ABC's Wright uncritically reported McCain's mischaracterization of Obama's tax plan

Written by Eric Hananoki

Published

ABC's David Wright reported without challenging Sen. John McCain's claim to voters in New Hampshire that Sen. Barack Obama “wants to confiscate their hard-earned money.” Wright did not note that Obama has proposed cutting taxes for low- and middle-income taxpayers, while raising taxes only on individuals earning more than $200,000 per year and families earning more than $250,000 per year.

During the October 22 edition of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson, correspondent David Wright reported without challenging Sen. John McCain's claim to voters in New Hampshire that Sen. Barack Obama “wants to confiscate their hard-earned money.” Wright then aired video of McCain asserting of Obama's tax plan: “The redistribution of wealth is the last thing America needs right now.” At no point did Wright note that Obama has proposed cutting taxes for low- and middle-income taxpayers, while raising taxes only on individuals earning more than $200,000 per year and families earning more than $250,000 per year. As Media Matters for America has noted, the Tax Policy Center concluded that compared with McCain, “Obama would give larger tax cuts to low- and moderate-income households and pay some of the cost by raising taxes on high-income taxpayers.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 4.2 percent of New Hampshire households earned more than $200,000 in income in 2007, the most recent data available.

From the October 22 edition of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson:

WRIGHT: Today, McCain told voters in “live free or die” New Hampshire that Obama wants to confiscate their hard-earned money.

McCAIN: The redistribution of wealth is the last thing America needs right now.

WRIGHT: Today, the McCain campaign also launched another round of automated phone calls to voters, this time accusing Obama of being soft on crime.