“Off Message” Joe Rips McCain Over Shrinking GDP
AP
ARNOLD, MO — Joe Biden ripped into John McCain for wanting to give tax breaks to oil companies when the GDP shrank in the third quarter and Exxon Mobile revealed record profits — but not before the Delaware Senator broke off on a mini-detour.
Delivering his longest speech in days - just under 27 minutes - to a crowd of 1,000, the VP candidate many describe as “gaffe prone” and undisciplined interrupted his riff comparing McCain to President Bush when he noticed Fox Senior High marching band in the stands of the high school gym. “Now look folks – hey, I didn’t even see the band up there. Hey folks! How you guys doin’?” Biden said. “Thanks for being here. That’s really nice of you. Thank you.”
“Um, that’s what you call getting off message,” he said to laughs. “But I tell ya, you guys look good.”
Biden has been described as “muzzled” in recent days, as Washington reporters accustomed to the verbose and free-wheeling Biden of Capitol Hill begin to notice the 15 minute speeches and ubiquitous tele-prompter on the trail.
But for Obama staffers, a muzzled Biden just means a candidate who’s getting better at delivering their message of the day without mucking it up with extraneous comments. Today, that message was bad economic numbers.
“Just this morning we received two pieces of news. One, first, the Gross Domestic Product, that is all the things that come in, everything about our economy, the measure of our economic strength, actually shrank,” Biden said. “The second thing we learned this morning is Exxon Mobile, Exxon Mobile announced its largest quarterly profit ever. They made $15 billion this past quarter.”
“Here the entire economy of America is shrinking, and the oil companies are, this one in fact, made the largest profit in its history in a quarter. Ladies and gentlemen, what more evidence do we need that the Exxon Mobiles of the world don’t need a tax break?”
“That $4 billion should go to middle class taxpayers, people who need the money,” Biden said to applause. “John and Governor Palin have this upside down. They literally have it upside down.”
It’s an issue that resonates in this St Louis suburb, where a Chrysler plant making mini-vans shut down just this week. On a previous visit to the region, Biden was introduced by a long time plant worker who’s now out of a job.
“Earlier this year, Chrysler announced they’re reducing shifts at the pick-up plant in Fenton. And just yesterday as the governor pointed out, the soon-to-be governor pointed out, the last minivan came off the assembly line at the Chrysler plant. It was a white Dodge minivan,” Biden said. “It came off the line two days early.”
“These workers, at that Chrysler minivan plant took pride to the very, very, very end to produce the best product, the best product that they could produce. It says something, I mean it really says something about labor.”
Biden has some experience with lost auto jobs, relating his fight to keep a GM plant open in his home state. “When they were closing the plant I decided to stand there and be there when they came out. and they were angry. They were angry, walking through that turnstile. ”
“People would walk by and do a number of expletive deleteds to me. You know, Biden da-da. But I promise you, 85 percent would get halfway across the parking lot, and they’d walk back to me. And they’d say, Joe thanks for being here, ” he said.
“Why do I tell you that story? Because that walk from that plant gate to their car to home is one of the longest walks they’ve ever taken in their life.”
Biden will visit two more working class areas in Pennsylvania later today, holding rallies in Williamsport and Allentown. Obama and Biden now enjoy a nearly 10 point lead in state polling.
Tags: barack obama, joe biden, john mccain, Missouri
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Hey Joe since you have been in congress longer than even McCain how is it that the Republican congress under Clinton were able to cut the budget and other things but while you and your fellow democrats were in the majority from 2007 until now the budget had doubled? Please give us a clue Joe.
It is plain as black and white.
Socialism or Democracy?
Your choice!
And they paid the highest tax they have ever paid in a quarter…….$32 Million….so whats the point? If they didn’t make any money they wouldn’t pay any taxes!!!! Doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even a degree in economics to figure that out!!!
Wonder what gifts McCain is getting for shipping jobs over seas to china… think they need to expands Steven cell to make space for Palin and McCain to too…
Exxon mobile made their HIGHEST RECORD QUARTERLY NET PROFFIT this third quarter of 2008!! and McCain wants to give them MORE TAX CUTS?!?!?! BULL!
Remember, the bailout portion of the ecinomic crisis happened at the very tail end of the third quarter, so that’s not a large element to it, but EVERY other market in the country and the GDP suffered heavily in the 3rd quarter.
