans will come together and turn the page on the divisive politics of the past -- the same politics behind the McCain campaign's cynical tactics.

Barack Obama is offering Americans a clear choice between real change and more of the same policies that are failing our country.

This week, share Barack's speech with your family and friends as you work together to bring about change before Election Day.

Keep fighting the good fight,

Obama Action Wire

Expose Their Lies

Action Wire — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:24:46 EDT

John McCain is running one of the sleaziest campaigns in American history -- and just the other day he told an interviewer he's "absolutely" proud of it.

Attacking Barack Obama with dark insinuations in TV ads must have been drawing too much negative attention to McCain's lies, because now he's using automated "robocalls" and hateful mailings to spread doubt and fear under the radar.

The most powerful way to expose McCain's dirty campaign is to drag his shadowy attacks into the light of public scrutiny.

Today we're launching Under the Radar, a website where you can get the truth about some of these deceptive "robocalls" and mailers. Check it out and share it with anyone you know who has received one of these smears:

http://radar.barackobama.com

Back in his 2000 campaign, John McCain said, "Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads, you don't have much of a vision for the future or you're not ready to articulate it."

He was right.

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

P.S. -- If you've received a deceptive McCain mailer or "robocall," report it and upload a copy so the campaign can bring it into the light and fight back:

http://www.fightthesmears.com/report

Hate Calls

Action Wire — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:30:33 EDT

Voters in key battleground states are receiving automated phone calls from John McCain's campaign that are spreading some of the most vile smears of this election.

But these "robocalls" -- and the hate-filled mailers that usually accompany them -- say more about John McCain than they do about Barack.

After all, McCain himself denounced these underhanded and cowardly tactics as "hate calls" after a rash of them sunk his primary campaign in 2000. The perpetrator behind that slimy attack: George W. Bush. Now, not only has John McCain embraced these sleazy tactics, he's hired the same firm that Bush used against him to orchestrate them.

Your voice is the most powerful tool to help fight back against this tide of lies and spread the truth.

If you or your family and friends have received one of these sleazy calls or mailings, help us keep track of them by reporting it.

It's clear John McCain would rather lose his honor than lose this election.

While there's nothing new about these scare tactics, McCain has signaled he'll stoop to any level to win.

There's too much at stake to let the politics of the past derail this campaign. And with just 17 days to go before Election Day, the need to take a stand couldn't be greater.

Reports from folks like you are the only way the full extent of these hateful calls and mailers will ever be known by voters across the country.

Expose John McCain's slimy tactics -- forward this email to everyone you know and make sure McCain's "hate call" tactics get reported:

http://www.fightthesmears.com/report

Together, we'll turn the page on McCain's low road tactics.

Keep fighting the good fight,

Obama Action Wire

Robo-sleaze

Action Wire — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:04:02 EDT

Thirty-six hours ago, John McCain said to everyone watching the debate, "I don't care about some washed-up terrorist" and "every time there's been an out-of-bounds remark made by a Republican, no matter where they are, I have repudiated them."

A few hours later he was saying something very different to voters in key battleground states.

A new "robocall" paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 tells voters who answer their phones that Barack "has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers" whose organization "killed Americans."

In the past, these "robocalls" -- phone calls where a machine delivers the message over and over -- have flown under the radar. The McCain campaign expects them to go largely unnoticed by the mainstream press, but thanks to the Internet, reports and records of these underhanded tactics are popping up all over the country.

Will you listen to McCain's "robocalls" now, and donate $25 or more to show our opponents we're ready to fight back?

We knew things were going to get uglier, and now they have.

These attacks aren't coming from a fringe outside group or a rogue Republican with a bone to pick.

They're paid for by John McCain and the RNC. The "robocallers" even say, right up front, "I'm calling on behalf of John McCain" before they launch into false and discredited attacks.

We're hearing reports of calls like this from all across the country. It just shows how much we still need to do -- reaching out to voters with the truth requires twice as much work as flooding homes with "robocalls" filled with lies.

There are only 18 days left, and Barack needs your help to fight back.

Take a moment right now to listen to these truly vile McCain "robocalls" then make a donation of $25 or more to show our opponents that there's a cost to this kind of negativity:

https://donate.barackobama.com/fightback

These tactics are all that the McCain campaign and their allies have left.

