Fox News' MacCallum allowed GOP strategist to falsely claim Obama is "pushing for this global tax that would require America to pay tax to the U.N."

Summary: On The Live Desk, Martha MacCallum did not challenge the false assertion by Christine O'Donnell, 2008 GOP Senate candidate in Delaware, that Sen. Barack Obama "and my opponent [Sen. Joe] Biden are pushing for this global tax that would require America to pay tax to the U.N." In fact, the Global Poverty Act, a bill introduced by Obama, would not "require America to pay tax to the U.N.," and it would not commit the United States to any targeted level of spending.

On the May 7 edition of Fox News' The Live Desk, host Martha MacCallum did not challenge the false assertion by Christine O'Donnell, GOP strategist and 2008 Republican candidate for Sen. Joe Biden's (D-DE) Senate seat, that Sen. Barack Obama "and my opponent Biden are pushing for this global tax that would require America to pay tax to the U.N." O'Donnell's comment echoes a claim by Accuracy in Media's Cliff Kincaid, who falsely asserted in a February 12 column that the Global Poverty Act, a bill introduced into the Senate by Obama and co-sponsored by Biden, "could result in the imposition of a global tax on the United States." Nationally syndicated radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh quoted Kincaid's false claim on the February 14 edition of his radio program.

In fact, the Global Poverty Act would proclaim that "[i]t is the policy of the United States to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day." But the bill would not "require America to pay tax to the U.N.," as O'Donnell claimed. As Media Matters documented, the bill would establish no specific funding source; it would not commit the United States to any targeted level of spending.

From the May 7 edition of Fox News' The Live Desk:

MacCALLUM: All right. Let me get a quick thought from Christine O'Donnell and [attorney and author] Crystal McCrary here who are joining us. You know, so, the numbers don't add up. And, you know, people have been saying that all along, and I kept saying, "Well, I think she can still pull it out." But I'm not so sure now.

O'DONNELL: Well, keep in mind that Barack Obama is a time bomb. We have no idea what's going to happen between now and the convention. He is so far to the left, pushing for things --

MacCALLUM: I don't know what could be thrown at him that hasn't been thrown at him in the past 10 days.

O'DONNELL: Well, we can take a look at what he stands for. He and my opponent Biden are pushing for this global tax that would require America to pay tax to the U.N. So, as we take a closer look at him --

MacCALLUM: Quick, [unintelligible] Crystal. I'm sorry we're so short on time.

O'DONNELL: -- as long as she's still in the race --

MacCALLUM: Yeah.

McCRARY: I disagree. I don't think that Senator Obama is so far left. I mean, Senator Clinton, Senator Obama are quite similar, and they're both --

MacCALLUM: You think he can beat John McCain? Who would you rather have?

McCRARY: Let me say this. I think it would be more difficult for Barack Obama to beat Senator McCain than Hillary Clinton. I do have to agree with that. Although she has put up a great fight.

MacCALLUM: She sure has.

McCRARY: The numbers are daunting for her.

MacCALLUM: Thanks, you guys. I'm sorry we're so short on time.

—K.H.