from a fund raiser speech in SF last night. Ought to warm the hearts of the libs. I cannot wait for her run in 08 Skerry is so boring in comparison..

"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you," Sen. Clinton said. "We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."


(06-28) 19:03 PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --

The leftiest big city on the Left Coast was Clinton country on Monday, with former President Clinton continuing his blockbuster book tour and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton headlining a Democratic fund-raiser where she vowed to defeat the Republicans' "extraordinarily ruthless machine."

Headlining an appearance with other Democratic women senators on behalf of Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is up for re-election this year, Hillary Clinton told several hundred supporters -- some of whom had ponied up as much as $10,000 to attend -- to expect to lose some of the tax cuts passed by President Bush if Democrats win the White House and control of Congress.

"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you," Sen. Clinton said. "We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."

Just blocks away at San Francisco's historic Ferry Building, President Clinton kicked off the latest leg of his West Coast tour promoting his best-selling book, "My Life." Wearing a navy blue suit and a rust-colored tie, Clinton signed books for at least 3,000 people, many of whom had waited hours under brilliant sunshine to catch a glimpse of him.

At one point, Clinton stopped the fast-moving line of fans to pose for a photo with 14-year old Thomas Nelson and his 12-year old brother Joseph, who had traveled 50 miles with their father from Petaluma.

"I've never shaken the hand of a president," said Thomas, who added that he had one grandma who couldn't stand Clinton and one who thought he was the best president ever.

"Even better than George Washington," said Thomas.

While Sen. Clinton's duties in Washington and the former president's far-flung speaking engagements can keep them apart for weeks at a time, friends said the Clintons' joint visit to the Bay Area was a homecoming of sorts for both of them.

As president, Clinton visited California some 70 times and focused much of his political and fund-raising energies on the heavily Democratic San Francisco Bay area. The visits by both Clintons increased while their daughter, Chelsea, was a student at Stanford University in Palo Alto.

"He was here so dad gum much when he was president that outside of Arkansas, his highest level of support is probably the Bay Area," said Martha Whetstone, executive director of the Bar Association of San Francisco and a longtime friend of both Clintons. "And San Francisco has always been Hillary country. They get her here -- there's a real appreciation for independent, intelligent women."

The Clintons were following largely separate schedules throughout the day, with Sen. Clinton heading two hours south to Monterey County to appear at a public policy forum hosted by former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta, and President Clinton headlining a fund raiser Monday evening for the American Himalayan Foundation, a charity run by Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum.

Sen. Clinton called the transfer of sovereignty from the U.S.-led coalition to an interim Iraqi government two days early a "positive step" but said it was too early to predict if the new government would be successful.

"Whether they take over today or take over Wednesday, the problems are still the same," she said.

Before leaving the forum, Sen. Clinton was asked what she thought of her husband's book. "I loved it," she replied. "You've got to read all of it."

On Tuesday, President Clinton will continue his book tour at several stops around the Bay Area and will be the star attraction at a fund-raiser for House Democrats.

With Boxer leading her Republican opponent, Bill Jones, by a wide margin in recent public polls and California considered safely in Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's hands, the Clintons' visit served more as a vehicle to promote progressive political activism than to move a lot of votes, according to Bruce Cain, a political analyst at University of California, Berkeley.

"There's a lot of stirring up of the Democratic base -- the juice is flowing among Democratic activists in an unprecedented way right now," Cain said. "It comes at a time when groups need to get mobilized to make contributions and get themselves organized to go out and do grass roots activity in battleground states."

California Republican Chairman Duf Sundheim said that while the Clintons were welcome to come to the state and express their views, "history shows their influence is minimal."

He pointed to both Clintons' support last fall for Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, who went on to be recalled in a landslide and replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press writer Matthew Fordahl in Seaside, Calif., contributed to this report.

URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/06/28/politics2039EDT0165.DTL

If you make $200,000+, eat all your meals, have a home and car(s) for your family, can afford to send your kids to college and you're STILL whining about how the government is always sticking it to you..............let's just say I won't be oozing sympathy any time soon.

Here's a translation for you TK: Only an irresponsible jackass would give a tax break to those earning $200,000+/year while deficit spending like there's no tomorrow.

So you paid cash for your house? Or is that not deficit spending? I suppose you opt out on the Federal tax write downs for the interst ,points and property taxes as well out of duty and moral resposibility? Or is it yet another case of do as i say not as I do?

Only a dolt does not realize that the top 5% are resposible for the majority of tax generation. If they did not have the business that employs most of the country there would be no taxes to collect. I would have a zero5%personal imcome tax
for all business owners with more than 1 employeee .

