I’m personally tired of hearing John McCain and his McCainiacs repeat this misleading statement about Obama raising taxes 94 times. Obviously CNN & FactCheck were tired of hearing it to.
The Statement:
Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain said at the Oct. 7 presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, that Democratic opponent Sen. Barack Obama “has voted 94 times to either increase your taxes or against tax cuts. That’s his record.”
Get the facts!
The Facts:
The effort to convince voters that Sen. Barack Obama would support higher taxes is a central part of Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign. McCain and the Republican National Committee have repeatedly cited 94 alleged votes by Obama to bolster their argument.
Factcheck.org, a non-partisan project of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, pieced through records to determine just what these 94 votes were.
Key findings:
- 53 were votes on budget resolutions or amendments that “could not have resulted by themselves in raising taxes,” though many “were clear statements of approval for increased taxes
- 23 were against proposed tax cuts
- 11 were to increase taxes on people making more than $1 million a year, to help fund programs such as Head Start, school nutrition, or veterans’ health care
- Seven were “for measures that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on a relative few, either corporations or affluent individuals.”
- The total includes multiple votes on the same measures.
Annenberg says a close look at the record reveals that Obama has “voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers.”
Verdict:
Misleading. McCain’s summary ignores the fact that some of the votes were for measures to lower taxes for many Americans, while increasing them for a much smaller number of taxpayers.
A nonpartisan examination also finds that the 94 total includes multiple votes on the same measures and budget votes that would not directly lead to higher taxes.
So why do you continue to use this in your stump speeches?
Once upon a time many people could tout you as a straight talker, but I guess the pothole of public opinion polls has caused the Straight Talk Express to veer too far to the right and now you’ve lost a wheel. Country First, NO. You rather lose your integrity to win an election.
Get your facts straight. I know some will disagree with me or try to point out something else, but I can tell you that the Earth is round and you’ll still believe that it’s flat. That’s why I call you McCainiacs, because you want to believe anything negative about Obama to justify your own fears, insecurities or proof of your own biases.
Sources:
CNN – 10/07/08 “Fact Check: Did Obama vote 94 times for higher taxes”
FactCheck.org – 09/02/08 “A New Stitch in a Bad Pattern”
FactCheck.org – 08/27/08 “Would Obama tax my profits if I sell my home? Would he tax my IRA? Would he tax my water?”
Newsweek – 08/09/08 “More Tax Deceptions”
Forbes – 10/08/08 “Fact Check: Obama, McCain Twist Records”
Dallas Morning News – 10/04/08 “Obama on McCain’s Economic Plan”
YouTube “More Tax Deception”
