McCain Misleads on Taxes ... Again

McCain has been misleading voters about the reason for his opposition to the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. At the time, he said it was because they favored the rich. Now he says it was because he wanted additional spending cuts.

Now, McCain is misleading voters about his opposition to making these tax cuts permanent. At the time, he said it was because extending them would increase the deficit. But today, on Meet the Press, McCain said it was because the economy in 2004 "was fine". He said he is now in favor of making them permanent because the economy has become "shaky". Check it out:



The national unemployment rate was HIGHER in June of 2004 (5.6%) when McCain said he opposed making the tax cuts permanent than it is today (5.0%). Also, the national unemployment rate in May of 2003 when he voted against the pro-growth tax cuts was over a full point HIGHER (6.1%) than it is today. In both instances, McCain opposed the tax relief when the economy was more "shaky" than it is now.

Nice try, Senator, but the only reason you are concerned about the economy now and claim to support making tax relief permanent is because your economic record is coming back to haunt you and could cost you the Republican nomination.