McCain Changes Story on Tax Cut Stance
WASHINGTON (AP)
Republican John McCain says he opposed President Bush’s tax cuts because they didn’t come with spending cuts. That is not what he said at the time.
In a presidential debate on Wednesday, McCain said he voted against the Bush tax cuts because he wanted to rein in spending.
“I disagreed when we had tax cuts without spending restraint,” the Arizona senator said.
The explanation fits with his history of railing against wasteful federal spending. But it does not fit with McCain’s comments when he opposed the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.
In 2001, McCain said the tax cuts favored the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. In 2003, he said there should be no tax cuts until the Iraq war costs were known.
His aversion to the Bush tax cuts is just another reason McCain gives heartburn to many in the conservative GOP base. Besides taxes, there is also his more forgiving attitude toward illegal immigration, his effort to limit money in politics and his long-running feuds with leaders of the Christian right.
The debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., came on the heels of Tuesday’s Florida primary, when McCain defeated former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, gaining an advantage going into next week’s Super Tuesday primary.
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THE SPIN:
In Wednesday’s debate, McCain suggested he opposed tax cuts because they were not accompanied by cuts in spending.
Challenged on his changing story, McCain said he does think lower and middle income people need help. But then he said he opposed tax cuts that were not accompanied by spending restraints. He meant the Bush tax cuts.
“I made it very clear when I ran in 2000 that I had a package of tax cuts which were very important and very impactful, but I also had restraints in spending,” he said.
“And I disagreed when spending got out of control. And I disagreed when we had tax cuts without spending restraint,” McCain said.
He added: “And guess what? Spending got out of control. Republicans lost the 2006 election not over the war in Iraq, (but) over spending. Our base became disenchanted.
“If we had done what I wanted to do, we would not only have had the spending restraint, but we’d be talking about additional tax cuts today.”
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THE FACTS:
Spending was not why McCain said he opposed President Bush’s tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.
In 2001, McCain said the $1.35 trillion tax cut benefited the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.
“I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expense of middle-class Americans who most need tax relief,” McCain said then.
McCain tried but failed to amend the bill to reduce income tax cuts for the wealthiest and give greater benefits to those earning less. He and Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island were the only Republicans to oppose the 2001 tax cuts.
At the time, McCain was still at odds with Bush, who had dealt McCain a stinging defeat in the race for the GOP presidential nomination just one year before.
In 2003, McCain opposed a $350 billion tax cut sought by Bush, this time arguing there should be no tax relief while the cost of the Iraq war and its aftermath were still unknown.
“The tax cut is not appropriate until we find out the cost of the war and the cost of reconstruction,” McCain said then.
One more Republican senator, Olympia Snowe of Maine, teamed with McCain and Chafee to oppose the 2003 tax cuts. They and Republican Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio teamed to limit the size of the tax cut to $350 billion, half the size of what Bush originally wanted.
Incidentally, public opinion surveys do not back up McCain’s claim that Republicans lost control of Congress in 2006 over the issue of spending.
Associated Press-Ipsos polling that tracks what people consider the most important issues facing the country picked up hardly anyone citing government spending or the federal deficit as an important problem in 2006. Rather, polling said the economy, Iraq, terrorism and scandals and corruption in government rated highly in 2006.
By Libby Quaid
January 31st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Mitt Romney was strong on the economy last night, and stands FOR the Federal Marriage Protection Act to ban gay marriage with a constitutional ammendment. Romney pointed out that McCain’s carbon tax and environmental regulation will force American business to move to China to escape over-regulation and over-taxation. Average American will pay $1,000 a year more in gas taxes if McCain Lieberman ever passed. McCain doesn’t require Chinese business to sign on first. Simply clueless!
