New Romney ad disputes Obama claim on $5 trillion tax cut
ORLANDO, Fla. In an effort to combat the Obama campaign's recent attacks on his tax plan, Mitt Romney's campaign is releasing a new TV advertisement on Sunday that accuses the president of distorting the Republican nominee's economic plan - a charge that the Obama campaign says is wrong.
The ad, "5 Trillion," says Obama is "not telling the truth about Mitt Romney's tax plan" and focuses on fact checks from both the Associated Press and ABC News that dispute the claim.
During the first presidential debate, President Obama referred to Romney's "$5 trillion tax cut" four times.
The number comes from a study by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center that examined Romney's tax proposals - including his plan to reduce federal income tax rates by 20 percent, in addition to eliminating the estate tax and other tax reductions. The center estimated that the lost revenues would total $480 billion by 2015.
The Obama campaign used this number to project the cost over a decade and came up with approximately $5 trillion.
But as PolitiFact and other fact-checking organizations have pointed out, Romney's tax plan also includes offsetting lost revenue by getting rid of deductions and closing loopholes. Romney himself has said that his tax cuts will be revenue-neutral, though he hasn't specified which deductions or loopholes he'll close - one of the central criticisms that Democrats have lodged against him.
Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter said during an interview on CNN that when deductions are included, Romney's tax plan "won't be near $5 trillion." The Romney campaign seized on the remarks and included them in their new ad.
Additionally, Romney's campaign accuses Mr. Obama of planning to raise taxes on the middle class by $4,000 with his own tax plan. This figure comes from a study by the conservative American Enterprise Institute that Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith called "a partisan distortion of a study that has nothing to do with the president's proposals."
Obama campaign spokesman Danny Kanner responded to the new ad by arguing that Romney himself is now being dishonest.
"Whether the Romney campaign likes it or not, independent estimates have confirmed that the specific tax cuts Romney has promised - including a 20 percent tax cut across-the-board - would cost $5 trillion," Kanner said in an e-mail to reporters.
"And independent, nonpartisan analysis also shows that to pay for this plan, he would have to raise taxes on middle class families by cutting popular tax deductions like the mortgage interest deduction. These are the facts of Mitt Romney's plan, and no amount of spin, including mischaracterizing the statements of our campaign staff, can change them."
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Those taught to think critically, look at multiple approaches to problem solving, believe in trying new ideas, etc. can quickly realize the inherent problems with Republican thinking. But many Republicans are simply blind and incapable of doing an in depth analysis of their own feelings. They only want simple black or white kinds of answers because that requires less work and thought. The Mitts of the world offer them the answers they want to hear, not the answers they need to hear.
Because of their blindness and unwillingness to value education and new ideas, and/or make an effort to educate themselves, many Republicans live in blind fear of the rest of the world, and anyone who is different from them and their peers. Why do they want to spend more more more on defense? Fear drives them. Why do they want a theocratic government that is willing to jam religious dogma down the throats of those who do not agree with their viewpoints. Because they live in fear of differences.
So getting back to economics forces, many Republicans have been so dumb down that they are no longer capable of connecting these economic dots that have been expressed so elegantly in this article and many of the comments. They are so desperate to cling on to what little they know that they cannot realize just how badly they are being used by the Republican wealthy oligarchs. So intolerance and resistance to any sort of change is their only illusion of hope and safety left. Romney offers them the wonderland of the past with nothing new in the way of creative thought. He evades discussing his economic plans because he knows his audience is either unwilling or incapable of understanding it and therefore willing to place their blind trust in him. He tells them what they want to hear and says "leave the rest of the details to me, trust me, I am on your side" Democrats know Romney is incapable of justifying his plans, but what is worse, and Democrats should realize, Romney doesn't have to answer for his wacky ideas to his Republican followers. THEY ARE INCAPABLE OR UNWILLING TO CHALLENGE HIM OR THEIR OWN BELIEFS! Again, ALL he has to offer is the illusion that a return to an understandable past is better than a (possibly risky) attempt to create a better tomorrow. This is why Romney is presenting them with false hope, using broken ideas from the past. It is because Republicans cling to their belief that they were better off once, and they can return everything around and return to those times.
The Democrats, and Obama are fighting a losing battle with Romney, on the economic front, because they don't want to recognize the underpinnings that is giving Romney a chance at the white house. Democrats believe that it is possible to educate and change Republican minds, with reason, logic and the hope for a better future. But it is an emotional unthinking mind that wants to return to the past, that they are really up against. THAT is the real core issue that they need to be addressing. This has GOT to be a head on fight between these two core philosophical systems, and the Democrats need to join together and stand up and fight for their own core beliefs HARD! Even if it leads to social unrest and rebellion. We have reached the point where reasoning and expecting rational thinking in return, is no longer a currency in our discussions. Just look at how dysfunctional congress and our government, courts, and democratic institutions are becoming! The Republicans have fired a few volleys across the bow of the Democrat's ship, it is time to return fire!
If the Republicans no longer want to compromise and work towards solutions that we ALL can live with, then it is time to ask them if they really want to engage in all out civil war. Obama needs to get enough backbone in him to make a few of the more recalcitrant Republicans realize he is not going to be bluffing either. I realize that advocating civil unrest is not an easy choice, but I fear we are being backed into a corner and it is reaching the point where it is either that, or we capitulate and live in a repressive theocratic society run by a few wealthy oligarchs. The Mid East has already shown what that means, so has past feudalistic societies....
Ryan in fact favors the philosophy of atheist Ayn Rand over the teachings of Jesus.
I trust nothing with a (R)=Republican associated with it. Their record proves they will lie without apology and cannot be trusted to work to benefit ordinary Americans. Republicans have shown a vote for republicans and Romney/Ryan is a vote for corporations, big oil, big pharma and the super rich and against yourself if you are not in the one percent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2GQMiOEng8&feature=youtu.be
"He'll Say Whatever You Want Him to Say. . .
. . . Just for the Chance to Live in That White House!"