Overheard:

Accusing a Democrat of wanting to practice "socialism" is a bit strong for a Republican presidential or vice presidential candidate. The base would love to hear it -- it's one of their favorite words to describe Obama -- but no Republican campaign operative would want their candidate to go there.

But McCain operatives may have found a way to get that loaded phrase out there without actually having either McCain and Palin be responsible for making the accusation.

Naturally, Joe the Plumber has come to the rescue again.

Said Palin today at a rally in Ohio: "Joe suggested that sounded a little bit like socialism. Whatever you call it, I call it bad medicine for an ailing economy."

-Jonathan Martin @ Politico.com

When Obama, during the last presidential debate, was talking about "spread the wealth," he wasn't talking about talking away money from the middle class and giving it to the poor. He was talking about raising taxes of the largest businesses and corporations and the richest Americans, but all the while keeping 95 percent of Americans' taxes the same. When he said to "spread the wealth," he would do it by taking money from those who have accumulated it most during the eight years of Bush administration and decades of deregulation and redistributing that wealth around to the middle class.

That also means redefining other programs, not just economic, but also health and education as well. Because in this kind of system, whatever taxes taken from the large businesses and corporations will be spread around through better education and health coverage, which also means for the middle class less money to pay for them.

With a health coverage that will be shouldered mostly by the government, the middle class would be able to use their income on other things besides health insurance (and with an economy that is based on middle class spending, isn't this a good thing?)

This also goes for energy, where Obama is pushing for research and development of alternative energy that will lessen America's need for foreign oil, and which means for the middle class less to pay for energy consumption. Since a large part of oil is being imported, it would be better for the economy to have alternative energy that is inhoused in America (and better for the environment too). It's a basic tenet that instead of making other countries richer by importing their resources, it would be best to make your own (Wasn't it Marx who said that, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you miss a good business opportunity. America, other countries will miss a good business opportunity with you.)

On a sidetrack, with the policies Obama has on education, more Americans will be able to finish college (his policy is more like a study-now-pay-later basis, and community work is also a form of payment of college education). Instead of paying for college in the amount it is now, he provides for spending for education (also from the taxes collected from large businesses) and people can work for it through military service, peace corps, or community service. I haven't heard McCain's policies (if there are) on early childhood education, where the basics are formed and is crucial in building a good education in the future. Obama provides for that, plus teacher incentives too. (A candidate with a reform of the educational system is always a winner to me.)

To "spread the wealth" is just a matter of moving around the government's priorities of spending and budgeting, because if you spend on the middle class, they will be more able to purchase and consume other things, which is essentially the base of a capitalist society.

I've been watching the US elections and it's stupid that Palin doesn't understand this kind of "socialist" thinking. She's a nutcase. How is it ever bad for an ailing economy to spread the wealth from those who have accumulated it unfairly to the middle class who have worked for it so much?

Wake up America. A true leader is in your midst.