FactCheck.org discusses John McCain’s plan to balance the federal budget while extending the Bush tax cuts.
McCain’s big promise is that he can balance the budget while extending Bush’s tax cuts and adding a few of his own. He likes to leave the impression that this can be done painlessly, for example, by eliminating “wasteful” spending in the form of “earmarks” that lawmakers like to tuck into spending bills to finance home-state projects. We found that not only is this theory full of holes, it’s not even McCain’s actual plan. In this story we examine the spending-cut side of McCain’s budget program. In Part II, we’ll look at what McCain has said about taxes.
Follow this link for the full article.
McCain has said he can save $100 billion by cutting earmarks. But experts say earmarks don’t cost that much, meaning McCain will have make cuts in discretionary spending. What will he cut? No one knows, except it won’t be defense spending, which might increase under McCain. If it does increase, even more cuts will be required to make up for it. What programs will suffer?
All that’s left for John McCain to become the Republican nominee for President is the formality of the Republican convention. It’s time for McCain to provide a clear, detailed explanation of how he plans to balance the federal budget while preserving the Bush tax cuts. It’s also time for voters to hold him accountable. If McCain can’t explain himself on something as important as the federal budget, he doesn’t deserve your vote.
14 May 2008 at 10:12 am |
If I’m not mistaken didn’t John McCain vote AGAINST the President’s tax cuts? This election will come down to the lesser of 2 evils. Who will raise spending less? Who will grow the Federeal Gov’t less? Who is less likely to allow Iran and North Korea to aqcuire nukes? Who will raise taxes less? All the candidates are virtually indistinguishable on the issue of illegal immigration. What we have is a race containing 2 liberal deocrats and 1 moderate democrat.
Don’t blame me. I’m writing in Pat Buchanon.