McCain Adviser Fiorina: McCain Could Raise Taxes On Wealthy

At the end of an article on John McCain's flimsy economic know-how, Bloomberg includes an interesting admission from adviser Carly FIorina:

"In an interview, Carly Fiorina, a top adviser, explains that any tax increases on 'middle- and working-class' Americans are off limits. She says if a bipartisan coalition is 'creative enough' to fashion tax increases on wealthier Americans, that may prove palatable.

That's encouraging, until you consider that McCain doesn't always listen to his economic advisers. A few months ago, his top advisers counseled him that any reduction in the gasoline tax was bad energy and economic policy. A short while later, he advocated suspending the 18-cent-a-gallon tax for the summer."

Fiorina has also undercut her own statements on behalf of the candidate, saying that "most Americans are not really focused on what a bunch of surrogates are saying."

Comments

[impatient]

SO here's what I don't get. First they call her a surrogate (and that's a new term. What the hell is a surrogate anyway? Is she supposed to be ersatz McCain?) and now she's an adviser.

Does SHE get to call herself that? Was there ever any campaign announcement that said "Carly Fiorina is joining my team?"

Finally given that she just tumbles from one idiotic comment to the next, why hasn 't she been shut down? Why is she still allowed to yap, yap, yap? IS she yapping because she is NOT part of the campaign and therefore they have no power over her?

This is all just too weird. If McCain can't get Carly Fiorina to shut up, how is he thinking this instills any confidence in his executive abilities whatsoever?

[123andy]

Aside of the joy of flipping it as usual and complaining for the fun of it, what exactly is wrong with the idea of McCain taxing the "rich", whatever that means. Why trash Carly when she says something that just may make sense? Obama is going to tax the rich and perhaps the not so rish as well, so searching for a bipartisan approach that targets the real rich and have them pay a significantly higher tax would be good for everyone. The problem is that unless you figure out how to wipe out any of the loopholes and deferments they enjoy this will not generate enough money to cover what we need. It would be useful if some impartial group would first lay out what revenues would have to be generated to meet the income needs based on both campaigns potential programs. Also need to define what deficit we are willing to accept and for how long. Second would be a real analysis of how the various proposed taxing approaches would generate cash, including some consideration of dynamics. I suspect that to pay for all that is promised we need to tax everyone making over 100K$ to some degree, and assuming that the economy would grow at various rates one could consider what level of taxes would work. Without some analysis of that sort both campaign are just not credible in what they are saying.

[JadedAggie]

She is being trashed because she is lying. Just like she lied about his position on Roe v. Wade and on insurance companies covering birth control.

[Truthfighter1]

wasn't she the head of HP when they were on the verge of collapsing???
She probably got a nice deal after they canned her ass.

This woman is another hack, she goes on cable news and other news affiliates lying about Obama's positions. I want you guys to notice when watching McCain surrogates on the news when they are asked a specific question about McCain they never give a straight answer and quickly go on attack about Obama's positions to the same question, they offer some flimsy answer about McCains position, they seem to know more about Obama's positons than that of their candidates.

[trollsbwild]

A BS comment from this woman is ever there was one.
The issue is how can taxes not go up considering the need to cover debt service, fund the war and maintain infastructure? Can''t be done with revenues at present levels, no matter what any politician tells you.

[BBackSoon]

“McSame may raise taxes on rich.” Might as well say McSame will raise taxes on rich when monkeys fly out of his ass.” That means it will never happen.

[keepemhonest]

McCain did NOT fire Phil Gramm???

McCain did NOT fire Karl Rove's friend Steve Schmidt?

Karl Rove & Steve Schmidt have been trying to get those folks on that list fired ever since they got on board. McCain is just Rove's puppet right now, just like George Bush was/is Rove's puppet.

IF: McCain was being honest, and he's not,
THEN: 1. He would have fired Phil Gramm & Steve Schmidt. 2) He would not have those fired send out a LIE to the media saying they are leaving to “to spend more time with their families.”

[keepemhonest]

Carly likes Obama's plan better!!!!

McCain says he is NOT for raising taxes on the ultra wealthy - Carly just said it was a good idea.

Is McCain about to FLIP/FLOP on his OWN tax plan - and make it exactly like Obama's?

[huffyISaHottie]

as Phil Graham would say..."its all in her head"

[huffyISaHottie]

this lady is full of it...what an opportunist

[lippp]

Carly explempifies GREED and captialism unchecked. How this piggish women can look anyone in the middle class and explain how she worth is all those millions is beyond me. Yet I bet she has some explanation that makes sense to all those multi- millionaires she hop nobs with. And she failed!!! That's right. This poor excuse for a McCain spokesperson did not last one year. She was fired but given millions and millions to soothe her bruised incompentency. And has anyone noticed the media ignores this every time this sickening person is displayed on TV? Not one word about her greed and what it represents especially on the part of the Republican Party.

[DGregory]

whoa whoa whoa... i thought the republican m.o was tax and spend democrats

obama said tax cuts for the middle and raise in taxes on the rich... mccain surrogate says the same... wtf?

[VOTER]

Fingers are crossed hoping McMyth picks her as his VP.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Love,

HP Employees

[huffyISaHottie]

did'nt HP escort her out of the building?

[idabamaho]

Well, yes, after she ran the company into the ground, then broke it in two pieces, then masterminded the now infamous Compaq merger, I mean debacle, then oh well it wasn't pretty on all fronts.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/09/scitech/pcanswer/main672809.shtml

http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/09/technology/hp_fiorina/

[loax]

McBush raising taxes on the Wealthy? What a damn joke that is. He already wants to keep bushes tax cuts that made the rich richer! They really think we are idiots!

[neesy08]

She's a surrogate. Who listens to surrogates, right?

[Zhonni]

Is this FLIP-FLOP #36 or #40 from McCain and his camp?

The TEMERITY of McCain and his camp to call Obama a flip-whateverer cease not to amaze me.

We all know who BLOWS WITH the WIND and it is NOT Obama BUT McCain.

[keepemhonest]

Zhonni - It is Flip/Flop #62.

Read these:
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/16124.html#more-16124
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-benen/jukebox-john-keeps-changi_b_112148.html

[Zhonni]

Thanks!!!