Everyone EXCEPT the oil companies, who were screwing all of us with high gas prices. and if you’re going to say that its the price of oil that determines gas prices, why did Exxon make that record proffit, and why in the few months leading to the election are oil prices way the hell down? Oil prices got artificially inflated so they could make us all bleed out our cash.
And McCain wants to give them more tax breaks. Sickening.
Nice, Biden! I don’t understand how all those McAngry people don’t get that he is trying to give even more to the rich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the libs say Palin is an idiot and McCain is erratic - I think they have it wrong because Biden is both an idiot and erratic.
Keep talking Joe.
Why do I always have this feeling that Biden doesn’t really believe what he is saying? Look the man has tried to be president a few times and was unsuccessful. I think he realized this is as close as he is ever going to get to being president. God help us if something happens to Obama and this man is in charge of this country.
Can you imagine him saying something stupid to one of these crazy dictators. He could start WWIII with his mouth.
Vote McCain/Palin 2008
OMG I WAS THERE IT WAS NOTHING LIKE THAT. thanks fox for reassuring me of you bias. wow this is REALLY unbelivable. fox news fair and balanced to the left. he didnt bring it up whenever you reported you did he just got started and frankly everyone liked it. it was funny/amusing made you like biden more as a person. a everyman
Soon after his rise to power, Mussolini defined his economic stance by saying that: “The [Fascist] government will accord full freedom to private enterprise and will abandon all intervention in private economy.”
Obama a Socialist? Utilizing this logic, McCain and Palin must be Fascists!
Soon after his rise to power, Mussolini defined his economic stance by saying that:
“The [Fascist] government will accord full freedom to private enterprise and will abandon all intervention in private economy.”
Obama a Socialist? Utilizing this logic, McCain and Palin must be Fascists!
I notice all of Fox’s embed producers are all lily white (republicans?).
Talk about being “off message,” how about “off-truth?”
If Obama/Biden start sending money to people who won’t work, then they have just declared a “welfare state.” GIVING money away isn’t the answer. People need to WORK to EARN their money or they will always be standing in line waiting for hand-out.
McCain’s plan can help companies, AND ENTREPREURS earning $250K/year, to CREATE JOBS so people can WORK for their money.
If Obama really wants to help ALL people become rich, then he needs to have the WORKING for it, not BEGGING for it.
Please people vote for your Country and not these stupid parties…
Think before you vote. Would you employ one who would not qualify for a security cllearance or would you employ one who served his Nation with pride and who came close to giving his life in its defense.
I have voted across party lines my entire life. I vote for the person not the stupid party…
Chararter counts…
Why blame this on McCain? He’s not in charge over all of these.
I’ll take the experienced and smart off-message Joe over the adultererMccain or the moronic-ethics challenged palin ANY day. good ole Focksnews—-love the headline—-hope you are getting your consulting payment from mccain BEFORE Nov4! Otherwise, you foxers might end up just like all the other stiffed mccain campaign workers.
Did he ever stop to think the reason the Chrystler mini-van plant is losing people is because the Chrystler mini-van is not a worth while investment? Other companies make a better product. It has nothing to do with the oil companies and nothing to do with the economy in the sense he’s trying to use it. Make a better product and people will buy it.
Ulysses Grant was a war hero and a TERRIBLE president. Just because somebody’s a war hero doesn’t automatically make them the best choice for pres.
$32 mil on $15 BILLION of profits? That’s what, way less than 1%, right? Does that sound fair?
could you please show the link with proof that says either presidential candidate cannot get security clearance? because, as US Senators, they both have it and you should probably tell the authorities if you have real proof that mccain is NOT qualified to have his.
SHUT UP JOE - YOU’RE A FOOL TOO
Let’s see, de-regulation run amok, trickle down theory un-realized, and the gap between rich and poor growing every day, (and this is just for starters)… hmm… Yes, Democracy really does work.
I’m not saying we shoud become socialist’s, but the current form of democracy, “American” style, is a disgrace. The government’s in cahoots with big business and they’re both dealing from the bottom of the deck. $250 billion of the $700 billion bailout package is going to “employee compensation” aka golden parachutes. Yes, we have our priorities straight in this country.
How about you people who scream up and down who say you’re Christians, actually act like it. Charity towards others. Christ’s message wasn’t every man for himself. No, really, the rich man should count his blessings, rather than just his money.
America, the great Spiritual vacuum. Our greatest natural resource is our hypocrisy. Most of us have principles, but only in public.
