Back in January 2008, Mitt Romney and his campaign put out a paper called "Senator McCain Defeated by Defeatism". The paper is a stunning indictment of McCain particularly regarding his flip-flopping on various topics including taxes. Many of the accusations against McCain by a fellow Republican sound strikingly similar to criticisms McCain is now levying against his Democratic Opponent. The article is here http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48740815_mitt-romney-senator-mccain-defeated-defeatism and makes points like:
- Sen. McCain Said The 2001 Bush Tax Cuts Benefited The Wealthy. SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: "I think there is a belief in America that too much of this tax cut still goes to wealthiest Americans. And maybe we could do something about those that still pay a significant portion of their income in payroll taxes." (CNN's "Late Edition," 3/11/01)
- Sen. McCain Said The 2003 Bush Tax Cuts Benefited The Wealthy. MCCAIN: "I want to see tax cuts, if they are necessary, go to working Americans, not the wealthiest." (Richard Ruelas, "McCain Isn't Saying 'Oui' To Bush's Tax Cut Plan," The Arizona Republic , 4/25/03)
- Sen. McCain: Estate Tax Cuts Go "Solely To The Wealthiest." MCCAIN: "I am concerned that repeal of the estate tax would provide massive benefits solely to the wealthiest- and highest-income taxpayers in the country." (Sen. John McCain, "Statement Of Senator John McCain On H.R. 8, The Death Tax Elimination Act," Press Release, 6/11/02)
- Sen. McCain Does Not Have The Record To Lead America's Economy Forward In An Uncertain Time
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Romney does not go as far as to say McCain is a Socialist, but clearly if Obama had voted the way McCain did in 2001 and 2003 and McCain had not, McCain would be talking about those choices as being Socialist.
Romney goes further a few weeks later in this second article
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48741473_mitt-romney-sen-mccain-desperately-wants-avoid-dis
This article includes the below video (if the video embed doesn’t work, the link can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVG4ROuLSf0 )
Watching and listening to this and thinking of McCain's criticisms of Obama over the last few weeks makes it is clear that McCain is a hypocrite on the tax issue. Here are some other devastating excerpts from this second Romney article:
- Senator McCain, you have said repeatedly, quote, 'I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.' Is it a problem for your campaign that the economy is now the most important issue, one that by your own acknowledgment you're not well versed on?" – NBC's Tim Russert (MSNBC, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, Boca Raton, FL, 1/24/08)
- Sen. McCain: "The Issue Of Economics Is Not Something I've Understood As Well As I Should." "Like Mike Huckabee, who joked recently that he 'may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night,' McCain suggested to reporters Monday that American consumer culture offered a short cut to expertise. 'The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should,' McCain said. 'I've got Greenspan's book.'" (Sasha Issenberg, "McCain: It's About The Economy," The Boston Globe, www.boston.com, Posted 12/18/07)
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So, not only is McCain contradictory and flip-flopping on taxes, but he admits not knowing nearly as much about the economy as he should, yet in his admitted ignorance, he attacks Obama for his positions. How does someone who is admittedly ignorant about a subject attack someone else's positions regarding it? I think Mitt Romney and his campaign did a terrific job showing why John McCain should have no credibility on taxes and the economy. Voters should reject McCain's uninformed criticism on the economy and taxes and vote Barack Obama for President on November 4.
