Soledad O'Brien Called 'Factually Wrong' By Sen. Pat Toomey (VIDEO)

"Early Start" host Soledad O'Brien clashed with Sen. Pat Toomey during the CNN morning show on Tuesday.

Toomey, who serves on the Joint Economic and Budget Committee, appeared on the program to discuss President Barack Obama's 2013 budget proposal. After Toomey criticized the President's proposal, O'Brien asked to discuss Toomey's deficit plan. "Early Start" producers put up a graphic that highlighted key points from the Senator's proposal based on an analysis from the non-partisan research and policy institute, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

O'Brien first stated that Toomey proposed tax cuts for the wealthy. "For people who are making under $200,000, taxes would rise," O'Brien said, speaking of the Senator's deficit plan. "You would limit the child credit," O'Brien continued. "Ok, wait a minute. I have to stop you because that's factually ridiculous," Toomey said, interrupting O'Brien.

"Really? Ok," O'Brien said. "Yeah, factually wrong and ridiculous and not close," Toomey pressed. O'Brien asked him to discuss which part was incorrect. "Raising taxes on people whose income is lower than $200,000," he said. Toomey stressed that he proposed making the current tax rates permanent. "What I would like to do is...simplify the tax code...broaden the base on which we apply taxes, but do it lower rates for everybody."

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "taxpayers who make under $200,000 would see their tax bills rise, on average, compared to current policies." The analysis was published in November 2011.

WATCH:

Comments

[rakrobn]

11:46 PM on 02/19/2012

Broaden the tax base = Let the "small" people pay more in taxes.

[MrRE]

04:33 PM on 02/16/2012

Soledad is such a dolt.

[htowncarrie]

06:10 PM on 02/16/2012

I think you meant Toomey, because that is his nickname here in PA.

[l78lancer]

02:57 PM on 02/16/2012

As Soledad matures she is developing deep courage and substance. I didn't care for her much earlier in her career, but I admire her at this stage.

[l78lancer]

02:54 PM on 02/16/2012

Toomey is pulling the typical republican move - trying to revise history. His plan does raise taxes on wage earners at the lower end of the scale, and that was one of the major points of contention back when it was released, and part of why it was rejected by the democrats.

His proposal was an embarrassment because it was worse that the Ryan plan, and the failure of the Super Committee was largely a failure of the Toomey proposal.

[Anthrofreak]

02:41 PM on 02/16/2012

Love Soledad more with every story. She will be speaking at the University of Texas @ Arlington on the 24th, the topic is diversity. I will definitely be attending.

[scanster]

02:30 PM on 02/16/2012

He still did not address how the lower tax rate will bring more money and did not address limiting child credit.

[lensamy]

01:21 PM on 02/16/2012

Im starting to like Soledad, is good to know that good journalism is not dead after all.

[mdbmama]

01:31 PM on 02/16/2012

I know. She must have been let off the leash she's been on. It's getting pretty enjoyable to watch her go!

[MMiddleDavid]

12:23 PM on 02/16/2012

"I'm sorry, Senator, your appointment with Fox News isn't for 30 more minutes. On this station, the facts ARE the facts, no matter how loud you yell. Now, back to the question...."

[atlblackops]

12:08 PM on 02/16/2012

I love it when Republicans try and use math. Funny how they can denounce science, yet not math.

[Gumby]

01:51 PM on 02/16/2012

give em time

[atlblackops]

11:59 AM on 02/16/2012

So he wants to "broaden the tax base". In other words, imposed tax burdens on the poorest of AMericans.

Why would this not be considered a form of "class warfare"?

[Ashanti]

12:25 PM on 02/16/2012

The Republicans' inclination to impose the tax burden on poor and middle class Americans has been the core of their agenda since Ronald Reagan's trickle down assault on our economy.

Over the last 30 years, Republicans have done more than any other governing entity to divide the classes, making the rich richer, the poor poorer, and obliterating the middle class entirely, who've now become the working poor.

In other words, Republicans have quite consciously widened the gap between the classes, creating the warfare that they accuse the Democrats of whenever the Democrats have attempted to address these inequities!

[frederick10]

11:03 AM on 02/16/2012

If the people in Pa were a little bit smart they would have elected Sestack not this far right tax nut.

[mamageeta2]

12:45 PM on 02/16/2012

HEY... easy fella, he didn't win by a landslide, there are some of us Pennsylvanians who actually read and COMPREHEND issues... we voted for Bob Casey (who got in) and Joe Sestack (who didn't). We also voted for democrat Dan Onorato for governor instead of Tom Corbett.. and we NEVER voted for Rick Santorum. Unfortunately the hicks in my state don't read and vote on name recognition only... much like a lot of the country.

[Gumby]

01:52 PM on 02/16/2012

Still...you folks have got to try and get it right more often.

[citizen of the universe]

02:42 PM on 02/16/2012

Honestly, I was shocked that Pat Toomey won. He and his Club for Growth outfit has been running for years and nothing. Then 2010 America voted angry and let the whack jobs in. I'm afraid this is one vote PA won't be able to rid itself for a while.

[comhunt]

04:47 AM on 02/16/2012

Soledad O'Brien is a LIB CREEP.

[cplKlyde]

04:56 AM on 02/16/2012

Yea libs and their facts what creeps.

[Celebrindan]

06:58 AM on 02/16/2012

Political affiliations can change.
Stupidity is forever.

[batulia73]

05:13 AM on 02/16/2012

This story has nothing to do with MSNBC, try again. Soledad O'Brien works for CNN.

[Robert Kilbourne]

10:07 AM on 02/16/2012

Okay. Different network same story and remarks made. Does that please you now?

[hhl482]

12:15 PM on 02/16/2012

This guy is taking the position that the GOP doesn't want to shift the tax burden to the middle class and poor - is it any surprise that he missed something from the 2nd frakkin' sentence of the article?
The great thing is that this country actually isn't in a mess - just a minor steeped beverage related setback, WHICH WE WILL BE CLEARING UP NEXT FALL.
You can't read news articles, oldpreacher'man', can you read the writing on the wall?

[Celebrindan]

07:00 AM on 02/16/2012

D'oh!

[Ramon Noches]

01:43 AM on 02/16/2012

Why would Pat Toomey want to shoot the messenger, his first person response accusing Solidad O’Brien of being factually wrong, seemed amiss? He should have accused the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) for producing factually wrong information. As a neutral agency, the CBPP specializes in sifting through huge mounds of information to reach factual conclusions. I wonder where Pat Toomey gathered and synthesized his “facts” which allowed his indirect accusation that cited the CBPP for producing wrong information. It is so easy for folks in Washington to make unfounded declarations and Pat’s argument seems a great example of that.

[handsomeinnc]

01:07 AM on 02/16/2012

According to the Republican play book:
Taxing the rich = Demonizing success
Taxing the poor = Reducing the trillions dollar deficit

[jrwest78]

07:07 AM on 02/16/2012

if the Republican tax 'blueprint' is such a failure, why has it been extended twice already...?

[Reyeshawk13]

10:33 AM on 02/16/2012

Because the Dems can't get rid of it alone. The Republicans have, twice, shown their willingness to shut down the entire gov't rather then eliminate a plan which is bankrupting the country. The Dems haven't, so far, been willing to say, go ahead, see who wins in the next election and have caved. 30 years of failed fiscal policies have gotten us here and the Republican solution is more of the same.

[Ashanti]

12:08 PM on 02/16/2012

The Republican Congress.