Clinton: Let Uncle Sam Determine Profits

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with the Soviet Union. Hillary and her disgusting leftist cronies are keeping it alive.

Doug of FL 5:01PM May 04, 2008

She told lie for the election of US president!

Jake of LA 5:20AM May 04, 2008

If I had any say in it, I'd say Close Down let them get thier oil from Arabs at a much higher price. Its not like they need the money or something. They are allready Rich and Nasty people remember?

To Tax Tax Tax these companies to death is "NOT" going to do anything to help, only BUY votes for these Polititians because the DumbMasses out there havnt a clue of whats goin on.

Yank of GA 5:51AM May 03, 2008

Unfortunately, the millions who fall for her Marxist drivel do not know the difference between gross profit and a profit margin. They honestly believe that taxing the hell out of oil companies somehow will make them better off. Most have either forgotten the failed energy/economic policies of the ‘70s, or are too young to remember. And it’s not like most people are educated about the difference in most schools.

If you need a better example of the failure of public education in this country, I can’t imagine what it might be.

John of GA 6:17PM May 02, 2008

When Mrs. Clinton first arrived in Washington, she was a person of modest wealth. Now, I understand that the Clintons' net worth is over $100 million dollars. Perhaps it is time to tax the Clintons' windfall profits.

BGS of TX 5:56PM May 02, 2008

Profit vs. Profit Margin.

How does somebody get to the point of running for president and not understand a concept from econ 101.

What are they teaching at Wellesley College and Yale?

Bob C of FL 3:53PM May 02, 2008

When are the dems going to have a windfall tax on book deals or speaking engagements? It looks like Obama & Hillary both

" ... have made out like bandits, and there is no basis for them to have these huge profits. They're not inventing anything new.."

No to mention the huge profits that Bill Clinton to give a speech.

wise1 of OH 2:41PM May 02, 2008

The Marxist drivel that this vile woman spews is terrifying for true Americans. How anyone can take this Communist disciple of the radical Marxist Saul Alinsky seriously is beyond me.

This dingbat clearly has no clue of how an economy works and would have been more at home in the old Soviet Politburo than in Washington DC.

Sadly, American women will vote for this virago in droves - simply because she is a woman. If this miserable lying Trotskyite ever gets into office, it will be a disaster for the United States of America.

If she gets in, fly your flag upside down and stockpile food!

Santiago Matamoros 1:59PM May 02, 2008

Hillary, Obama and the rest of the left (and unfortunately an increasing number of those on the right) want the government to be the be-all and end-all to all "problems of the people". In reality, the government is the "create-all" of our problems. When the people of this country (rich and poor alike) wake up from their utopian dreams and realize that they've traded their liberty and freedom for a Marxist state, I wonder how many will have the nerve to stand up to the government as our founders did and say NO MORE!! That is assuming we actually have the means to fight back since they want to take our guns away, and the faith to believe that God created us in His image and endowed us with these truths that we hold to be self-evident, given that we are driving faith out of our lives.

I for one want one simple thing, that is for the government to GET OUT of my life, my business and livelihood, and my bank account. If they would do that, I can assure you that I would never be in need of a Nanny to fix my problems. Instead, I get the privelege of paying double taxes because I am self-employed, and trying to guess how much flesh the IRS will want each year.

The answer to our energy problems is really quite simple, although it would take some time to realize. Drill in ANWR, the Gulf and anywhere else we know we have oil available. Announce to OPEC and Chavez and any of the other tyrants that we will be decreasing our reliance on them and watch how fast they ratchet up production and drop the price!

Mark of PA of PA 1:49PM May 02, 2008

I would love to vote for Hillary (or any Dem or that matter) if they could do just one thing for me: Define what windfall profits are! She can't and she wont! She has only two choices: She can define it by a specific amount of profit ....or define it by a percentage of profit.

Right now, the dems are teaching americans that the AMOUNT oil biz has been making is a windfall and so unfair to their lives. Forget that the these companies are owned by shareholders...thats irrelevant. Forget that Exxon is the largest company in the world....thats irrelvant. Forget that their profit margins have not increased...thats irrelevant. Apparently, that profit number is too big regardless of how much product they sold. But if Hillary defines windfalls as a specific figure, that will leave hundres of other companies with similar amounts to pale back their sales to avoid the windfall tax. GE made $22B profit in 2007. Bank of America made $15B profit in 2007, and Citigroup made $22B profit in 2006.

But then if she defines windfall profits as a percentage, she opens up evenmore doors to industries that make even more than anyone in america can imagine. Exxon's profit margin has been pretty steady at 10%. That doesn't seem too much. Coca-Cola makes 2 times as much profit at 20.5% and has for the past 10 years! Microsoft has a 28% profit margin and that is down almost 100% where it use to be at almost 50%. Pittsburg & WV Railroad has a 85% profit margin. Knightsbridge Tankers has a 96% profit margin!!! Are these percentages too much as determined by the federal governement?

Is it a number or percentage that is the problem? Either way, it's a losing proposition for any democrat to define which is why they never will. She is merely saying it to "buy" votes.

Alan Stanwyck of IN 1:45PM May 02, 2008

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Capital Commerce

Capital Commerce

U.S. News business reporter Matthew Bandyk examines the issues, people, and debates that shape the nexus of political and economic life in the nation's capital.

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