Read Obama's Lips: When is a Tax Hike not a Tax Hike?

Thursday, October 1, 2009 6:14 PM

By: David A. Patten

Faced with delivering a "stealth tax bill" of more than $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, Democrats are trying to spin the promises that President Obama made during the campaign.

When Sen. John McCain warned voters Obama was going to raise their taxes, the media accused him of distorting Obama's positions. Now it looks like McCain did distort Obama's intentions – by way underestimating just how much the president would boost people's expenses.

Democrats are suggesting Obama's pledge not to raised taxes "one dime" on those earning less than $250,000 really only referred to income taxes. So any other tax hike or fee would be fair game.

One small problem with this formulation, however -- it's not what the president said.

So when it comes to the president's promises on taxes, let the record speak for itself:

On the Campaign Trail

"I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 per year, will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes." – Candidate Barack Obama, Sept. 12, 2008, Dover, N.H.

First Obama-McCain Debate

"My definition -- here’s what I can tell the American people: 95 percent of you will get a tax cut. And if you make less than $250,000, less than a quarter-million dollars a year, then you will not see one dime’s worth of tax increase." -- Candidate Barack Obama, Sept. 26, 2008, Oxford, Miss.

Biden-Palin Vice Presidential Debate

"No one making less than $250,000 under Barack Obama's plan will see one single penny of their tax raised whether it's their capital gains tax, their income tax, investment tax, any tax. And 95 percent of the people in the United States of America making less than $150,000 will get a tax break." -- Vice President Joe Biden, Oct. 2, 2008, St. Louis, Mo

Second Obama-McCain Debate

"So let's be clear about my tax plan and Sen. McCain's, because we're not going to be able to deal with entitlements unless we understand the revenues coming in. I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans, 95 percent.

"If you make less than a quarter of a million dollars a year, you will not see a single dime of your taxes go up. If you make $200,000 a year or less, your taxes will go down.

"Now, Sen. McCain talks about small businesses. Only a few percent of small businesses make more than $250,000 a year. So the vast majority of small businesses would get a tax cut under my plan." -- Candidate Barack Obama, Oct. 7, 2008, Nashville, Tenn.

Third Obama-McCain debate

"What I've said is I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of working Americans, 95 percent. If you make more -- if you make less than a quarter million dollars a year, then you will not see your income tax go up, your capital gains tax go up, your payroll tax. Not one dime.

"And 95 percent of working families, 95 percent of you out there, will get a tax cut. In fact, independent studies have looked at our respective plans and have concluded that I provide three times the amount of tax relief to middle-class families than Senator McCain does." -- Candidate Barack Obama, Oct. 15, 2008, Hempstead, N.Y.

Obama Speech Joint Session of Congress

"If your family earns less than $250,000 a year -- a quarter million dollars a year -- you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: Not one single dime. Not a dime. -- President Barack Obama, Feb. 24, 2009, Washington, D.C.

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_ ... 67431.html