We're fighting back, but it's going to take all of us working together to keep these lies from taking hold.

Thanks for your support,
David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Barack's Economic Rescue Plan

Action Wire — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:02:06 EDT

As the economic crisis goes on, and the stock market remains uncertain, Barack Obama has been the calm and steady leader we need.

The Wall Street bailout plan was necessary -- but everyday people need help, too. On Monday, Barack announced an economic rescue plan to help middle-class families and communities, provide relief to homeowners and small businesses, and create new jobs.

Take positive action now by watching the video of Barack's announcement and sharing it with your friends:

http://my.barackobama.com/rescueplan

We can't afford another four years of the same failed economic policies that got us into this crisis, waiting for tax breaks for billionaires to trickle down to the rest of us.

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

McCain's High-Risk Home Scheme

Action Wire — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:42:25 EDT

In Tuesday night's debate, John McCain blasted off another round of half-baked schemes to fix the current financial crisis.

It comes as no surprise that his latest erratic solution -- his third in as many weeks -- would bury middle-class homeowners.

The shocking part is how wildly the proposal changed overnight. After editing, a plan to help homeowners became a plan to give handouts to irresponsible lenders.

Lip service like this won't help homeowners keep their investments, and it won't change the policies that helped create the current crisis.

Watch our latest ad now and tell everyone you know how dangerous McCain's plans are for homeowners:

Under McCain's plan, the government would buy up deeply devalued mortgages at full face value -- essentially guaranteeing a loss of billions for taxpayers. Even worse, it puts Americans at risk of losing even more money if home values don't rapidly recover.

The only winners in McCain's mess are lenders who have gotten fat off of the unscrupulous and predatory business practices that are sinking middle-class families.

John McCain won't tell homeowners the truth about his risky proposals. Watch our ad, then share it with other homeowners who would be hurt by McCain's erratic plans:

http://my.barackobama.com/WildScheme

Barack Obama firmly opposes McCain's scheme because it hurts homeowners -- the very people any solution must be focused on helping.

In these uncertain times, American families can't afford to gamble on unsteady leadership.

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

Changing the Subject

Action Wire — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:33:29 EDT

Last month, 159,000 Americans jobs were lost. It's no surprise that the top priority for a majority of voters is the economy.

But the McCain campaign doesn't share those concerns, admitting yesterday that "There's no question we want to change the subject here," and that they're "looking forward to turning the page on the financial crisis."

McCain has laid his cards on the table. And to everyone tired of the politics of past, this latest announcement is as disheartening as it is disturbing.

It's up to you to keep this election on track. Watch our latest web video showing just how disastrous the Bush-McCain economic policies have been, then share it with your friends:

John McCain can't connect with the anxiety Americans feel about everyday things like buying groceries or paying for health insurance. He's out of touch, and his own policies and track record have him cornered.

As more and more people look to Barack Obama's steady leadership for the solutions we need to protect the middle class, McCain's attacks will become more toxic and destructive.

John McCain is desperate, and he'll do anything to distract voters and smear Barack's character.
But when McCain clouds the issues with gimmicks and despicable tactics, your voice will help steer this race back on track.

You can spread the truth about Barack Obama's plans for the change we need. Watch the video and share it with your friends:

http://my.barackobama.com/offtopic

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

The Numbers Behind McCain's Tax Lies

Action Wire — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:30:26 EDT

Barack Obama is proposing tax cuts that would help struggling, middle-class families get back on track and provide relief during these financially uncertain times.

No matter how many times John McCain claims otherwise, the overwhelming majority of Americans will never see a tax increase under Barack's plans.

But you won't hear these facts from McCain, because he has been using his stump speeches and attack ads to purposefully mislead voters about Barack's real tax plans.

The crisis that we're facing calls for innovative solutions. John McCain's plan calls for renewing Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. That's more of the same, and the middle class just can't afford it.

Watch our web video outlining McCain's backwards tax plan, then share it with your friends:

http://my.barackobama.com/bynumbers

Barack's proposals will lower tax rates for 95% of families -- lifting up the folks that have been hurt the most by the wrong-headed Bush-McCain economic policies of the last eight years.

