President Bush hit the airwaves Tuesday with a new TV ad in 18 states that are expected to be close in November's election, this time decrying Democratic challenger John Kerry's position on gasoline taxes. Kerry calls the recent spike in gasoline prices the fault of failed Bush administration policies. Bush's ad was unveiled the same day that Kerry introduced his own gas price-reduction plan.THE AD: Titled "Wacky" and shot in black-and-white with the look of an old-time movie, the ad accuses Kerry of having "wacky ideas" such as wanting to "tax gasoline more so people drive less." The ad says Kerry "supported a 50-cent-a-gallon gas tax. If Kerry's tax increase were law, the average family would pay $657 more a year." The ad also says Kerry supported higher gasoline taxes 11 times.
THE FACTS: Kerry briefly voiced support in 1994 for a 50-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax as a deficit-reduction measure, but calling it "Kerry's tax increase" is wrong; it was another senator's bill, Kerry didn't co-sponsor it and it never came to a vote.
Many of the votes that the Bush ad cites have to do with votes on President Clinton's deficit-reduction plan, which increased the gas tax by 4.3 cents a gallon; later votes the ad cites kept the tax at that level. Democrats credit Clinton's plan with balancing the federal budget and setting the stage for the economic growth of the 1990s.
The federal gasoline tax - which pays for national highways - hasn't been raised from its 1993 level of 18.4 cents a gallon. (via the San Jose Mercury News)
Now let's take a look at the text of the ad:
President: "I'm George W. Bush and I approve this message."Translation: Karl says this’ll work.
Narrator: "Some people have wacky ideas. Like taxing gasoline more so people drive less. That's John Kerry."
Translation: Public transit is for losers. Your SUVs are safe with us.
Narrator: "He supported a 50-cent-a-gallon gas tax. If Kerry's tax increase were law, the average family would pay $657 more a year."
Translation: This is bullshit, but you’ll probably never know.
Graphic: Kerry's Plan: Pay $657 More a Year For Gas.
Translation: Believe everything you read!
Narrator: "Raising taxes is a habit of Kerry's. He supported higher gasoline taxes 11 times."
Translation: Kerry will raise taxes for us rich types, so we need to convince everyone else he’ll raise their taxes, too.
Graphic: John Kerry. Supported Higher Gas Taxes 11 Times.
Translation: Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes, you are getting very sleepy, Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes, you will vote for George Bush, Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes, now cluck like a chicken, Kerry, taxes, never mind, we’re just messing with you, Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes, Kerry, taxes...
Narrator: "Maybe John Kerry just doesn't understand what his ideas mean to the rest of us."
Translation: Maybe we’re hopelessly passive-aggressive.
Graphic: John Kerry. Wrong on Taxes.
Translation: Because we said so.
Even if Kerry did propose a gas tax increase to curtail fuel consumption, it wouldn't increase your tax burden if it worked. You would drive less, buy less gas, pay the same or less tax than before. It's a freaking shell game with Bush. I've got a piece posted today about why we should use less oil, regardless of whether we use a heavy tax to implement the reduction or not. http://smileatme.blogspot.com
Posted by: Dave on March 31, 2004 10:15 AMWell, we all know that Bush has no record to run on, so he has to relentlessly attack Kerry. Kerry has his own series of ads on his website, but i've yet to see his ads on tv. Luckily, PAC's are starting to put anti Bush ads on tv.
Posted by: Zog on March 31, 2004 01:59 PMTranslation = Your opinion
Posted by: Demi on April 2, 2004 02:43 AMThat's right, trust the translator... decide nothing for yourself
Posted by: Dave on April 2, 2004 02:51 AMThe best way you can determine if you are about to be lied to is if the statement is preceded by:
"This is George Bush, and I approve of this ad..."
I'm compiling and debunking the lies Bush and his surrogates tell in their campaign ads and on their websites. I'm stuck in a 'debunking Kerry flip-flops' cycle right now, but there is some other stuff there, and I expect to be back to 100% standard debunking sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Please check out Bush Campaign Lies, and be sure to tell al your friends!
Posted by: Diogenes Cynic on April 12, 2004 02:14 PM911 Commission OR G. W. Bush
Should we take the word of our governments
911 Commission
OR
Accept the works of a mad man.
