DNC News

The Democratic National Committee today released a new web video showing John McCain denouncing his own campaign tactics. The new ad, called "Negative Attack Ads," follows reports that McCain's campaign is preparing a last ditch barrage of desperate negative attack ads aimed at "turning the page" from the economic crisis facing working families. Recent reports show that McCain has already shifted virtually 100 percent of its ads to negative attack ads.

The video pits a montage of some of McCain's most vile attack ads against his own comments during the 2000 campaign, in which he told reporters on the Straight Talk Express that "if all you run is negative attack ads you don't have much of a vision for the future."

To see the new video "Negative Attack Ads," click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHW-RO1_WN0

DNC WEB VIDEO
"Negative Attack Ads"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHW-RO1_WN0

CHYRON: "John McCain… readying a newly aggressive assault on Sen. Barack Obama's character." [Washington Post, 10/04/08]

VIDEO: Montage of McCain attack ads

CHYRON: John McCain is "looking forward to turning a page on this financial crisis." [Washington Post, 10/04/08]

VIDEO: Montage of McCain attack ads

CHYRON: McCain Campaign's Ad Spending Now Nearly 100 Percent Devoted to Attack Ads [Talking Points Memo, 10/3/08]

MCAIN: "I'm John McCain and I approved this message."

MCCAIN: "Uh, I, I just have to rely on the good judgment of the voters not to buy into these negative attack ads. Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads you don't have much of a vision for the future or you're not ready to articulate it." [The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, 2/21/2000]

CHYRON: John McCain: We Can't Afford More of the Same

DNC Chairman Howard Dean released the following radio actuality on the choice voters face this election between four more years of broken Bush-McCain health care policies and the affordable health care plan that would be available to every American under the Obama-Biden plan:

For an audio version of the statement click HERE.

The Democratic National Committee today updated the Count the Lies counter to reflect the 22 new fact checks published during and after last night's Vice Presidential candidates' debate. According to independent, non-partisan fact check organizations Sarah Palin repeated "old canards" on energy, repeated "several false claims" on taxes, got the facts wrong on troops levels in Iraq, made health care claims that are "inaccurate on several levels" and distorted her own record in Alaska.

With these new articles, no fewer than 103 fact checks have been published debunking McCain-Palin campaign lies since he promised to run a respectful campaign in February. Visit www.democrats.org/CountTheLies to see the updated Count the Lies counter.

New York Times: Palin Health Care Claim "Inaccurate On Several Levels." "Ms. Palin castigated Mr. Obama's health care plan as one that would be mandate a 'universal government-run' system in which health care is 'taken over' by the federal government. This is inaccurate on several levels. Mr. Obama's proposal includes an option for people to choose a new public plan with benefits similar to what members of Congress and other federal employees currently have. It also includes an expansion of Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, but it is not at all exclusively government-run. Mr. Obama's plan also only mandates that children, not adults, have coverage. [New York Times, 10/2/08: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/check-point-the-vice-presidential-debate/]

FactCheck.org: Palin Health Care Claim "False." "Palin said that Obama's plan would be 'government run' and would mandate health care. The first claim is false, as we've said before. Obama's plan would increase the offerings of publicly funded health care, but would not replace or remove private insurance, or require people to enroll in a public plan. The second claim leaves out important information. Obama's plan would mandate health coverage for children, but not for adults." [FactCheck.org, 10/2/08: http://wire.factcheck.org/2008/10/02/socialized-medicine/]

Politifact.com: Obama's Plan Does Not Call For Government-Run Health Care. "At the vice presidential debate in St. Louis, Mo., Sarah Palin defended John McCain's health care plan and criticized Barack Obama's. Obama has a plan 'to mandate health care coverage and have a universal government run program,' Palin said. 'And unless you're pleased with the way the federal government has been running anything lately, I don't think that it's going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the feds.' Problem is, Obama's plan keeps the free-market health care system intact, particularly employer-based insurance. It is not a goverment-run program and is very different from the health care systems run by the government in some European countries… So Palin is mostly wrong about Obama's plan having a mandate; it only has one for children. He would like it to be universal at some point. She also emphasized that Obama proposes government-run health care, a statement that is completely inaccurate." [POLITIFACT.com, 10/2/08: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/765/]

