There was a McCain conference call earlier today about, topically enough, the economy. Responding to previously raised questions on how it is that the campaign can continue to claim that Obama will raise taxes, despite Obama’s vow that he would not, Doug Holtz-Eakin explained:
“They have said so many things throughout the campaign. It is clear that Barack Obama on taxes will say anything that is politically expedient including I will cut taxes for 95% of Americans. The fact is he has promised so much spending it would be impossible for those tax cuts to take place. He has proposed over $800 billion worth of increases in spending and that excludes a recent independent estimate of his healthcare plan which would cost over $240 billion a year alone. It is an inconceivable matter of arithmetic in modern financial markets that he could cut taxes and follow through on the spending promises he made. So there is no credibility in this package.
Shorter DH-E: “We know he’s said he will cut taxes, but since we have a rigid belief in a stereotype that he sort of fits [that of the liberal tax-raising Dem], we think you shouldn’t believe him.” Kind of like how some people think there’s no possible way that a staunch Republican like McCain could possibly actually care about the environment. Also, glad they have so much confidence in the “arithmetic of modern financial markets”!