On Fox, Huckabee misrepresented Obama plans for health care, taxes

Written by Jeremy Holden

Published

Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee falsely claimed that, under Sen. Barack Obama's health-care plan, “the government will be in control,” and that “we're going to be rationing it.” In fact, Obama has not proposed government-run health care. Indeed, Obama's website specifically states that, under his proposal, individuals “will not have to change plans.”

During the August 28 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee falsely claimed of Sen. Barack Obama's health-care plan: "[W]hen I hear about, you know, his plans for health care, what it means is not so much that everybody is going to have it, but we're going to be rationing it, and the government will be in control." Huckabee's claim echoed Sen. John McCain's false attack on Obama's health-care plan. In fact, as The New York Times reported in a May 3 article, Obama's plan does not call for the government to take over the health-care system in America and “ration[] it.” Indeed, a Q&A about the proposal on Obama's website specifically states: "[Y]ou will not have to change plans":

Q. I like my current insurance coverage. Will I have to change plans?

A. No, you will not have to change plans. For those who have insurance now, nothing will change under the Obama plan -- except that you will pay less. Obama's plan will save a typical family up to $2,500 on premiums by bringing the health care system into the 21st century: cutting waste, improving technology, expanding coverage to all Americans, and paying for some high-cost cases.

Huckabee also claimed: “I think that the best hope for America is cutting taxes, not raising them, as Obama would propose to do. That's really going to hurt small business. Let's not talk about taxing the wealthy; that's not what the issue is. It's taxing small business operators.” In fact, Obama has proposed raising taxes only on households earning more than $250,000, and the Tax Policy Center has estimated that only 1.5 percent of tax filers declaring small business income are in the top two income-tax brackets -- which include all filers with taxable incomes of more than $250,000. Obama also has proposed eliminating capital gains taxes on start-up and small businesses. Obama has also proposed cutting taxes for low- and middle-income families; indeed, McCain's own chief economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, has reportedly said it is inaccurate to say that “Barack Obama raises taxes.”

From the August 28 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

CARLSON: Yeah, but the fact that you're also from Hope, he made, towards the end of the speech, he said, and I'm from Hope, and, you know, hope for this party.

HUCKABEE: Yeah.

CARLSON: Obviously your sense of hope is different.

HUCKABEE: Well, it is. I think that the best hope for America is cutting taxes, not raising them, as Obama would propose to do. That's really going to hurt small business. Let's not talk about taxing the wealthy; that's not what the issue is. It's taxing small business operators. And when I hear about, you know, his plans for health care, what it means is not so much that everybody is going to have it, but we're going to be rationing it, and the government will be in control. I think these are very sincere people, I just think their ideas are wrong, and in the long term, we're going to be more harmful than helpful to America.

DOOCY: Right. Now, Governor, we know that, tomorrow, you're going to be busy, because, according to sources, tomorrow at 11 o'clock -- 12 o'clock out in Ohio -- John McCain is going to announce his number two pick, and we also know that you and Mitt Romney and some others are going to be part of a “Unity” tour and then make a three-state trek across the country. What can you tell us about this?