Right now, Americans deserve solutions that will turn around our failing economy. Share our new video with your friends and make sure they know the truth.

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

477 Tax Increases

Action Wire — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:27:47 EDT

John McCain was at it again today, releasing yet another ad full of lies about Barack Obama and taxes.

The McCain campaign is using a manipulative, dishonest method to calculate how many times Barack has voted to raise taxes, and they came up with the number 94 -- completely unsupported by any independent analysis of the record.

So we turned it around and used the McCain campaign's bogus counting method on his record. And guess what?

Using his own standards, John McCain has voted 477 times to raise taxes!

Our team put together a fun video to help you and your friends see just how desperate John McCain looks when he runs the same tired attacks Republicans have used for years.

Check out the video and share it with your friends:

http://my.barackobama.com/447taxincreases

A report out today shows that McCain has almost completely stopped running positive ads and is focusing virtually his entire advertising budget on attacking Barack.

More of these attacks will come, but with your help we can make sure they don't gain traction.

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

Bailout Fallout

Action Wire — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:23:50 EDT

Yesterday, the economic bailout plan failed to pass a vote in Congress, and the Dow Jones had its biggest single-day drop in two decades.

As soon as that happened, McCain rushed to say we shouldn't point fingers -- and then in almost the same breath, he blamed Barack.

Today, the Republican Party followed McCain's lead and launched a $5 million ad campaign attacking Barack and the bailout plan.

The bottom line is that with families hurting and banks failing, we need to start helping families and the middle class.

While John McCain is figuring out who else to blame, Barack released a new two-minute ad today outlining an economic plan that will put people like you first.

Watch the ad and make sure everyone you know sees Barack's plan to get us out of this crisis:

http://my.barackobama.com/baracksplan

Barack Obama has consistently called for a solution based on a core set of principles that will address our problems and put middle-class Americans first. He has proven he's a leader who will stay calm and steady during times of crisis.

We cannot solve our economic problems by taking the same path of the last eight years.

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

Keep McCain's Hands Off Health Care

Action Wire — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:17:11 EDT

American families were rocked last week by the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But with John McCain and his lobbyists in charge, it could have been even worse.

In a recent interview, McCain suggested deregulating health insurance companies and handing them an unsupervised blank check -- in his own words -- just "as we have done over the last decade in banking."

His policies have made taxpayers responsible for the largest federal bailout in history -- we can't let John McCain and his Washington cronies sell out American health care.

Our new ad exposes McCain's call for reckless deregulation. Watch it now and write a letter to your local paper to make sure everyone in your community knows about his so-called healthcare "reforms."

In its endorsement of Barack Obama for President, the Seattle Times blasted McCain's risky deregulation policies that paved the way for the current crisis.

McCain advisers Phil Gramm and Rick Davis, lobbyists for the banking and home mortgage industries, got rich off of peddling these disastrous policies. Can American families really afford more of the same?

McCain may call himself a "reformer," but there's nothing maverick about handing taxpayers the bill for the mess his policies made.

Watch the video and help spread the word in your local paper:

http://my.barackobama.com/healthcarerisk

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

Barack's Plan for Economic Change

Action Wire — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:12:50 EDT

This week, the economic troubles that have long been simmering on Main Street boiled over to Wall Street, putting our entire economy in danger.

Barack laid out a plan to address this crisis and offered strong, practical solutions for American families. Our team put together a short video that speaks to these problems and describes Barack's plan.

Watch the video and share it with your friends:

While Barack offered solutions, John McCain went before the nation to continue lying about Barack and to offer more of the same disastrous George Bush policies that got us here. The Washington Post even said, "On Economy, Obama Offers Ideas, McCain Blames Rival."

Here are some key elements of Barack's plan:

A $1,000 emergency energy rebate to help families with high fuel costs right now while putting $50 billion into job creation to get our economy back on track.

Families making less than $250,000 a year will get a tax cut three times larger than under John McCain's plan and will face absolutely no tax increases.

While John McCain has voted against raising the minimum wage 19 times, Barack would raise the minimum wage and set it to rise automatically with inflation.

Invest $15 billion a year in green energy research to reduce our economy's dependence on foreign oil and create 5 million American jobs a year.

