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Obama’s $250,000 Tax Pledge Timeline:
Descending into a “Read My Lips” Betrayal

From John Kartch on Monday, September 21, 2009 4:17 PM
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President Barack Obama’s central campaign promise was a “firm pledge” not to raise “any form” of taxes on families making less than $250,000 per year. This timeline of statements by Obama and White House staff and advisors illustrates a steady retreat from his oft-repeated promise to taxpayers:

Sept. 12, 2008: Obama makes a “firm pledge” not to raise “any form” of taxes on those making less than $250,000 per year:
 
“I can make a firm pledge.  Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase.  Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.” (Dover, NH) [Transcript] [Video clip]
 
April 1, 2009: After Obama broke his “firm pledge” when he signed into law a steep hike in the federal excise tax on tobacco, White House spokesman Reid H. Cherlin attempts to claim that the Obama pledge only applies to “income or payroll taxes”:
 
“The president's position throughout the campaign was that he would not raise income or payroll taxes on families making less than $250,000, and that's a promise he has kept.” (Associated Press interview) [Permalink]
 
April 15, 2009: During a White House press briefing, when challenged as to how Obama’s tax pledge squares with his tax hike on tobacco, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs replies:
 
“People make a decision to smoke.” [Transcript]
 
April 15, 2009: Moments later, when asked if Obama’s tax pledge applies “to the health care bill”, Gibbs replies:
 
“The statement didn’t come with caveats.”  (White House Briefing) [Transcript]
 
June 28, 2009:  When challenged on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos as to whether Obama’s tax pledge applies to healthcare reform, White House Advisor David Axelrod refuses three times to affirm the pledge and replies:
 
“One of the problems we've had in this town is that people draw lines in the sand and they stop talking to each other. And you don't get anything done.” [Transcript]
 
June 29, 2009: Questioned about David Axelrod’s comments made the day before, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs refuses seven opportunities to affirm Obama’s tax pledge, saying only:
 
“We're going to let the process work its way through.  All right?”  [Transcript]
 
August 2, 2009: Appearing on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner refuses to rule out a pledge-breaking tax hike after being given several opportunities to do so: 
 
“I think what the country needs to do is understand we're going to have to do what it takes, we're going to do what's necessary.” [Transcript]
 
August 2, 2009: On NBC’s Meet the Press, National Economic Council Director Larry Summers also refuses to rule out a tax hike:
 
“It is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what.” [Permalink]
 
August 3, 2009: Questioned about the previous day’s comments by Geithner and Summers, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs reiterates Obama’s tax pledge:
 
“I am reiterating the President's clear commitment in the clearest terms possible, that he's not raising taxes on those who make less than $250,000 a year.”[Transcript]
 
Sept. 20, 2009: On ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Obama claims that the Baucus plan’s excise tax on the uninsured would not break his tax pledge, denying that it is in fact a tax, even after Stephanopoulos reads him the dictionary definition: 
 
STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes."
OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check on the definition. I mean what...
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...
OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...
STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a tax increase.
OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.
Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going to have an individual mandate or not, but...
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?
OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion. [Transcript]

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Comments

So raising taxes on tobacco or health care isn't a tax increase. Got it. What exactly is a tax increase then?
>> Dr. Peter Venkman, Ph.D. Monday, September 21, 2009 5:03 PM

Obama is doing what Progressives always do, he is controlling the language to control the debate. If you can't define "tax" then you can't say he is raising taxes. They do this in Colorado to get around the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). TABOR won't allow them to raises "taxes" without voter approval, so they just call everything "Fees." Same thing here. The Cigarette tax wasn't really a tax because you choose to smoke so it's a "fee". The health care tax isn't a tax because Obama said it isn't and whatever he says must be true. And of course if you don't believe him you are either stupid, racist, or both.
>> TCH Monday, September 21, 2009 5:26 PM

It's also a "fee" under Obama's healthcare insurance mandate. If you can afford health insurance but choose not to purchase a plan you are charged a "fee" for failing to to do so.
>> J>Moser Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:06 AM

Exactly. Also, what happens to the people who can't afford health insurance? Who is going to pay for their insurance? The government can only get money by taxing, printing, or borrowing. If the Gov. is going to pay for people's Health Insurance it will have to take it from someone else in some form. Taxing, printing, and borrowing are all forms of taxation because there is no such thing as a free lunch, eventually someone has to pay for it.
>> TCH Tuesday, September 22, 2009 1:02 PM

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