During the September 27 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends Saturday, co-host Steve Doocy misrepresented FactCheck.org's verdict on Sen. John McCain's claim about Sen. Barack Obama's record on taxes, saying that the project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found it was “true” that Sen. Barack Obama voted for a “bill that ... would increase taxes on people earning as little as $42,000 a year.” Doocy added: “John McCain said, 'That was true, you did.' Annenberg said that was true. John McCain was actually right, when it comes to single taxpayers. If you're married, goes up to 80-some thousand.” In fact, FactCheck.org reported that the votes McCain has previously cited for the claim were on a measure that “actually would not have altered taxes without additional legislation. It called generally for allowing most of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts to expire. McCain is referring to the provision that would have allowed the 25 percent tax bracket to return to 28 percent. The tax plan Obama now proposes, however, would not raise the rate on that tax bracket.” FactCheck.org stated that “McCain was correct -- with qualification.”
Indeed, the two votes McCain cited were both on the Fiscal Year 2009 budget resolution, a concurrent resolution that, as explained by the Senate website, is “not submitted to the President and thus do[es] not have the force of law.”
As FactCheck.org previously reported on July 8, "[B]udget resolutions basically set targets for appropriations committees to use. They are more like guidelines than actual rules." FactCheck.org added: “The resolution does not contain a specific provision to raise tax rates, but rather assumes that most of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire as scheduled in 2011. It also bears no relation to Obama's proposed economic plan.” Indeed, Obama has proposed cutting taxes for low- and middle-income families and raising taxes only on households earning more than $250,000 per year. McCain's own chief economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, has reportedly said it is inaccurate to say that “Barack Obama raises taxes.”
From FactCheck.org's September 27 post on the first presidential debate:
McCain said -- and Obama denied -- that Obama had voted to increase taxes on “people who make as low as $42,000 a year.” McCain was correct -- with qualification.
McCain: But, again, Senator Obama has shifted on a number of occasions. He has voted in the United States Senate to increase taxes on people who make as low as $42,000 a year.
Obama: That's not true, John. That's not true.
McCain: And that's just a fact. Again, you can look it up.
Obama: Look, it's just not true.
Yes, as we've said before, Obama did in fact vote for a budget resolution that called for higher federal income tax rates on a single, non-homeowner who earned as little as $42,000 per year. A couple filing jointly, however, would have had to earn at least $83,000 per year to be affected. A family of four with income up to $90,000 would not have been affected.
The resolution actually would not have altered taxes without additional legislation. It called generally for allowing most of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts to expire. McCain is referring to the provision that would have allowed the 25 percent tax bracket to return to 28 percent. The tax plan Obama now proposes, however, would not raise the rate on that tax bracket.
From the September 27 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends Saturday:
DOOCY: The Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania, which is non-partisan, looked at everything they said, and you should go to their website, FactCheck.org, to see what the discrepancies were, what people said last night as opposed to reality.
Couple of highlights: John McCain said that the earmarks had tripled in Washington, when, in fact, they had gone down. But Barack Obama, a couple of times I think, said 95 percent of Americans, if he were president, would get a tax -- taxes would stay the same -- in fact, 81 percent, not 95.
Also, Barack Obama denied voting for a bill that -- he would increase taxes on people earning as little as $42,000 a year. John McCain said, “That was true, you did.” Annenberg said that was true. John McCain was actually right, when it comes to single taxpayers. If you're married, goes up to 80-some thousand.
BRIAN KILMEADE (co-host): All right. So that was the --
GRETCHEN CARLSON (co-host): Isn't it scary that you have to actually go and fact-check, though, the two presidential candidates?
DOOCY: Well, you know, they're so used to saying stuff --
CARLSON: I know.
DOOCY: -- out on the stump, after a while you wonder if it is accurate.
