You are correct, IslandDog.  I am in support of Obama over McCain, but this is pushing things a little too far.  I think perhaps a better solution would be to simply remove some of the tremendous tax breaks these large corporations have to hold them a little bit more accountable for their surging profits with jacked up prices.  A forced program like that could be taken advantage of by the public; how many people would be getting those benefits?  Why directly from the oil companies?  Just because a business is making a ton of money doesn't mean they have to give it back.  This idea will be met with much scrutiny and rightly so.  In the end, both of these candidates are politicians...they'll say what they can to sneak in more votes and build up support with their base. 

I love how when McCain proposed a gas tax relief holiday that was pandering but somehow Obama giving away $1000 isn't?  Why is that? 

That is SOP for democrats. Hillary already proposed something similar.

Zubaz the grammar dog being MIA here, that should be "forcing".

Classic! I support Obama but not on this "fairy tale."

Good show!

No, she wants "windfall profits" to be reinvested in alternative fuels.

Taking money from someone so that YOU decide what to do with them is the same thing. Taking from others instead of putting your own where YOUR mouth is.

Besides, Congress (and the president) cannot manage the money they are now getting. It is insane to think they would somehow manage more money better (Insanity - doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results).

Good post, Island Dog!

Obama's "base" income in 2006 was $991, 296, therefore his hugely increased income for 2007 ($4.2 , million) gave him and Michelle a "windfall" profit of $3,208,704.  Surely no one will say that a couple with two kids having a family income of over nine hundred thousand is barely scraping by, right?  Therefore their huge increased income, mainly due to increased book royalties, a direct result of his candidacy sparking interest in all things Obama, is a windfall.

I propose Obama set the example by volunteering, and writing the Treasury a check!

How any of you can still be supporting Obama is beyond me....things like this, and FISA,  effect all of our lives more than Iraq.

I'm "pretty sure" more money is being dumped into this idiotic war and hurting American interests within our borders more than plans to protect individual privacy and offering suggestions to improve the quality of life for struggling citizens.

Why not "force" the Iraqi government to send checks to the American people since it, too, is experiencing windfall profits from oil they sell to us?

Then they can have their own boston tea party!

I am always amazed when I see that someone thinks company's pay taxes of any kind (indirectly, sure). Taxes on company's are passed directly on to the consumer (you pay the cost in the product/service, the company takes that out and gives it to the gov.). So raise taxes on the company's and watch your price go up too. Here's an hypothetical example: oil cost one penny a barrel - the price at the pump however,will cover refinement, employee wages, transportation, business expenses and bills, and what ever the company pays in taxes and they will still make a profit and you'll be happy cause your paying 40 cents a gal. instead of 4 bucks. I can't believe there are people still so naive enough to believe company's pay taxes out of their profits (the left is banking on it though). I can just see a typical board of directors meeting within the Democratic fantasy world: CEO to board members - "Our corporate tax taxes is going up as we will be losing our tax incentives, there go our profits, how can we ever recoup the money? Oh dear, I guess we'll just take it in the shorts and let's give everyone a pay raise while we're at it!" Think about it...just a little.

Obama's corporate plundering(s) will be a middle class tax increase(s), in addition to the more direct tax increases he will establish.

US corporate taxes are among the worlds highest (35% and 38% after Obama lets the cuts expire). That is why businesses that can, leave the US.

I never said that corporations were taxed on their profits, but if you want to put in words in my mouth, more power to you. I merely stated that removing larger tax cuts for an extremely profitable organization would produce more money for [hopefully] improvements in within the system.

I don't believe I mentioned you by name, so was in no way putting words in your mouth. My words were: "I can't believe there are people still so naive enough to believe company's pay taxes out of their profits". Don't worry I would have given you proper credit, your words just triggered a culmination of other similar if not explicit ideas I've heard. Your opinion is just as good as mine or anyone else here. So I never try to get personal about others opinions, sorry you took it that way.

That said, don't you think penalizing (your words:removing larger tax cuts for an extremely profitable organization) would stifle creative thought and enterprise? Where would Microsoft be if that were the case. It would also set a dangerous president as no other nation punishes their top business. I think anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws are good, but who in their right mind would get into business only to try for marginal profits. More an more "average" people have 401k's and IRA's as retirement investments, should they hope for small gains since many of those plans are invested in the stock market (aka big business)?

It's this decision which has really made me reconsider whether I want Obama to win. Taxing a company because they've made 'too much' profit is a terrible way to go, and will wreck havok with market incentives. In effect, it means companies will have little or no incentives to make sure they're efficient and cut their costs, since doing that will increase their profit, which they'll then lose to a windfall tax. It also makes investments much more uncertain - e.g. you could spend lots of money investing in something, if it goes badly you lose money, if it goes well however you make up your money...except you might not because if it goes well it might be decided that it's not 'fair' you've made so much money and you then get taxed.

In the end, a windfall tax can end up hurting the very people it's meant to help!