ABC's Roberts did not challenge McCain's claim -- reportedly rebutted by his own economic adviser -- that Obama “wants to raise people's taxes”

Written by Tom Allison

Published

ABC's Robin Roberts did not challenge Sen. John McCain's claim that Sen. Barack Obama “wants to raise people's taxes” -- a claim that McCain's own chief economic adviser reportedly said is inaccurate.

During an interview on the October 31 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, Sen. John McCain claimed that Sen. Barack Obama “wants to raise people's taxes -- that's clear.” McCain continued: “And so, we're going to fight it out on the economic grounds.” Co-host Robin Roberts responded only, “Especially here, that's what they want to hear here in Ohio.” She did not challenge McCain's claim, even though McCain's own chief economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, has reportedly said it is inaccurate to say that “Barack Obama raises taxes.” In fact, 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.

In its analysis of Obama's and McCain's tax proposals, the Tax Policy Center concluded that “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. In contrast, McCain would cut taxes across the board and give the biggest cuts to the highest-income households.”

Media Matters for America has previously documented Good Morning America failing to challenge allegations by Republicans that Obama will “raise taxes.”

From the October 31 edition of ABC's Good Morning America:

ROBERTS: Looking at, you know, how you've been crossing the state and everything like that, and we heard in David Wright's piece, you hear from Barack Obama, and he has a new ad out saying, still, that you mirror a lot of President George Bush. And we have new polling out this morning that are -- the voters are -- about half of them feel that same way. You've been unable to shake that perception that --

McCAIN: I think we have largely, otherwise, we wouldn't be tightening in the polls. I think, in the last debate, when I told Senator Obama that if he wanted to run against President Bush, he should have run four years ago. I think, you know, a little humor always helps a little bit --

ROBERTS: Sure.

McCAIN: -- but this is a tough race. We're in a tough economy, we're in tough times, but Joe Biden gave us a great opening, frankly, when he said that this young inexperienced president would be tested by an international crisis. I've been tested. And we've been able to point out that Senator Obama's economic policies has been the far left of American politics, and ours is in the center. He wants to raise people's taxes -- that's clear. And so, we're going to fight it out on the economic grounds.

ROBERTS: Especially here, that's what they want to hear here in Ohio.

McCAIN: Oh, yeah.