There's a big difference between the change we need and the Bush-McCain politics we need to leave behind.

Watch the video for more details and share it with your friends now:

http://my.barackobama.com/economicvideo

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

Black Monday

Action Wire — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:04:56 EDT

Hard-working American families are anxiously trying to make sense of yesterday's disastrous economic headlines.

While they're trying to figure out just how hard the news will hit them and their savings, John McCain's advice seems to be: don't worry about it.

Right after a major global investment bank declared bankruptcy, and in the middle of the second-biggest Dow Jones drop this century, McCain told an audience in Florida that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong."

How can the fundamentals of our economy be strong when, just this year, 600,000 Americans have lost their jobs? When people are losing their homes? When health insurance is beyond the reach of an ever increasing number of Americans?

John McCain clearly doesn't get it.

Our latest ad contrasts the Bush-McCain economic dream world with the economic realities Americans face every day.

Watch it now and write a letter to your local newspaper about how out of touch John McCain is with ordinary families like yours:

McCain shared his wishful thinking just one day after former U.S. Treasurer Alan Greenspan called the current economic crisis "by far" the worst he'd ever seen.

It's possible that John McCain doesn't care about the economic realities of average Americans. But more it's more likely -- and more troubling -- that he doesn't even realize families are hurting.

The McCain campaign may think we're merely in a "mental recession." But there's a very real way you can fight back against his dangerously out-of-touch economic approach.

Write a letter to your editor now and tell readers in your community about Barack's plans for real change that will help keep American families strong.

http://my.barackobama.com/fundamentals

Keep fighting the good fight,
Obama Action Wire

Lying on the record

Action Wire — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:38:25 EDT

The McCain campaign is lying about their candidates' records.

Today, they're out with a new ad that pushes blatant lies to dress up these party-line politicians as agents of change.

Let's set the record straight:

Palin was a supporter of the infamous Bridge to Nowhere -- the symbol of the Republican culture of corruption -- only turning her back on it after the project's bloated pork-barrel waste was exposed.

In just six years, John McCain has voted for nearly $150 billion in earmarks -- just like the Bridge to Nowhere.

Watch our hard-hitting response ad and share it with everyone you know.

The McCain campaign will say or do anything to sound like "mavericks" or reformers -- but the record shows that their ticket is in lockstep with George Bush and his dead-end policies.

But a little straight talk cuts easily through these lies.

While the ad trumps up the pair's reformer credentials, McCain and Palin are defending the very things they claim to fight against. How can they be trusted to change the same system they've exploited?

Barack Obama and Joe Biden understand the change we need in Washington.

Watch the ad and spread the truth to stop the McCain campaign's lies right now:

http://my.barackobama.com/nomavericks

Keep fighting the good fight,

Obama Action Wire

Action Wire Alert: Help Set the Record Straight on Energy - Watch Share New Obama Ad

Action Wire — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:07:53 EDT

We just released a new ad that sets the record straight on energy policy and responds to false, negative attacks by John McCain and the Republican party.

The 30-second spot, “New Energy,” highlights Senator Obama’s plan to make us energy independent and bring relief to middle class families, compared to John McCain’s plan to continue George Bush’s failed energy policy and offer more tax breaks to big oil.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Help spread the word about this important new ad – click on the link below to watch the video now and share it with your friends and family:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/newenergy

BACKGROUND

Barack Obama's energy plan will provide meaningful short-term relief for our families and make a historic investment in alternative energy development that will create millions of new jobs, keep the cost of energy affordable and secure our energy independence once and for all.

Learn more about Obama's comprehensive energy plan at:

http://www.NewEnergyForAmerica.com

While Obama is offering real solutions for America’s energy future, the Republican National Committee recently released a false, negative ad attacking Barack Obama on energy.

The Columbus Dispatch Ad Watch said the RNC was “Stretching the Truth”:

The commercial accurately points out that McCain favors temporarily lifting the federal gasoline tax, which Obama opposes. Nearly every reputable economist says lifting the gas tax would save motorists nickels and dimes and not produce one new gallon of gasoline.