Rita, do you realize how little taxes $32 Million is on a profit of $15 Bil. It is 2/10ths of ONE percent.
If people struggling to get by on their salary, or working by the hour and hoping for more overtime can manage to pay 15% to 28% of their earnings in income tax, how come Exxon, which is supposed to be paying an even higher percentage, is only paying a fraction of only one percent?
This is why it is misleading for John McCain to rail at our coporate tax rates as being the highest - Obama is right, the big corps. don’t pay the taxes anyway, why do they need lower rates? And why in the world does Exxon need a governmental subsidy? That’s crazy - but John McCain thinks they need it. I think that makes him crazy.
Sam, character does count - McCain has shown in this campaign that he has very little. He has demonstrated that he will do anything, say anything, to get elected. He may have been brave 40 years ago, but no longer. He has lost all claim to honor. When you are reduced to calling yourself a maverick, because no one else would, you’re living in the past.
I am actually amazed at how people are blinded by politics and political parties.
Simple logic is all it takes:
1. How many are out of jobs, (and it’s not likely to be those reading this)
2. $700-Billion dollars given to banks, and you still can’t get a loan?
3. We, as a country, don’t make anything anymore-it’s all done overseas.
a. we don’t buy American the $ doesn’t go to America
b. no demand for American products-no American jobs
c. no jobs-no one buys anything
d. repeat a
the $700-billion will never make new jobs-that is a HUGE fairytale! The $ has already reached the top of the ladder, it’s not coming back down. Let’s just give China a price and let them buy us outright.
4. I don’t make $200k a year and don’t know anyone who does, and I work for one of the largest companies in the world. I could use a tax break.
5. How are the banks broke when they still own the property they foreclosed on?
All these things don’t add up.
However, I will tell you what does…
The vast majority of these people call themselves Americans but are simply prejudice and have a huge fear of a man of color being in charge of the country. The belief is that somehow everything is going to change overnight when Obama becomes president, (a purely childish look at life).
If this is your fear, let me tell you blacks are afraid also, the man’s mother is caucasian!
Wake up and get out from under that rock and see something outside of your little 2″ square of kissing fish property-you might like it out here.
Exxon Mobil, which operates within a 43.3% tax rate, paid $11.3 billion in income taxes, $9.3 billion in sales taxes and $11.85 billion in other taxes. That comes to $32.51 billion in taxes during the current quarter.
It’s not $32MM, but $32BB in taxes, which is a record - Meaning the governments gets more to distribute from SUCCESSFUL companies to fund programs. Duh.
From Fox http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/energy/exxon-mobil-earnings-rise–setting-record/
That is very true,,,this is all because of John McCain and energy expert palin…economy is going down because of them and their stupid ideas
“That $4 billion should go to middle class taxpayers, people who need the money,” Biden said to applause. “John and Governor Palin have this upside down. They literally have it upside down.”
The American Dream should be fulfilled by the American people, not the American Government. We all know that the American dream is to be debt free, healthy,have a kid(s), a house and your “change” in the bank.
Socialism is not the American way.
Everyone in the liberal media keeps blaming McCain for what the down turn in the economy that started when democrats took over congress. McCain has been around for a long time and he’s made the economy grow. Since Obama joined the senate the economy has taken a nose dive. Is that McCain’s fault? Did McCain grow the economy for 22 years then all of a sudden make it fail right when Obama showed up? Or is there another reason for things to start going bad when Obama showed up? If you vote on promises you’ll vote Obama. If you vote on proven record you’ll vote McCain.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but although Exxon’s made historic profits, that job creation thing’s not working so well . . . and the oil companies are just about the only ones making any money.
Vote Obama or it could get worse…
**********************************
McCain’s plan can help companies, AND ENTREPREURS earning $250K/year, to CREATE JOBS so people can WORK for their money.
Eric,
32 billion might be what they pay in Gross Taxes but be assured that after deductions they don’t pay near that. Lets face it lets say I get 5000 taken out in taxes each year but after my deductions I only have to pay about 2000, and I no for a fact that businesses large and small have more leahway when deductions are figured.
While I’m on the topic of paying taxes McCain has offered a 5000 tax CREDIT to families for Health care and he himself has said that 40% of Americans don’t pay income taxes so under McCains healthcare plan 40% of Americans would be left out. To me that is shere irresponsiblity.
and the obama gang says Palin is NOT qualified?????? Biden - what is wrong with you????
obama is a FRAUD!
