McCain, Obama Tax War Sparked With New Ads (VIDEO)

SEE UPDATE BELOW FOR NEW McCAIN RESPONSE

Early on Wednesday morning, both Barack Obama and John McCain released ads focused on taxes. If the tone of both spots proved predictable, the amount of money being pushed into each campaign's ad was not. Though McCain has outspent Obama on paid media in battleground states so far this month, Obama's new television ad will start getting pumped into several key states today -- specifically, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Virginia.

By contrast, McCain's new piece is a radio ad, and his campaign has declined to reveal exactly how hard or in what parts of the country it will be pushed.

Entitled "Three Times," Obama's ad promises middle-class tax relief, contrasting the Illinois Senator's plan with McCain's tax breaks for large corporations.

Meanwhile, McCain's radio ad dings Obama for proposing more spending programs that "will lead to even higher budget deficits" and pile "more debt on the backs of your children and grandchildren."

Of course, the same Tax Policy Center that McCain's campaign used in a "fact sheet" accompanying the new radio ad has said McCain's budget would enlarge the deficit, as well. "Both John McCain and Barack Obama have proposed tax plans that would substantially increase the national debt over the next ten years," the group wrote in its most recent report.

But for progressive writers like Paul Krugman who have despaired at the Obama campaign's "lethargic" economic messaging, the fact that Obama is counter-punching on taxes with an expensive media buy should prove a welcome development.

UPDATE: The McCain campaign has responded to Obama's ad by disputing the implication that tax breaks for companies hurt the economy.

"America's business taxes are the second highest in the world, and that is driving American jobs overseas," wrote McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds in an email to reporters. "So while American families are hurting and jobs are becoming scarce, Barack Obama is pushing for billions in higher taxes -- it's a recipe for economic disaster."

But, interestingly, the lengthy "fact sheet" sent out with Bounds's response does not offer any push-back against the idea that Obama's tax plan would provide three times as much relief to middle-class families compared to McCain.

Comments

[cnobody]

the next ad i want to see is a montage of mccain's ridiculous grin and blink thing he does whenever he thinks he's made a good point. i want 30 seconds of that, over and over and over again with the word "smug" at the bottom.

[LynnDee]

Would somebody please explain what driving American jobs over seas means? My little pea brain keeps going to, driving American jobs out of this country to over seas. Which means to me someone in India is getting paid while another family here goes without!

[Brettster]

That's EXACTLY the kind of ad needed to run all around the country. PERFECT! Very refreshing to see a Democrat actually advance facts as effectively as republicans advance fear and smear.

[neverfm]

Let's help defeat McCain by writing letters to the editor and word of mouth. These blogs are fun and often informative, but might not reach some voters. The debates have not started yet; Obama will probably have McCain forgetting his own name before they are over! Then again, McCain will probably be given a list of the questions since they will be asked by 3 old white guys. Keep truckin' for Obama!

[Triciann]

McCain never says what he plans with the exceptions of drillling anywhere and everywhere for oil and fighting lots of wars.

[HC4BO]

New Pro-Obama book coming out soon ...

Digg It :

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Obama_s_Challenge_by_Robert_Kuttner_Chelsea_Green

Pre-order at Amazon at Reduced Price ...

[rwe]

13-4 rule ... the truth inCorsis book by being negative will sell and be read 13 to 4 over the fiction positive book

[Triciann]

You would insist black was white.

[Daly]

.... will sell; I agree be reay; ya gotta be kidding these people do NOT read

[jones]

If McCain wins on negative campaigning then I fear for this country. We lost a gift from God for a bullshit artist from the vietnam era.

[dawn2dusk]

"We lost a gift from God..."

Hey I like O too, but that's a bit heavy.

To the cynic and optimist alike, I assure you, Obama is no messiah. He will disappoint the cynic as expected and fall short of the optimist's desire for ideaological purity. Again, he is most assuredly human.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Is it time to start panicking yet?

Most recent poll in Indiana shows it swinging from Obama to McCain.

Obama and McCain now TIED (give or take a hair) in state-by-state polling from an Electoral College perspective.

Ack.

[EvoMan]

It's AUGUST. The conventions haven't even happened yet. Get a grip.