McCain voted against Bush’s tax cuts twice in 2001, but said it was because there wasn’t simultaneous spending cuts. But Reagan raised spending BIG TIME during the 80s when McCain voted FOR Reagan’s tax cuts. McCain said in 2001 that the rich would benefit too much from tax cuts, so he voted against them, before he flip-flopped and now says he’s for making them permanent!! His explanation was LAME!!! McCain voted against Federal Marriage Protection Act.
http://www.politicaljunkyfood.blogspot.com/
January 31st, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Mr. Romney,
I am writing to strongly encourage you to drop out of the Presidential primary race and endorse Governor Mike Huckabee. At this point, realistically, you are very unlikely to garner more support and delegates than Senator McCain. Even if you were to do so, a huge percentage of American voters will refuse to vote for you (as, indeed, they will if John McCain wins) because they perceive you to be “not conservative enough”, and the Democratic candidate (whoever it may be) will end up winning the election. However, if you back Mr. Huckabee, and he wins the primary, your influence with more moderate citizens his with conservative and Christian voters, would be a huge force to be reckoned with, especially since it is this conservative block that is largely responsible for President Bush’s reelection in 2004. The liberal media understands this, and, therefore, how dangerous Mike Huckabee’s candidacy would be for the Democratic Party, which is why their tactics during the past few weeks have been to smear, distort, downplay or completely ignore him. Please take this into consideration and do not allow this to happen to our country. We cannot afford to lose the White House this year. Do the right thing for America.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Lisa:
I appreciate your affection and support for your candidate Mike Huckabee. But you’ve got it backward. It is Mike who should drop out and put his support behind Mitt Romney. However, I don’t think Mike possesses the humility or the belief in the Reagan coalition and true conservatism.
The title of this article is about the “real” flip-flopper: John McCain.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Lisa Kane,
As soon as you can explain to me in what way, pray tell, Duckabee is conservative (other than name only), I will vote for the clown. I’m looking forward to hearing from you because I expect you to use his past performance in Arkansas to back up your argument. Perhaps you strayed mistakenly from a Liberal website because you won’t convince anyone here. Yes, you’re right on one thing: Huckabee is dangerous. Dangerous because he is contributing to the impending fracture of the republican party if McCain wins. Romney will win far more delegates than the Huckster and Huck knows very well what he is doing. He’s selling out the conservatives in the hope to win 2nd prize as VP for McCain. McCain has proven he cannot be trusted and will unceremoniously dump Huck when he is no longer useful to him. Then I suppose he can get into the highway engineering since the idiot seems to think that will save this country.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Dear Lisa,
I have watched this campaign closely and cannot remember Mike Huckabee ever creating a distinction between himself and McCain. It is widely believed that he is still in the race to help McCain and to hurt Romney. It may be enlightening for you to know that there are Romney supporters who believe him to be significantly more conservative and more competent than Mike Huckabee. May I suggest you address your letter and request to Mike Huckabee–it would be more appropriate.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I just watched one of the most intense and pro romney episodes of Hannity and Colmes I have ever seen. I think we should dedicate a post to it! Sean Hannity stated that he was voting for Mitt, Newt Gingrich said Mitt one the debate and that McCain was not honest about the time tables statement. Ann Coulter went on a warpath against McCain and said she would vote for Hillary over McCain. The revolt has started and is in full swing. Oh did I forget Mitt Romney was on and was absolutely incredible! I am pumped what a show!
January 31st, 2008 at 11:00 pm
I need to wait for youtube posting of the Hannity segment cause I missed all but the final minutes with Gingrich. Bummer.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Here is the link to my you tibe video!
http://www.youtube.com/v/JSUyn_62fTE&rel=1“
January 31st, 2008 at 11:10 pm
LOL John….way to get that axe kick above your head.
I think you want a round on the mat vs Chuck.
February 1st, 2008 at 12:22 am
Heh, heh,
Nice Lisa. I’m sure this is the best venue to get Governor Romney’s attention. We all smell a stinker we it trollops into our blogosphere.
Don’t be fooled, Romney supporters. Of the two, Romney is by far the best choice to support our conservative cause and it is Huckabee that is egotistically tearing apart the party and handing the nomination to McCain. So right back at ya, Lisa. Romney has demonstrated his ability to garner more of the Evangelical vote than your man in every primary/caucus since Iowa. Iowa simply got it wrong, and derailed the nomination of the best option.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:17 am
Did anyone see Colbert tonight? He did a hilarious piece about John Mccain at last night’s debate. He had Mac saying the word “timetable” dozens of times. It made him look very senile. So Funny!
February 1st, 2008 at 3:30 am
Go Mitt! People are shifting … push them into the right direction… talk… open your mouths… encourage them to vote for Mitt. Tap one person convert that person and ask the person to do the same… NONSTOP!
GO MITT!