Vote SMART: McCain/Palin - we can TRUST them
RE: Comment by Walt, Belton,TX
October 30th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
“It is plain as black and white.
Socialism or Democracy?
Your choice!”
Walt you are so cute! Comparing socialism to democracy is like saying you can either “have pizza or eat”. You can have a democracy and have socialism at the same time. You probably meant to say “capitalism or socialism” both are possible and quite comment in democracies.
Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system.
Democracy “spreads the power around” wooooow! We shouldn’t vote for spreading anything should we? Best we choose not to get an education and just should louder!
I know that the oil companies made a lot this year but if you look at all the years before oil companies were making $25 a barrel for I think at least 20 years. You may not have to worry about oil companies from what our permanent fund people here in Alaska say that there is not that much more oil in the areas that are being drilled already.
HAHa I can’t believe this socialist label is actually sticking
You know if you consider Obama a socialists who else is then,
some of the best presidents in history; FDR, JFK, Clinton. They
all share similarities. You think if Obama was a socialists his party
would still support him? It’s ridiculous that hes addressing the issue
of how wealth has been redistributed to the top few people in the country
and when he tries to reverse the trend the masses becomes scared of his
socialist agenda. Wake up sheeple, the gop has done exactly the same thing
Obama is suggesting, just in the opposite direction, Guess that makes both parties
socialists.
But hey Exxon pulled another record breaking profit today so why not keep giving
these billionaires a free pass while the rest of the people struggle. That’s not even
capitalism it’s called a dictatorship which you people seem to adore.
Vote McCain/Palin! Let’s keep shortchanging ourselves until we all starve!!!
Please you guys educate yourself, get an understanding of what actually is the
case and then make your judgment don’t just blindly buy scare tactics like
we did with Bush
Comment by Eric
October 30th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Exxon Mobil, which operates within a 43.3% tax rate, paid $11.3 billion in income taxes, $9.3 billion in sales taxes and $11.85 billion in other taxes. That comes to $32.51 billion in taxes during the current quarter.
It’s not $32MM, but $32BB in taxes, which is a record - Meaning the governments gets more to distribute from SUCCESSFUL
——
Thanks for correcting the earlier error on 32M! Don’t think you’ll see anyone else come back with a “that’s not fair” now. 43.3% taxes to redistribute is more than fair. In fact, it’s reason why many companies can’t afford to keep jobs in the US.
I guess some people have a hard time understanding that in order for people to have income, they need a job. without comapnies there are no jobs. If it cost too much to run a company, you go where it’s cheaper, so you make more profits becasue the costs of good sold is the same…
McCain wants to cut taxes to bring jobs back to the US, and somehow that’s a bad thing?
I don’t get it
Why do idiots think tax breaks are welfare? You don’t get a tax break unless you’re working.
By the way, 32 million in taxes is 0.24% of 15 billion. Yes, Exxon paid less than a quarter of a percent on their NET quarterly profit. I think they can afford a little more than 0.24%.
Most of you seem to be missing the point. Yes,Exxon paid a lot of taxes,but that’s because they made a record profit–in a time of recession. Are Republicans really serious about giving them a further $4 billion on top of that ? Americans were screaming about petrol prices very recently.You have already given this company enough to make RECORD profit and you WANT to give them a further $4 biillion TAX PAYER DOLLARS !! Wow, Joe the not-quite-a-plumber and Tito-the -builder should be outraged. And so should any reasonable citizen.How on earth can giving the richest companies such stupid tax breaks at the expense of ordinary (struggling) workers whilst the economy is in meltdown ,please,how can this be justified ?
For all of you who may be frustrated with the amount of blogging done here by liberals espousing to hate FOX, go to RUSHLIMBAUGH.COM today and read “OBAMA TACTICS ON BLOG” It will explain the influx of Obama supporters on what they call an biased network. THE JIG IS UP!
Most of you seem to be missing the point. Yes,Exxon paid a lot of taxes,but that’s because they made a record profit–in a time of recession. Are Republicans really serious about giving them a further $4 billion on top of that ? Americans were screaming about petrol prices very recently.You have already given this company enough to make RECORD profit and you WANT to give them a further $4 biillion TAX PAYER DOLLARS !! Wow, Joe the not-quite-a-plumber and Tito-the -builder should be outraged. And so should any reasonable citizen.How on earth can giving the richest companies such stupid tax breaks at the expense of ordinary (struggling) workers whilst the economy is in meltdown ,please,how can this be justified ? Oh, and now McCain says Joe-the-plumber is his role model and he wants to take him to the Whitehouse !! What the ??
