Liberal Group Ad Recalls When Obama Said Bush Tax Cuts Offended His Conscience

WASHINGTON -- Even as it gets members of its party in line on the Hill, the Obama White House continues to take veritable punches from some of its most vocal critics over the tax cut deal it cut with Republicans.

On Thursday, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee -- perhaps the biggest irritant this administration has -- put out the second straight ad accusing the president of capitulating on tax cuts for the wealthy.

Like the last one, the spot uses Obama's own campaign rhetoric (lofty even by 2008 standards) against him, with footage of the then-candidate proclaiming that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy -- as part of a larger economic philosophy -- "offend[ed]" his "conscience."

Curiously, PCCC is airing the ad in Indiana -- a setting that would, seemingly, have fewer receptive eyes than a more traditional Democratic state. But the strategic reasoning is simpler than reaching a like-minded audience. Indiana is the spot where Obama gave the campaign address that PCCC uses. It also houses a few Democratic House members whose votes the organization is targeting.

The spot will run both in that state (the Indianapolis and Evansville markets) and D.C. (MSNBC and CNN) starting this Friday and through early next week, a PCCC official tells the Huffington Post.

WATCH:

Comments

[truthseeker1008]

03:33 PM on 12/11/2010

This ad does not show Obama making a promise of any kind regarding tax cuts. He says essentially what he still says today: tax cuts for the rich in a struggling economy is offensive.

Finding something offensive yet having to deal with its reality is not breaking a promise as suggested here. I have to deal with a LOT of things that I find personally offensive.

[PhineasGage730]

06:30 PM on 12/12/2010

Wow, keep drinking the cool-aid!

[Artos]

11:04 AM on 12/10/2010

If a Man can't be held to his words then what Honor does he have? None.

[PhineasGage730]

06:31 PM on 12/12/2010

Lets not pretend he isn't a politician... Can any of them be held to their word?

I'm pissed Obama did this, but I always knew he was another politician.

[sueinmn]

09:18 AM on 12/10/2010

Obama believes we will all forget come 2012 and he will glide through the next election cycle with out a hitch.

Obama has been wrong about most everything.

[The One True Dave]

03:54 AM on 12/10/2010

This was just the character he played in "The Road to the White House." Unfortunately, though, the sponsors didn't like this character so he was rewritten to be more "advertiser friendly" for the sequel.

[TrendRiding]

03:04 AM on 12/10/2010

Let's Start a new Political party called the Middle Class party...

[The One True Dave]

05:03 AM on 12/10/2010

The Working Families Party is now active in six states. You could look into starting a chapter in your own state if there isn't one there already. http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/issues/

[conservicide]

09:35 AM on 12/10/2010

Too passive. We need the "Go after the bast.erds with a pipe" party

[Madbunny]

01:20 AM on 12/10/2010

I was replying to another comment and was reminded of something...
You know what this spot reminded me of?

It reminded me of a Meg Whitman ad by Jerry Brown. It was her, saying how awesome California was 30 years ago, no debt, low taxes, and business was flooding into the state. She said, it's the reason she came to CA in the first place.

At the end of the ad, it asked, know who was Governor of CA 30 years ago? Jerry Brown.

Her opponent.

In other words she had just endorsed her opponent in the most powerful way possible.

[theprogressiveanalyst]

12:54 AM on 12/10/2010

Given the environment and the political realities, a case can be made that the President's deal was the best that we could get. The problem is that we will never know because he seems incapable of fighting for what he supposedly believes in. I am reminded of Teddy Roosevelt's dismissal of Taft after Taft caved in to the party leaders and business--"He (Taft) has as much backbone as a chocolate eclair." That is Obama in a nutshell. I think what really turns me off though, is how he then lectures and hectors the people who are his supporters after bending over for his worst enemies. If he shows such disdain for the party regulars, then why on earth should we lift a finger for him? I have spent a lot of time on various websites defending this guy from both left and right when I thought it was accurate and proper. I worked for him in 2008 and for OFA in 2010. He may get my vote if the alternative is worse, but I don't think I will lift a finger for him again.

[cornel]

12:44 AM on 12/10/2010

Kokopelli has been so deviant, he needs to be reminded of the promises he made. He might have forgotten them, we did not ! Go PCCC.

[allengoldchain]

11:58 PM on 12/09/2010

Look liberals and progressives.... the fact of the matter is that Obama will do whatever it takes to help Obama. If that includes going against the left..he will do so. On the other hand Obama has a reason for doing what he is doing. keeping support of the left is important for Obama but less than getting the independent voters back.

[frankierayo]

01:25 AM on 12/10/2010

Strength of character is what the independents along with others on both sides of the fence are looking for. He has shown absolutely no strength of character on any of the major issues these last two years, other than campaign rhetoric! He will not get the independents or progressives. His only hope is Sarah Palin, but he's so disappointed a huge percentage of his supporters, she probably won't even help.

[Artos]

11:08 AM on 12/10/2010

I am  an independent, and believe me, what he's doing won't win me back. I washed my hands of him when he caved on the Health Bill.

[Lefty83]

11:38 PM on 12/09/2010

Fake liberals!

[cornel]

12:45 AM on 12/10/2010

Obama is not a liberal, he's a blue dog ! You should say fake repub.

[ZappaRules]

11:20 PM on 12/09/2010

Put your money where your mouth is people.
Money is the only thing our leaders really understand / respond to.

[StephenHNIC]

11:05 PM on 12/09/2010

It's smart to air it in Indiana. Air time is cheap. Plus it will get shown on CNN and eventually other places, for free. And it will get news in nearby Illinois. So there's a bang-for-the-buck factor.

I think the right will run a lot of ads in the 2012 campaign comparing Candidate Obama with President Obama. He has a lot of footage that irritates them. Their obsession with his use of a teleprompter (as though other politicians just wing it) shows how envious they are of his ability to give speeches and inspire crowds, so they will try to use those lofty speeches against him as viciously as they can.

[graymatters]

12:51 AM on 12/10/2010

The fact he has to use a teleprompter to talk with 6th graders is embarrassing and sad. So the fact he can read makes him a good speaker?

[StephenHNIC]

04:40 AM on 12/10/2010

The first one isn't a fact, it's just something you made up. Obama can talk with children without a teleprompter.

Palin can't even tell children what the VP does and get it correct. For that matter, she can't even have a press conference. She's still never had a press conference where she takes questions, not once, since becoming McCain's VP.

The second one is a necessary but not sufficient condition of being able to give a good speech. Is failure to read well the reason why so few conservatives are able to give a good speech? And of course you've got the Twitter Quitter writing notes to herself on her hand.

[guyfrombrooklyn]

10:11 PM on 12/09/2010

I wonder why no one, not MsNB.c, Fix, Cn.N or any 24 hr news entity EVER puts on the ACTUAL people who ARE unemployed, and making whatever they make as income.

Why not ask them what they do with the insurance? Or how they feel knowing that Progressives and Conservatives argue whether rich folk get tax breaks?

Oh yeah, they haven't come around to asking the people who had NO health insurance if they care about the plan being weak.

[Genders]

09:17 PM on 12/09/2010

As they should. Obama is a DLC Clinton trickle down conservative, he's no progressive.

[G52]

09:38 PM on 12/09/2010

He is not even close.

He is right of center!

[ManiDeli]

10:40 PM on 12/09/2010

He's a Republican.

[Americanium]

08:59 PM on 12/09/2010

I hope the wealthy use every penny of that tax cut and donate it to his opponent in the next election.

[Artos]

11:11 AM on 12/10/2010

Too late, that is already what the have the money earmarked for.