The commercial also accurately points out that McCain favors drilling off the coasts of California and Florida, while Obama does not. But many economists are not convinced that oil exploration off the coasts would dramatically reduce gasoline prices any time soon. Instead, oil prices have risen because demand has outpaced production worldwide. The commercial does not mention that McCain once opposed offshore exploration. And it probably is no accident that the commercial is being aired in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin rather than Florida and California.

VERDICT: ‘Stretching The Truth’

ABOUT THE OBAMA ACTION WIRE

The Obama Action Wire is a grassroots rapid response group for supporters to fight smears, spread the truth, push back on misleading media, and take positive action.

It's easy to join Obama Action Wire -- just click here:

http://actionwire.barackobama.com

Invite your friends to join the Obama Action Wire:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/actionwire

Action Wire Fact Check: McCain's False Attacks on Taxes

Action Wire — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:14:54 EDT

In a speech today, John McCain repeated the misleading attack that “Senator Obama will raise your taxes.” In reality, Senator Obama’s plan will not raise taxes and will provide a bigger break for middle class Americans than McCain’s plan. As numerous outside observers agree, McCain’s claims that Obama will raise taxes are “wrong,” “false,” and “misleading.”

TAKE ACTION NOW

Push back on this misleading attack by forwarding this post to your friends and family.

John McCain and his campaign will continue to repeat these false claims, and we need you to be vigilant about making sure people know the facts.

BACKGROUND

THE MISLEADING MCCAIN RHETORIC:

"We need to keep the IRS from taking more of your income and making life harder for small business. If you believe you should pay more taxes, I am the wrong candidate for you. Senator Obama is your man. The choice in this election is stark and simple. Senator Obama will raise your taxes. I won't. I will cut them where I can. Jobs are the most important thing our economy creates. When you raise taxes in a bad economy you eliminate jobs. I'm not going to let that happen. Senator Obama's tax increases will hurt the economy even more, and destroy jobs across this country.” [McCain Speech, 7/7/08]

THE FACTS: OUTSIDE OBSERVERS AGREE THAT CLAIMS THAT OBAMA WILL RAISE TAXES ARE “WRONG,” “FALSE,” “MISLEADING”

Washington Post Fact Checker: McCain Campaign Attacks on Obama Tax Plan “Overblown,” “Wrong,” and “Greatly Exaggerated.” “The McCain camp is attempting to persuade Americans that their taxes will increase dramatically with Barack Obama as president. The presumptive Republican nominee has repeatedly said that Obama would enact ‘the largest tax increase since the Second World War.’ A surrogate, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, insists that Obama has not proposed ‘a single tax cut’ and wants to ‘raise every tax in the book.’ … The claim that Obama will ‘enact’ the largest tax increase since World War II is also overblown. The Bush tax cuts will expire automatically at the end of 2010, so it is hardly a question of ‘enacting’ a new tax increase. ... Carly Fiorina is wrong to claim that Obama has proposed no tax cuts and wants to raise ‘every tax in the book.’” [Washington Post, 6/11/08]

Politifact: McCain’s Statement That Obama’s Tax Plan Would Raise Taxes Is “False.” Politifact reported, “So calling it a tax increase might not be considered fair. There's no disputing that taxes will rise, but the question of who's responsible for that tax increase is another matter entirely. At PolitiFact, we've concluded, as have others, that it's unfair to call Obama's plan a tax increase merely because it doesn't change existing tax law to keep rates low. We think about it this way: The reason taxes will increase is because of tax policy signed into law not by Obama, but by somebody else… the more recent data — combined with the fact that Obama's proposal does not constitute a tax increase in the traditional sense, since some taxes would be lower under his plan than they would under current law — persuades us to classify McCain's statement as False.” [Politifact, 6/11/08]

FactCheck.Org: McCain's Largest Tax Increase Charge Wrong and Misleading. According to the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Factcheck.org: “By the measure most economists prefer, McCain is wrong in his claim that Sens. Clinton and Obama want to implement "the single largest tax increase since the Second World War;"… At a more basic level, it's misleading to tag Clinton and Obama for something that was scheduled during the Bush administration – the expiration of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, which by law will occur at the end of 2010.” [Factcheck.org, 5/14/2008]