When will people realize that we are kidding ourselves to think we can tax corporations.
The consumer pays 100% OF EXXON taxes, whether 2/10 of 1% or 50%. All the tax they pay is passed on to the consumer. It is true you may succeed in taxing them so heavily that investors will go somewhere else. Most of the investors are pension funds which pay gramma & grampa’s pension.
The same applies to a lesser extent to upper income earners. Because they are successful they will simply raise their fees until their after tax income to a level they are happy with. Who pays their fees? Average consumers! Again it is true, because they are sucessfull if you tax the too heavily they will simply move somewhere else.
What is so wrong with giving every one a little money ?? Palin did the same in Alaska, just a way larger amount…
Fox should report of the major job looses this week to too, will put it in better light… trickle down dont work
btw. Obama want you to buy health care, McCain wants to give you health care…
Besides, Exxon doesn’t set the price of oil. The world market does. American Oil only has 3% of the worlds share and they cannot effect price. Exxon’s profit margin is less than half that of google. Who’s making all the money?
Fox did report and the job losses stayed the same. It was GDP down less than expected and consumer spending down the most in 28 years. But yes they did report on the job loss which as I said stayed the same.
Why are Obama and Biden so bent on attacking profits of publicly held companies?
Don’t those profits go to the shareholders? Is the Entire company made up of High paid execs or would you think some of those 107,000 employees are middle class workers? So aren’t the profits helping to pay wages and health insurance of middle class workers? Aren’t those profits going to shareholders many of who have savings and 401ks that hold XON stock? In fact a full 50% of the shares are held by mutual funds and institutional holders. None of the insiders even hold full percent of shares.
So lets attack the companies that actually employ us and hurt the savings of all of middle class America at the same time. Maybe we need to check the funds in our 401k’s and see how many of us actually OWN and are sharing in the profits of these dirty oil companies.
The difference between what Palin did and what Obama wants to do is day and night. Palin returned profits from resources owned by Alaskans. Obama wants to spread resources from peoples pockets to people who have no ownership of them.
to”Voted McCain”
Why blame McCain, he isn’t in charge of this??!! Are you kidding!?!! Because the Republican Party is in charge of this and McCain is their representative !! Duh! And who do you think is going to be in charge if Republicans win the election??Oh,sorry, you could be right– its quite possible Sarah Palin could end up representing USA and we all know how she LOVES oil companies.YOU watch,all the other oil companies will have similar figures.But if you would rather that your tax payments go to massively profitable companies than for education,health or to help struggling families or the middle class,well then I suppose you voted correctly.
ES , we love fox, they are the next best that have happened to the Obama campaign, the best is still Palin…, omg dont give us a clan rat limbuck speech….
JOE BIDEN HAS THE WORST CASE OF ADULT ADHD! *disclaimer* even worse than me.
JOE BIDEN HAS THE WORST CASE OF ADULT ADHD ON THE POLITICAL SCENE!
*disclaimer* …even worse than me. Ha
BOO, Y’all!
http://familyforest.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/senator-obama%e2%80%99s-famous-and-infamous-relatives/
Biden really concerns me with his mouth. If he goes around saying things like we will face a major crisis within six months if Obama get elected, what will he be saying about confidential things if they are elected and the first time he gets in front of a microphone. Is he going to tell our enemies what we might do to them. And they say McCain has problems with teleprompters.
PALIN 2012 there you go again distorting the facts. Obama is going to pay for your Health care to the tune of $1.6Trillion dollars over ten years. The McCain Plan has been stated at $1.3 Trillion over ten years. The government will fund both of them so standby for taxes to pay for them.
You might also look at the fact that the money coming back to the citizens of Alaska is owed to them just like it would be owed to you if you had an oil deposit on your property. The issue here is Obama wants to give your money and my money away to someone who neither pays taxes or wants to better themselves so they can be taxed like us. I’m sorry I forgot to ask are you one of these people or do you really work and don’t care what anyone does with your paycheck?
Sarah Palin talks about help with special need children. don;t you think she need to talk about
the hight rise of teenage pregnancy?