Ad Roundup: McCain and Obama Zero In on Taxes

Barack Obama's and John McCain's campaigns released several ads this week focusing on taxes. McCain's ads claim Obama's tax plan will hurt families, while Obama says McCain won't help middle-class Americans. And a pro-Obama PAC released an ad geared toward Hispanic voters.

John McCain: "Maybe"
The McCain campaign released this television ad in response to Obama's attacks on McCain in Ohio, which the Republicans call "false" and "misleading." Obama's ad says that McCain is to blame for the loss of 8,000 jobs in Ohio, but McCain's campaign points to FactCheck.org, which said the figure cited in the ad was a "distortion of the record." In "Maybe," the ad argues that "Obama's taxes will hurt Ohio families" and spell "economic disaster" for everyone. In response to the ad, Obama Ohio Communications Director Isaac Baker released this statement: "John McCain would rather distort Sen. Obama's record than own up to his role in the deal that has put 8,200 Ohio jobs in jeopardy."

Democratic National Committee: "Five Million" (Web-Only)
This ad, released by the Democratic National Committee, draws on McCain's comment during the Saddleback Presidential Forum that he defines "rich" as people whose income is $5 million per year. In an attempt to show that McCain is out of touch with middle- and working-class Americans, the DNC uses his Saddleback statement and says his tax plan "would hand hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax giveaways to millionaires." The ad also focuses on reports that McCain is still considering former Sen. Phil Gramm as a potential treasury secretary. The McCain campaign caught flak for Gramm's comment last month that Americans are "a nation of whiners" when it comes to the economy.

John McCain: "Taxman"
"Taxman" drives home the same point as "Maybe," asserting that Barack Obama's plan will lead to "economic disaster." It also touches on the celebrity theme again, opening with this statement: "Celebrity? Yes. Ready to lead? No."When Obama, "the taxman," cometh, the ad says, it will mean higher taxes and higher gas prices that "could break your family budget." In response, Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement, "This ad is just more of the same old false and discredited attacks that Senator McCain knows aren't true. Senator McCain will say or do anything to hide the truth: While Obama will cut taxes for the middle class, McCain will give a billion dollars in new tax breaks to America's eight largest corporations, while his plan provides no direct relief for more than 100 million American families."

Barack Obama: "Never"
This ad links John McCain with former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed. When McCain was chairman of the Senate Affairs Committee on Indian Affairs, he did not call Reed to appear before the panel that was investigating the lobbying activities of Reed's business associate (and now convicted felon) Jack Abramoff. "And now who's raising money for McCain's campaign?" the ad asks. "Ralph Reed." The ad was not announced to the media and will run only in Atlanta. The Associated Press reported McCain spokesman Brian Rogers's response to the ad: "Barack Obama's ad is ridiculous. Because of John McCain, corruption was exposed and people like Jack Abramoff went to jail."

John McCain: "Millions" (Radio Ad)
McCain opens with the celebrity theme in this ad: "Celebrities like to spend their millions. Barack Obama is no different. Only it's your money he wants to spend." The ad describes Obama's plans for new government programs that it says will increase the size of the government by 23 percent and cost over $150 billion, "piling debt" on future generations of Americans. The Obama campaign responded quickly to the ad. Spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement, "Yet again, John McCain makes another false, low-road attack while he's offering just more of the same Bush economics that have failed us for eight years...Barack Obama will give a real tax cut of up to $1,000 to 95% of working Americans, while John McCain will follow in Bush's footsteps."

Barack Obama: "Three Times"
This tax spot from Obama says that his plan will cut middle-class taxes three times more than McCain's. It emphasizes Obama's assertion that McCain will give tax breaks to corporations, oil companies, and companies that outsource jobs but not to average Americans. The ad also adds a new tag line: "Barack Obama. President." McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded to the ad in a statement: "America's business taxes are the second highest in the world, and that is driving American jobs overseas. So while American families are hurting and jobs are becoming scarce, Barack Obama is pushing for billions in higher taxes—it's a recipe for economic disaster."

PowerPAC: "What Matters"
PowerPAC, a California-based political action committee, is airing this pro-Obama Spanish- and English-language ad in New Mexico to target Hispanic voters, which PowerPAC calls a "key demographic" in its press release. The ad begins, "Barack Obama believes it shouldn't matter if you look different. It shouldn't matter if your name is unusual." According to the press release, "the ads carry cultural cues that resonate with the Hispanic community and will help fill a current void in pro-Obama television media targeting this population." PowerPAC Chairman Steve Philllips said, "We cannot win the Southwest without winning a significant portion of Hispanic voters." 

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