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Obama Dismisses Accusations of Socialism

by Bonney Kapp
October 19th, 2008 3:34 PM Eastern

FAYETTEVILLE, NC - It seems every time the McCain camp launches an attack Barack Obama’s way, the frontrunner dismisses it like a tennis player who is about to smash a softly lobbed ball into oblivion.

For two days now John McCain has used the “s” word - socialism - in addition to “welfare” and “government giveaway” when talking about Obama’s tax cut proposals. At his rally in North Carolina today, Obama responded forcefully, called McCain’s tactics “the oldest trick in the book,” a scare tactic, and nothing more than name calling.

“Socialism!” he said incredulously to a crowd of more than 10,000. “It’s kind of hard to figure how Warren Buffet endorsed me. Colin Powell endorses me and John McCain thinks I’m passing socialism,” he said with more than a hint of disbelief.

Obama explained that he would implement a tax cut for those making under $250,000 - 95% of Americans. “These are the teachers and the janitors who work in our schools. They’re the cops and firefighters who keep us safe. They’re the waitresses who work double shifts, the cashiers at Wal-Marts, the plumbers fighting for the American Dream. John McCain thinks that giving these Americans a break is socialism. Well I call it opportunity, and there is nothing more American than that,” he said.

Obama turned from defense to offense, saying that if John McCain wants to have a debate about redistributing wealth - just look at the Republican nominee’s plan. It’s McCain who would give tax breaks to those who don’t need it and don’t deserve it, Obama said - tax cuts for Fortune 500 CEOs, billions to Wall Street banks, and tax breaks for big oil companies.

“Let’s talk about the 100 million middle-class Americans who John McCain doesn’t want to give a single dime of tax relief. Don’t tell me that CEOs and oil companies deserve a tax break before the men and women who are working overtime day after day and still can’t pay the bills,” Obama said as the crowd cheered.

Obama asked those in the crowd to raise their hands if they made under $250,000 and then promised them - nearly every single person in the arena - they would not see a dime of tax increases. For those making more than that, he promised to put rates back where they were under Bill Clinton’s administration.

“Did that feel like socialism to you? Rich folks were still making out just fine back then, but we were able to make sure that ordinary folks got a little bit of help without blowing a hole through the budget and piling up mountains of debt like George W. Bush has done and like John McCain has supported,” he blasted. “We have tried it George Bush’s way. We’ve given more and more to those with the most and hoped that prosperity would trickle down to everyone else. And guess what? It didn’t work. So it’s time try something new,” he said.

And like that tennis player who knows he’s about to score, Obama said, “He can call me any name he wants - but I know what’s right and what he’s talking about is not right, it’s not change - that’s why we’re gonna beat him in this election on November 4th.”

© 2008 FOX News Network, LLC

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/19/obama-dismisses-accusations-of-socialism/ [with comments]