Barack gave nothing because he formerly had nothing till his book sales

[cooolandrew]

The spin makes you dizzy at times. Barack's story is the American dream a guy who worked up from nothing. If he gave little to charity in the past that is because he had very little until his book sales. link...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHdvU_NJzIcI&refer=home">Charity story here

[peace13]

1. People are *hit,

what can I say. The same folks that complain about Obama probably give very little of their own money. Charitable people don't call out others. Peace, Kim

[stellanoir]

2. I had the same thought.

Michelle had said they had only been able to recently pay off their school loans because they were lucky enough to have the profits from his two best sellers.

[cooolandrew]

3. Exactly they'll turn any story upside down. At least if they are going for Obama they should use ..

truth. If there is nothing then they clearly have a great candidate.

[cooolandrew]

4. kick

[riverwalker]

5. actually quite generous

after reading the article, it was on par with Americans in the same income. As they made more, they gave more.

[rinsd]

6. He gave about 1% of his income which is fine. But again $200K a year is not "nothing"

[Barack_America]

8. The sad reality is that when you're paying off student loans to Ivy-league...

...institutions for two people (for a total of 4 degrees), it very nearly is "nothing".

[skater314159]

14. Yeah, I have over $120,000 in student loan debt...

... and I hope to someday get a job making 20-30,000$ a year.

I did it because I want to be a Chaplain and help people, not because I'm angling to "get rich".

Most people in Generation X and Y are in the same boat as me - we wanna make a difference, but it took us getting this far in debt before we could "have the degree(s)" that are thought to be "necessarry".

I'm glad that we may have a President who has had to pay off his student loan debt, as he gets what my husband and I are going through...

[ellisonz]

36. I feel your pain...

[walldude]

9. There was only one year where he gave "only" one percent

this is such a Faux issue.. Half the people bitching probably don't donate anything.

[rinsd]

11. I did not mean it like that.

His charity is fine and to be commended.

Its claiming that he had nothing when they had a combined income of $200K+.

[Rageneau]

28. Doesn't matter what anybody else gives -- unless they're running for president.

It is devious to try to switch the subject from what Obama gave to what EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD gave. That's irrelevent.

Tax returns are fair political game. Candidates always demand to see each other's. In fact, that's exactly why the Obama camp has been demanding to see Hillary's: they want to see what they can nitpick out of it. (Oh, but how DARE the Hillary people nitpick Obama's returns.)

Of course, I understand why this all seems terribly unfair to Obama supporters. They aren't used to a level playing field.

[Shakespeare]

10. Do you have ANY idea how much the monthly loan payments are for...

....ivy league law schools?

$200K with those bills, and living in a city like Chicago (with a high cost of living) doesn't leave a whole lot for charitable donations.

[rinsd]

13. I'm not criticizing his charity.

The whole concept of calling $200K nothing is ridiculous.

[Shakespeare]

15. Don't be coy. You're trying to suggest he's greedy and uncharitable.

2 sets of ivy league law school student loans + raising 2 kids + living in Chicago = not a whole lot left over for donations.

I'm really, really, really tired of the disingenous attempts to smear Obama over this, among other things (and I'm not even an Obama supporter...sheesh).

Edited to add: I am VERY familiar with how the money shakes out on this issue. Starting salary for new associates at my firm is around $120,000-$140,000. Even with that kind of salary, most of them are forced to live very modestly because of the staggeringly high student loans.

[rinsd]

20. Coy? 1st line from me: "He gave about 1% of his income which is fine."

Here's me yesterday

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5254793&mesg_id=5254804

But feel free to again tell me how $200K a year is nothing.

[Shakespeare]

23. And I just explained to you how $200K can mean almost nothing.

My previous point stands.

[rinsd]

29. Your previous point that "You're trying to suggest he's greedy and uncharitable."

When I did no such thing?

The whole point is wealth and the perception of it. Earlier today it was Obama is just a working stiff and in the same position as a minimum wage worker. Now its $200K is nothing.

Now Obama is not nearly as wealthy as many members of Congress but to call the substantial income he draws nothing is insulting to the 97% of people who don't make that kind of dough.

[Rageneau]

24. If this were the Clinton's giving habits being discussed, NOTHING would be off limits or unfair.

And not only would they be accused of being uncharitable and greedy, but dishonest, too.

Let's hold Obama and Clinton to the same standard. If we do, Hillary will win going away.

[Shakespeare]

25. I won't speak to that, because I'm neither a Hillary nor an Obama supporter.

I just dislike intellectual dishonesty, and there's far too much of it in this forum lately.

[Lisa0825]

34. Well we WOULD if she'd release her damned tax returns!

:eyes:

[samdogmom]

35. Duh! You may be right...or you may be wrong!

We have no idea about the Clinton's "giving" habits because they haven't released any tax returns.....Why is that?????

Please don't try to play the "holier than thou" part when Hillary isn't even part of the equation! When you do this, it just comes off as disingenuous.

[Chisox08]

30. Yes $200k is nothing when

you have 2 huge student loan debts, raising a family, paying on an house and other bills that occur in everyday life. They were just able to pay off their student loans after the profits from Obama's books came in. The Clintons are rich they have more money to give to charity. We won't know how much they gave until Hillary release her tax returns, but it seems like she won't.

[EFerrari]

7. When I have money, I give that. When I only have time

I give that. Isn't that what most people do? :shrug:

[skater314159]

17. Yes thats what most folks do...

... but we aren't talking about "most folks".

We are talking about people trying to dig up anything they can about Obama - and this is the best they can do.

It's not about Obama's income, giving to charity, or any of that... it's all about Hillary's desperation... or is it her "Tonya Harding Plan"?

[EFerrari]

26. How desperate do you have to be to go after this?

That's just sad.

[skater314159]

31. Well...yeh, exactly.

:eyes:
:shrug:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

12. Oh come on!! You're acting like he had, you know, kids to feed or something.

Sasha and Malia could have eaten condiments! :sarcasm:

[skater314159]

18. Yeah, let them eat Ketchup soup!

It's good enough for other kids in Chicago, why not his?

:sarcasm:

[Rageneau]

16. Obama never gave squat to charity until he started running for president.

And he only did it then in order to deflect the criticism he is getting today, for being so selfish and tight-fisted during previous years.

Obama's best-seller happened right after he left law school. His second best-seller happened before he began running for president. Both were years ago.

And yet, during those flush years, he and Michelle gave less than ONE PERCENT of their income to charity.

Anybody know how that compares to the Clintons?

Not well, I betcha.

[galaxy21]

21. Was his first book that successful when it first came out?

[skater314159]

22. "not well, I betcha"? How about some data...

... oh that's right... Hillary doesn't want us to see her tax records... what with all that charitable giving I'm sure.
:eyes:

[cooolandrew]

33. If Michelle has only recently paid off college loans. It would say htey had squat to give.

[stray cat]

19. Having no money for charitable orgainizations while working to help people

instead of taking a high income corporate position people want to hand you is no excuse (sarcasm)

[Kaylee]

27. My thoughts exactly.....

the man worked as a community organizer helping the citizens of Chicago's South side....Come on people!

[cooolandrew]

32. kick

[JoFerret]

37. No widow's mite then?

.