Well Dan there is a group of people that think making more than $70k a year per household is wrong and you should be taxed 100% above that ammount. Why are they wrong?

It seems to me that one of the benefits of capitalism combined with a Democracy is that you have the freedom to make as much or as little as you can or want.

My point being the govt. reflects the people. Financially people in this country have less savings than at any time in history and more debt than anytime in history. How can you expect people than take out Home equity loans to buy RV's ,boats whatever to go to congress and all of the sudden start spending wisely ? they cannot even manage their own spending let alone some one elses money. Bush as not run up the dificet all by himself. If you look at the line items on the federal budget borrowing against the future has created the deficit. Specifically spending in the areas of social security and Human services. It's going to get worse and taxing the economic drivers that can build jobs and grow the economy is not the way to fix it. ALa most European nations have proven.

Yeah, but I won't be having your kids and grandkids paying it off. I can assume any debt I feel like, provided I can pay it off.

Jackass GW, on the other hand, has apparently forgotten that debt accumulated is debt that must be paid off. I'll pay my own debt, and thank you not to worry about it. He, on the other hand, is asking every taxpaying American to pay off his financial irresponsibility

So the top 5% pays the bulk of all taxes.........so? Is Bill Gates hurting today? Warren Buffet? "Whaaaaaaaa!" Is what I say to a sniveling billionaire.


So $70,000 is $200,000 or $1,750,000 or $15,000,000? A rat is a dog is a boy?

King - As usual you don't know up from down or your proverbial @ss from a hole in the ground! Tax breaks for businesses and personal income tax breaks are two completely different things.

I agree with giving tax incentives to businesses providing jobs and benefits to working-class America.

I DON'T agree with lowering the personal income tax of the CEO's, movie stars, rock stars, professional athlete's etc... making obscene amounts of money.

Bill Gates built a company that employs 40k + people and is the biggest economic driver in this area. look at the quality of life in this area before MSFT and after. Where does the largest employer in this area Govt. get it's funding from? Tax revenue. I would kiss Bills rear end and thank him for the privlidge and tell the Govt to do the same to me thank you.

Does someone have a big stick they can just whack me in the head with?

These threads just seem to draw me in and get me all riled up.

TK.........are you posting just to yank my chain?

Dans,

Just relax we are just talking about being on different sides of the fence.

4salt,

They need to be one and the same.

"I DON'T agree with lowering the personal income tax of the CEO's, movie stars, rock stars, professional athlete's etc... making obscene amounts of money."


Unless some says the same about you. How about a tax on boats over 14ft because some peoples boats are obscene and most people do not even have one. How about Loomis rods. Lets tax them because its obscene that someone could pay $800 for a fishing rod when 43 million do not have health care.

TK,

We already DO pay an additional tax on sporting goods. Apparently, someone got the notion that those who benefit most from fish/game enhancements should also pay a little extra. A novel concept, I know.

In the world according to 4Salt:

14' boats, Loomis rods, fishing vacations = Reasonable

3 or 4 multi-million dollar mansions, cars up the wazoo, personal entourages = Obscene

... though I COULD make an exception for a personal swedish masseus, and french maid...

Dan,

Use taxes ,I am all for them. We all row the same boat. it should not cost someone 100k a year to row while the guy sitting next to him gets to row for 5k a year. When the chances of the 5k a year guy using taxpayer funded services is 10kx that of the guy paying 100k.

I guess...........who IS that lazy, non-rowing SOB anyway?

And BTW Bill GAtes is a lib. He has given away and will give away 90% of his net worth in his life time. He exemplifies how it should be done in my book. By choice of the heart not twisting of the arm .

If everyone were as charitable as the Gates family, the world would be a much better place.

...so much for 'compassion' and 'unity', eh?

What kind of scumbag used car salesman looks the american people in the eye and says he's just saved us money (SOME of us)when he put us into debt himself?

What are people thinking that buy into this kind of asinine rationale??

You think there is a connection? Liberal, generous? Hmmmmm?

I shouldn't say that.............Ted Turner is mighty generous with his money, too, and I don't think anyone can claim he's a liberal..........although he DID marry that Fonda woman.

"although he DID marry that Fonda woman."

Hey Dan, I got a distinct feelin' that 'ol Ted didn't marry Jane for her politics... if ya know what I mean...

Ted gave a billion to the UN not exactly a conservative org. and he married Hanoi Jane but they say love is deaf, dumb and blind.