[research]

The Polls a lies paid for by the MSM to make stealing the election believable.

[harriscrl3]

Obama need to stop listening to backseat drivers. But I'm gonna break my rule and be one anyway. I think he needs to get back to what he did best in the primary inspire the nation. What did Hilary say ENOUGH with the BIG RALLIES? Well I'm saying ENOUGH with the townhalls Get back to the BIG RALLIES inspire us again.

Carol

[Janel]

I like Obama's ad. There should be more of them and some even stronger than this one.

I couldn't help but chuckle when I read on a CNN post that McCain claims that "Obama is getting testy."

Imagine if Obama's campaign were as personally negative against McCain as Mcain's is against Obama. McCain would not be simply "testy." He would be exploding with rage. His hot temper would get the best of him. Now that would be interesting to watch!

[TN]

They need to do one showing McCain born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and bush with a silver spoon also, and then tell people that if you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you really have no clue or concern for the middle class. How could you, you know nothing about it. If you didn't grow up middle class you have no idea what it is Spice it up with pictures of John's 7 homes, Cindy's 100 million fortune and call mccain the true elitist

What about McCain quiting the military after his father died. He only joined cause he was expected to, he didn't want to.

[AtticusinPa]

Naw, for middle class impact, I'd just ask voters how often they run up $500,000 credit card bills in one month, and then pay it off at the end. Just like that. Half a million. From the checking account. No problem.

Hit it again and again. This guy has no clue how we live.

[AshevilleVoice]

Glad to see an Obama ad going after Mc C on economics. It's not hitting hard enough though, IMO. The soothing music doesn't match the angst and frustration that middle class people feel as we watch our savings and security dwindle away. I'd like to see something that says 'I know you're being robbed blind by our gov't and I'm going to make it stop." I'd like to see McC's lobby money and banking ties exposed.

[MourningDude]

For how many years now have libs complained about GWB cutting taxes during a time of war? And now BHO is talking about middle class tax cuts???

In 1992 WJC ran on tax hikes being used to pay down the budget deficits. Now that we're having even LARGER budget deficits, BHO is talking about tax cuts. -boggle-

He has lurched so far to the right, I'm not sure which candidate is which anymore.

As a fiscal conservative, I think both candidates are nuts to think about cutting taxes more now. We can't afford it. It's time to tighten our belts, raise taxes across the board, eliminate budget deficits, and start paying down a modicum of the enormous debt we owe.

That would revive the dollar, lower gas prices, and help fight inflation in all areas. And it's the moral thing to do for our kids and grandkids.

Dems have plenty of good ideas. Unfortunately, BHO eschews almost all of them in favor of pandering with his constant lurches to the right.

[research]

Republicans are the borrow and steal for your cronies, bankrupting the USA till "you can drowned it in a bathtub" party.

Democrats are the party of pay as you go and fiscal responsibility.

[UnbiasView]

Open your eyes, they are all gangsters cut from the same cloth.

Have you heard either of them talk about reducing spending? Nope. I guess they can't run a federal government for less than $2,568 billion . . . not included state revenue.

[MourningDude]

Pay-go is the status quo. The status quo simply isn't good enough anymore. The status quo is three and four hundred billion dollar deficits every year.

If we allow politicians to zero out those deficits on their balance sheet by saying Pay-go is the gold standard, we're continue sinking into debt until there's nothing left.

[Triciann]

As the economy improves there will be money to address the deficit. You can't increase taxes for those who are virtually homeless, have no healthcare and barely enough money for food. Lots of folk like that in the USA today.

[research]

Tax the Rich. plenty of money.

[ibsteve2u]

[bq]
Meanwhile, McCain's radio ad dings Obama for proposing more spending programs that "will lead to even higher budget deficits" and pile "more debt on the backs of your children and grandchild­ren."
[eq]

Evidently, McCain is banking on such ads causing the American people to overlook the distinct possibility that more years of Republicans in power will lead to there not being any children or grandchildren around to pay the existing Republican debt off.

They'll all be dead from starvation, war, or from poisoning due to Republican manipulation of our tax, trade, and economic policies and/or international relations, and/or the EPA, FDA, and other regulatory agencies.