Cavuto left unchallenged Mehlman's false claim that Rangel said Dems would raise taxes "across the board" if they retake House
SUMMARY: Neil Cavuto did not challenge Ken Mehlman's false claim that Rep. Charlie Rangel has said that "you would get across-the-board tax increases" if Democrats regain control of the House. In fact, during an interview with Cavuto less than two weeks earlier, Rangel stated: "The president has -- had allowed these things to expire in 2010 ... and I would not advocate or support a retroactive increase in taxes."
On the October 6 edition of Fox News' Your World, host Neil Cavuto did not challenge Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman's false claim that Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), "who would be chairman of the Ways and Means Committee" if "the Democrats were in control," has said that "you would get across-the-board tax increases" if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections. In fact, Rangel stated during a September 26 interview with Cavuto that a Democratic-controlled House "would not raise taxes" and "would not roll back" President Bush's tax cuts enacted by Congress that are set to expire in 2010, a point Cavuto failed to mention in his interview with Mehlman. During his September 26 appearance on Your World, Rangel added: "The president has -- had allowed these things to expire in 2010 ... and I would not advocate or support a retroactive increase in taxes."
From the October 6 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:
CAVUTO: You know what is interesting, though, Ken? I mean, human nature being what it is, what is different about the Republican response to this from prior crises is that some of you appeared to be divided.
You know, I'm talking about Congressman Boehner, who kind of distanced himself from the speaker, and others who have done pretty much the same, as if they're trying to say, it's all this guy's fault. That is very at least un-Republican from prior crises. And the image --
MEHLMAN: Well --
CAVUTO: -- it gives to people, again, fairly or not, is that you guys are fracturing. Are you?
MEHLMAN: I don't think Republicans are fractured. I think on the issues Americans care the most about, Republicans are united. You saw last week Republicans acting to make sure that we protect America against the terrorist threat, acting to make sure we have an interrogation program, to make sure we have surveillance of the enemy.
What happened with most Democrats? They were mostly against those programs, that are critical tools to win the war on terror. We also saw last week the man that, if the Democrats were in control, would be chairman of the Ways and Means Committee saying you would get across-the-board tax increases, and also saying that we -- they would even consider, potentially, cutting off funding for the troops in Iraq.
From the September 26 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:
CAVUTO: All right. So, let me -- let me just ask this, Congressman. I just want to be clear on a couple of things.
RANGEL: Sure.
CAVUTO: Would any of the taxes that the president cut -- just income taxes -- be raised or be looked at being raised under Democrats, even in -- on the upper income, the 35 percent rate, maybe bring it back to 39.5 percent?
RANGEL: We don't bring anything back. We would not raise taxes. We would not roll back.
The president has -- had allowed these things to expire in 2010. I think -- and I would not advocate or support a retroactive increase in taxes.
the Ds would not retroactively raise rates, but by letting the cuts expire in 2010, they will be raised without a vote and the Ds can go on record in 2012(truefully, but sneaky) saying "We did not raise taxes." Interesting, because of the way the rates were lowered, lower bracket payers would see their marginal rate rise 50%, while higher bracket payers would see their marginal rates rise less than 20%. How will they spin this in 2012?
following the law they enacted. and by keeping their word. I know that's a foreign concept to you conservofacists Oscar, but some people keep their word. How do your republicons spin it when they vote into place a temporary tax cut then go back on their word to let it phase out? face it you people are liars. And notice that this is all just democrat bashing because he can't answer a softball question. So he strings together a series of lies that ends with knee jerk fear mongering. The only people dumber than republican politicians are the fools that vote for them.
I may be a conservative, but I am no facist. I have no problem with you speaking your mind. You admitted it was a temporary tax (and most of us that study what is happening on the national scene know it was temporary), due to be fazed out. Both parties will have a problem spinning this in 2012, but it will be interesting to see how Rangel and his group do the spin (assuming they are in power at that time).
the proof is in the pudding. if you support our president, you are a fascist. Fascists torture. Fascists hate our freedoms. I notice you can't respond to the central dishonesty in your claim of "spin" You think that those who actually keep their word have to defend that while those who lie skate. no wonder you're a republicon. you support a draft dodger who questions the bravery of a war hero. yours is the party of moralist ranters who turn out to be the demons they decry.
As with all Presidents that I have been alive for, I support some of their agenda, but I do not support the whole hook, line and sinker as many of those posting here do (with both sides of the political spectrum). I am a conservative (more fiscal than social) and will support ideas that agree with my point of view and vocally disagree with those that don't. Taxes are a necessity for running the government and the country, I just see lots of ways that those $$$ are wasted by government and that I disagree with now and will continue to disagree with in the future.
please note I said both sides will have a problem with spinning this in 2012, and trying to point out that Rangel may have a bigger problem because he is on the record above as saying the Ds do not want to raise taxes. Will be interesting.
One would be shocked only if Cavuto did challenge Mehlman. The goals of Cavuto, Fox "News," and the RNC are one and the same.
There is no proof whatsoever that Democrats will "raise" taxes. This is just more fearmongering by the RNC chairman. The last taxes were "raised" in that way was when Bill Clinton AND GOPs in congress rolled back Reagan's irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthy (which the current administration resurrected and which have resulted in historic budget deficits). The result? Increase government revenues and in 2000, a projected budget surplus for the first time in American history.
But I do think that if any action is taken in this regard, the reduction of taxes for people making less than $6000/ year should remain in place.
To solve the Federal fiscal insolvency requires serious belt tightening and hardcore willpower. Neither Dems or Repubs can do it. We need at least $300-400 billion a year surplus to pay off the debt in a reasonable time period. That requires real cuts in spending, freezes on salaries and COLA hikes, and above all, an end to the warmaking. They'll never do it.
We may as well give up on the USA....it's committing suicide.
When you yank the string protruding from Mehlman's ass, you're guaranteed a regurgitation of Rovian talking points.
That and he really likes it.
being a working guy- do most people even look at their tax returns during different administrations?
I do, and I also look at my bank account, fuel prices, credit card innterest rates, and everything else that affects my "bottom line".
That 300 bucks(later taxed) that I've gotten in recent years notwithstanding, I'm definitely NOT better off after 5 years of these knobs.
Rangel repeatedly said that since the tax cuts are set to expire in 2010, and that's 4 years away, he declined to say what he would do in 2010, since that is 2 elections away and Rangel is 76 now. He said that the tax cuts, since they are set in stone until 2010, will not go away before then.
Certain you don't mean to imply that Mehlman mischaracterized Rangels' comments, do you? That would be so unlike the Republicans...
How much money are we wasting on the Iraq War daily? How much of that could go towards real foreign aid, paying off the national debt, and domestic problems? Answer that and tell me why raising taxes would be a bad thing at all. I'd be willing to give up a couple hundred dollars a month to ensure that America regains its dignity in the global arena.
Cavuto leaves a lot of things unchallenged, especially Mehlman's sexual orientation. Here you have a man who heads the republican effort to slay all comers and yet he's gay or bisexual at least and stays quiet in the face of continuing gay-bashing by his party. Unchallenged by anyone at Fox News or for that matter by the media in general, Melhman's hypocrisy is given a free pass. Some media types will talk about it but never to Mehlman's face. Cavuto and the rest of that gang at Fox are the worst offenders because they dress up as journalists when in fact they're just a bunch of clowns for the GOP.