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Obama, Clinton, and The Middle Class Tax Cut That Never Was
munydews.blogspot.com ^ | 10-3-2008 | Muny Dews

Posted on 10/03/2008 9:19:05 AM PDT by Brookhaven

How can you tell a politician is lying? Their lips are moving.

In 1992, Bill Clinton ran on a promise of a middle class tax cut. It was one of the centerpieces of his campaign. When he took office in 1993, almost immediatly he declared that idea dead. The economy was much worse than he ever imagined. Instead of a middle class tax cut, he would actually have to raise taxes. And that is exactly what happened.

Clinton, who had Democratic majorities in both the house and senate, raised taxes on the middle class. When the house passed the tax increase, the Democrats actually stood and gave themselves a standing ovation for being brave enough to increase taxes on the middle class.

After Clinton left office, we found out from a close Clinton advisor on his first campaign that Clinton never took the promise of a middle class tax cut seriously. As the advisior said, everyone knew it was just politics. People know politicians make promises they don't intend to keep.

Really? It would have been nice of you to tell everyone BEFORE the election.

Recently Obama has been talking about a middle class tax cut. Is this just another campaign promise that will be forgotten once he is elected, or does he really mean it?

Rev. Wright, Obama's pastor for 20 years (and who probably knows Obama better than any other man) said this about Obama: "He's a politican and does what politicans do to get elected." The quote is in reference to Obama distancing himself from Wright, and clearly implies that Wright believes Obama was making a political statement he didn't agree with to get elected.

So we can believe Obama when he promises a middle class tax cut. Really?

Obama has promised to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire in 2010, because they included tax cuts for the wealthy. What he leaves out is they also included tax cuts for the middle class. Reversing the Bush tax cuts would mean a tax INCREASE for the middle class.

The Democratic party isn't know as the party of higher taxes for nothing. Their history has been one of pushing for higher taxes, not lower. The last time they made a serious promise to cut taxes (1992), they actually ended up raising taxes.

Voters need to do more than just weigh where both candidates stand on the issues. They also need to determine if they believe the candidates will keep their promises. What does your gut tell you about Obama's promose to cut taxes for the middle class? Is this a promise he intendes to keep, or is he (like Clinton in 1992) making a promise he has no intention to keep in order to garner votes?


TOPICS: Politics
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1 posted on 10/03/2008 9:19:05 AM PDT by Brookhaven
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To: Brookhaven
I have been waiting sooooo long for someone to bring up the Clinton "middle class tax cut". I have an old documentary of the '92 campaign called "Feed". On it Clinton drones on and on about the MCTC at every stop. Of course, 12 minutes after he was elected he just couldn't do it. He tried "Tried harder than I've tried to do anything in my life", but GHW Bush had left the country in such bad shape, he'd have to raise taxes.

Incredible.

2 posted on 10/03/2008 9:26:52 AM PDT by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: Deb

And the same will be true if Obama gets elected (God help us). He’ll spend the first 2 years blaming everything on Bush and then the next 2 years running for reelection so he’ll have time to enact what he REALLY wants to do for the Middle Class ...


3 posted on 10/03/2008 9:31:13 AM PDT by Jackson57
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To: Brookhaven

“The only people who will pay more income taxes are the wealthiest 2 percent, those living in households making over $200,000 a year.” - Bill Clinton, September 8, 1992

Hey, that sounds familiar!


4 posted on 10/03/2008 9:31:50 AM PDT by Martyr Rabbit
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To: Deb

Clinton actually came and said during a town hall style meeting “the middle class doesn’t need a tax cut” This was after he was elected.


5 posted on 10/03/2008 9:54:20 AM PDT by Always Independent
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To: Brookhaven

I remember watching an interview of Jim Carville during Clinton’s re-election campaign. Carville was talking about how Clinton had kept his campaign promises. When someone brought up the middle class tax cut, Carville defended Clinton by say “He kept all the campaign promises he intended to keep!”.


6 posted on 10/03/2008 9:57:20 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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