I got in a big political argument with a friend of mine this weekend. He was accusing me of being a communist since I ?wanted to force the rich to support the poor?. What I had said is that I think the rich should pay their fair share of taxes, and if the government decides to use that money on programs that help the poor out of poverty then so be it (although welfare does need some serious oversight and monitoring).

Apparently he, like many of the Right wing, believe that the only thing taxes should be used for is national defense. Scientific innovation will be handled by private companies, and poverty will be handled by the giving nature of the wealthy.

The republican “plan” for poverty is charity and a hands-off approach by the government.

It was not a political tsunami, but some significant shifts occurred at President George Bush’s press conference tonight: a shift on Social Security and some notable steps away from an al…