Romney Campaign Press Release - Obama vs. Obama On His Tax Hike Plan

"President Obama can't seem to get his story straight on his top legislative priority — a tax hike on hard-working Americans. Whether it's making false promises that his plan will fix the nation's skyrocketing debt or claiming that tax hikes will somehow fix the economy, President Obama is willing to say anything to distract Americans from his abysmal record of failure on the economy." —Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

President Obama's Evolving Story On His Tax Hike Plan Started By Claiming It Would "Stabilize Our Debt And Deficits":

In September 2011, President Obama Claimed His Tax Hike Plan Could "Raise Enough Money" To Finance His Spending Priorities And "Stabilize Our Debt And Deficits." OBAMA: "What I've said is this is a very simple principle that everybody should understand: Warren Buffett's secretary shouldn't pay a lower [sic] tax rate than Warren Buffett. ... And that basic principle of fairness, if applied to our tax code, could raise enough money that not only do we pay for our jobs bill, but we also stabilize our debt and deficits for the next decade. And as I said when I made the announcement, this is not politics; this is math." (President Barack Obama, Remarks in San Diego, CA, 9/26/11)

But After Being Attacked For Bad Math, The Obama Administration Started Claiming The Tax Hikes Were "Never [Their] Plan To Bring The Deficit Down":

Last Week, White House Economic Advisor Jason Furman Claimed President Obama's Tax Hikes Were "Never Our Plan To Bring The Deficit Down And Get The Debt Under Control." "The Obama administration is emphasizing ‘fairness' over deficit reduction in its renewed pitch for the ‘Buffett rule' ahead of next week's scheduled Senate vote. Introducing a minimum 30 percent income tax on millionaires ‘was never our plan to bring the deficit down and get the debt under control,' Jason Furman, the principal deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters on a conference call Monday afternoon. ‘This is not the president's entire tax plan. We're not trying to say this solves all our economic problems, all our budget problems.'" (Josh Boak, "W.H.: Buffett Rule Not Answer To Debt," Politico, 4/10/12)

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: "No One Ever Suggested That Implementing The Buffett Rule Would Contribute In Large Measure To Reducing The Deficit." CARNEY: "I think the money we're talking about here, $47 billion over 10 years, is nobody's idea of a small amount, A. B, we never suggested -- the President, no one ever suggested that implementing the Buffett Rule would contribute in large measure to reducing the deficit." (White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, Press Gaggle, 4/10/12)

Politico Headline: "Buffett Rule Not Solution To Debt, W.H. Says" (Josh Boak, "Buffett Rule Not Solution To Debt, W.H. Says," Politico, 4/10/12)

And Now That His Spin On Debt And Deficit Didn't Work, President Obama Is Trying To Claim Raising Taxes Will Grow The Economy:

President Obama Now Inexplicably Claims His Tax Hikes Will "Grow The Economy In A 21st Century Environment." "‘This is not an argument about taking from A to give to B. This is not a redistributionist argument that we're making. We're making an argument about how do we grow the economy in a 21st century environment,' Obama said." (Josh Gerstein, "Obama: Buffett Rule Not For Equality," Politico, 4/15/12)

Why Is The Obama White House Still Struggling To Explain Their Tax Hikes? The Plan Has Been Widely Denounced As "Gimmickry" And A "Total Sham":

Politico's Jim VandeHei: "It's Total Gimmickry. It's 1% Of What You Need To Actually Take Care Of The Deficit." VANDEHEI: "It's total gimmickry. It's 1% of what you need to actually take care of the deficit. There's a big danger for President Obama in that they become so insanely political in an insanely political culture. Almost everything they do now is either -- targeted at a very specific subset of voters that they want to win." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 4/12/12)

The Wall Street Journal: "This Year, The Buffett Rule Would Increase Federal Revenues By All Of $1.1 Billion. That's Less Than One-Tenth Of One Percent Of The $1.2 Trillion Budget Deficit..." "Joint Tax dutifully studied the bill and has delivered the official score: This year, the Buffett rule would increase federal revenues by all of $1.1 billion. That's less than one-tenth of one percent of the $1.2 trillion budget deficit Mr. Obama is scheduled to run this year. Through 2022 Joint Tax expects less than $47 billion in total new revenues from the Buffett rule while the government will be adding trillions of dollars to the national debt." (Editorial, "The Bottom 0.1%," The Wall Street Journal, 3/21/12)

Los Angeles Times: "More A Political Statement Than A Deficit-Reduction Tool..." "The proposed Buffett rule is more a political statement than a deficit-reduction tool, given how little money it may raise. In that sense, it's like Obama's oft-repeated call to eliminate tax breaks for corporate jets." (Editorial, "The ‘Buffett Rule,' And More," Los Angeles Times, 9/20/11)

New Hampshire Union Leader: "A Total Sham ... The Buffett Rule Is Not About Math Or Fairness Or Shared Sacrifice." (Editorial, "The Buffett Rule: A Total Sham," New Hampshire Union Leader, 4/12/12)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Buffett Rule Is A Political Gimmick That Won't Work" (Editorial, "Buffett Rule Is A Political Gimmick That Won't Work," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/11/12)