At a critical point in last night’s debate, John McCain accused Obama of engaging in "class warfare" and wanting to "redistribute" income/wealth. It is a common Republican complaint, but McCain’s version was particularly vicious.

He used Joe the Plumber to make the point, telling Joe that to Obama, "redistribution" means to take wealth from those patriotic ordinary Americans like Joe and giving it to the underserving, presumably those perpetrators of massive fraud at ACORN!

So every day for weeks we’ve been reading stories of millionaire bankers being bailed out with a trillion dollars by taxpayers after the bankers, still clinging to their jobs and their bloated salaries, squandered trillions of dollars, bankrupt their firms, nearly brought down the world’s financial system and caused a deep recession that will cause millions to lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, the middle class has stagnated; they just watched their savings/retirement shrink, their dreams of a secure retirement, homes, covered health and college disappear, while additional millions slipped into poverty, with no jobs, no education, no heath care. Class warfare? They’ve been fleeced for decades to further enrich the richest.

If ever there was a time that cried out in the name of all that is fair and humane for rebalancing the current malevolent distribution of wealth, for promoting the general welfare and imposing progressive taxation with a vengeance, this is that moment.

But John McCain says, No! — because "redistribution" is taking money from Joe the Plumber and giving it to the undeserving, un-American people who steal elections and undermine democracy. And taxing the rich? That’s unpatriotic.

The cynicism, dishonesty and sheer cruelty of the arguments are breathtaking.