THE FACTS: OBAMA’S TAX PLAN WILL PROVIDE A BIGGER BREAK FOR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES THAN MCCAIN’S

According to the non partisan Tax Policy Center’s computations, “under Mr. Obama’s plan, the middle of the middle class, or those earning $37,595 to $66,354, would see taxes cut by $1,042 a year. Under Mr. McCain’s plan, taxes for people in that category would also fall, but by $319; the largest chunk of the benefits would go to those making $2.8 million a year or more.” [New York Times, 6/13/08]

MORE MISLEADING RHETORIC FROM THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN

MCCAIN ADVISER HOLTZ-EAKIN:

“This year, Barack Obama returned to the United States Senate twice to vote in favor of a budget resolution which raises income tax rates by three percentage points for the 25, 28 and 33 percent tax brackets. This would mean a tax increase for those earning as little as $32,000.”

THE FACTS:

Senator Obama has been clear that no one under $250,000 would face higher taxes under his plan. This is entirely consistent with his support for this year’s Democratic budget resolution, which provided a framework to move back towards fiscal responsibility after the disastrous record of the Bush years. The democratic budget resolution didn’t raise taxes on anyone. Instead, it included important middle class tax relief, including making permanent the 10% rate, child tax credit and marriage penalty relief. The only increases in revenue came from the tax gap, addressing offshore tax havens, and shutting down abusive tax shelters -- all policies that Senator Obama has championed and will work to enact as President.

In fact, both Senators Obama and McCain voted for an amendment introduced by Senator Baucus to extend the middle class tax cuts. McCain failed to even vote on the final resolution. Apparently, by the McCain Camp’s logic, voting for extending middle class tax cuts amounts to a middle class tax increase. In that case, the same can be said of Senator McCain.

MORE: MCCAIN'S BUDGET SHORTFALL

The Obama campaign today released an updated report examining John McCain’s economic agenda in light of his remarks in Denver today. Please find below a summary of the analysis on Senator McCain’s claim that he will balance the budget by 2013. You can view the full report here: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/mccain_economy_memo_updated.pdf

Since this memo was first released, Senator McCain has now announced that he would balance the budget by 2013. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the unified budget deficit will be $443 billion in 2013 assuming that expiring tax cuts are extended. To balance the budget in that year John McCain would have to pay for all of his campaign proposals plus cut another $443 billion of spending. To give a sense of why this pledge is not credible, cutting spending by $443 billion would require:

Cutting Medicare by 81 percent OR

Cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid by 33 percent OR

Cutting non-defense discretionary spending – which pays for education, veterans, air traffic control and justice – by 79 percent

And these spending cuts would be on top of the hundreds of billions of dollars of spending cuts Senator McCain needs to pay for his existing proposals including: increasing defense spending, cutting corporate taxes, eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), and a small tax cut for middle class families with children (a total of $125 for middle class families with 2 children and $0 for 101 million households who do not qualify). The New York Times has estimated that Senator McCain’s budget plan “will add $200 billion to $300 billion or, depending on his voluntary tax system, even more” annually to the deficit.

Without these offsets and spending cuts, the McCain budget would leave a deficit of at least $650 billion to $750 billion in 2013 alone.

ABOUT THE OBAMA ACTION WIRE

Action Alert: Write a Letter to the Editor About the Clear Choice Between Obama and McCain on Energy

Action Wire — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:30:24 EDT

While John McCain offers more of the same failed Bush polices on energy, Barack Obama is presenting a comprehensive plan that invests in new sources of energy, creates millions of new jobs, and breaks our dependence on foreign oil.

The Obama campaign launched a new website today to help Americans compare the candidates’ plans: NewEnergyForAmerica.com.

TAKE ACTION NOW:

Tell your friends and family members who are concerned about energy and the environment about NewEnergyForAmerica.com

Write a letter to your local newspaper about the clear differences between Obama and McCain on energy policy: http://my.BarackObama.com/WAEnergyLetter

BACKGROUND

OBAMA’S COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY PLAN

A second stimulus tax rebate package, and a $1,000 tax credit for working families to provide meaningful relief from soaring energy costs

Immediate relief to hard hit American families by cracking down on the oil speculators that have helped drive oil prices to the highest levels of all times

A $150 billion investment over the next ten years to create millions of new jobs, protect our existing manufacturing base, and develop and deploy climate friendly energy supplies that will move us toward energy independence

An economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, a level recommended by top scientists to avoid calamitous impacts of global climate change.

A dramatic improvement in energy efficiency to reduce energy intensity of our economy by 50 percent by 2030.

A reduction in our dependence on foreign oil and reduce oil consumption overall by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels of oil, by 2030.

Doubling fuel economy standards over the next eighteen years, while also expanding tax credits so more American families can purchase advanced vehicles

Making the U.S. a leader in the global effort to combat climate change by leading a new international global warming partnership.

MCCAIN’S PLAN: GIMMICKS THAT DO NOTHING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM

A gas tax holiday that would save consumers only $30 this summer -- and which more than 200 economists opposed, “including four Nobel Prize winners, advisers to past presidents, and Republicans, as well as Democrats... They say it would simply generate more profits for the oil companies, instead of significantly lowering prices for consumers.” [CNN, 5/6/08]

Reversing his position on offshore drilling to side with George Bush and the oil industry— which McCain’s top economic advisor admitted it would have no immediate impact on gas prices… According to the Los Angeles Times, McCain’s senior policy adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin told reporters on a conference call that, “allowing new offshore drilling would have no immediate impact on supplies or gas prices. But, he said, ‘there is an important element in signaling to world oil markets that we are serious.’” [Los Angeles Times, 6/18/08]

Giving the oil companies $4 billion in tax cuts at a time when they’re making record profits… A study by the Center for American Progress Action Fund noted that the corporate tax rate cut included in the McCain tax plan “would deliver a $3.8 billion tax cut to the five largest American oil companies” – ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Valero Energy, and Marathon. According to their analysis of Exxon’s financial statements, the company would receive a tax savings of $1.2 billion under the McCain plan. [“The McCain Plan to Cut Oil CompanyTaxes by Nearly $4 Billion,” Center for American Progress Action Fund, 3/27/08]

ABOUT THE OBAMA ACTION WIRE

Action Alert: McCain Camp Uses Fear Tactics

Action Wire — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:37:03 EDT

In a recent Fortune Magazine article, top McCain strategist Charlie Black said that a terrorist attack on American soil would be a "big advantage" for their campaign.

McCain distanced himself from Black's remarks, but in the past, McCain has also indicated that acts of terrorism would politically benefit his campaign.

TAKE ACTION NOW.

Share this blog post with your friends and family -- including folks you know who are considering supporting McCain -- and let them know the truth about the McCain campaign's use of fear tactics.

BACKGROUND

Charlie Black said that a terrorist attack on American soil would be a "big advantage" for the McCain campaign:

"The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an 'unfortunate event,' says Black. 'But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who's ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us.' As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on
U.S. soil. 'Certainly it would be a big advantage to him,' says Black." [Fortune, 6/23/08]

John McCain condemned Black's statements, yet McCain has made similar claims himself in the past.

According to CNN's Dana Bash, in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, John McCain personally indicated that the terrorist act would benefit him politically.

Watch the video:

And as the blog Think Progress points out, John McCain was also quoted in the AP, days before the 2004 election, saying that a just-released tape from Osama bin Laden would be "very helpful" to George W. Bush:

"'I think it's very helpful to President Bush,' said McCain, R-Ariz., while stumping in Stamford for U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays. It focuses America's attention on the war on terrorism. I'm not sure if it was
intentional or not, but I think it does have an effect.'" [AP 10/30/04]

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Action Alert: Watch and Share the Video of Michelle Obama on "The View"

Action Wire — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:04:43 EDT

Michelle Obama is introducing herself to America and it's time for all of us to do our part and share her inspiring story.

This week, Michelle appeared as a co-host on ABC's "The View."

TAKE ACTION NOW:

Watch the video and forward it to your friends and family:

http://my.barackobama.com/AWmichellevideo

The Obama Action Wire is a grassroots rapid response group for supporters to fight smears, spread the truth, push back on misleading media, and take positive action.

It's easy to join Obama Action Wire -- just click here:

http://actionwire.barackobama.com

Invite your friends to join the Obama Action Wire:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/actionwire