Washington Post Fact Checker: Palin Claim That Biden Supported McCain Policies "Flatly False." "Sarah Palin just asserted that Sen. Joseph Biden backed John McCain's military policies until this presidential race. That is flatly false. Biden was an outspoken opponent of President Bush's troop increases in Iraq as soon as Bush announced them after the 2006 elections. As Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, he led the most heated hearings before the troops were actually deployed." [Washington Post Fact Checker Blog, 10/02/08: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/]

FactCheck.org: Palin Repeats "Old Canard" About Energy Bill. "Palin threw out an old canard when she criticized Obama for voting for the 2005 Energy bill, saying, "that's what gave those oil companies those big tax breaks." It's a false attack Clinton used against Obama in the primary and McCain himself has hurled. It's true that the bill gave some tax breaks to oil companies, but it also took away others. And according to the Congressional Research Service, the bill created a slight net increase in taxes for the oil industry." [FactCheck.org, 10/2/08: http://wire.factcheck.org/2008/10/02/2005-energy-bill-deja-vu/]

AP: Despite Claiming to Have "Taken On" the Oil Industry, Palin on Same Side As American Petroleum Institute, Big Oil on Key Issues. "PALIN: Claimed she has taken on the oil industry as Alaska governor. THE FACTS: Palin pushed to impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies and distributed the proceeds to the state's citizens to offset rising energy costs. However, she has also sided with the industry on a number of issues. She sued the Interior Department over its designation of polar bears as an endangered species. That puts her on the same side as the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's chief trade association. She also supports the industry's desire to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - a position at odds with McCain." [AP, 10/02/08: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEBATE_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AZTUS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]

AP: Palin Exaggerates Pipeline Claim. "PALIN: Said Alaska is 'building a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline, which is North America's largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever to flow those sources of energy into hungry markets.' THE FACTS: Not quite. Construction is at least six years away. So far the state has only awarded a license to Trans Canada Corp., that comes with $500 million in seed money in exchange for commitments toward a lengthy and costly process to getting a federal certificate. At an August news conference after the state Legislature approved the license, Palin said, 'It's not a done deal.'" [AP, 10/02/08: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEBATE_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AZTUS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]

Washington Post Fact Checker: Palin Overstates Impact of Increased Oil Production. "Gov. Palin suggested that the nearly $700 billion the U.S. spends a year on imported oil could be replaced by domestic sources. CNNMoney.com took estimates from various government agencies to conclude that crude oil production could be increased at most between 1 and 3 million barrels per day, on top of the 5 million barrels a year already produced domestically. The United States currently consumes about 20 million barrels annually, so an expansion of domestic drilling would make barely a dent in that amount unless consumption also is reduced." [Washington Post Fact Checker Blog, 10/02/08: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/]

ABC News: Palin "Got Her Facts Wrong" on Homeowner Protections. "Sarah Palin got her facts wrong in Thursday's debate with Joe Biden when discussing where John McCain stands on new protections for homeowners facing foreclosures. The Alaska governor incorrectly made it sound like McCain supports giving bankruptcy judges the power to rewrite mortgage payment terms on first homes. He doesn't." [ABC News, 10/03/08: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/palin-misstates.html]

Washington Post Fact Checker: Palin Falsely Says Troops are Now at Pre-Surge Levels. "Gov. Sarah Palin was erroneous when she claimed U.S. troop levels in Iraq are now at 'pre-surge' levels. When President Bush announced last month that he would withdraw an additional 8,000 U.S. troops over the coming months, he committed to leaving at least 138,000 troops in the country at the end of his presidency, 3,000 more than there were before the troop increases known now as 'the surge.'" [Washington Post Fact Checker Blog, 10/02/08: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/]

CNN: Palin Surge Claim "False." "During the vice-presidential debate in St. Louis on Thursday, Oct. 2, Republican nominee Gov. Sarah Palin criticized Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's opposition to the military 'surge' in Iraq and said, 'The surge worked. Barack Obama still can't admit the surge works.' …The Verdict: False. Obama has said the surge "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams" from a military perspective." [CNN.com. 10/2/08: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/02/fact-check-is-it-true-obama-still-cant-admit-the-surge-works/]

Fact Check.org: Obama Did Not Vote Against Troop Funding. "Palin repeated the claim that Obama "voted against funding our troops." The claim refers to a single 2007 vote against a war funding bill. Obama voted for a version of the bill that included language calling for withdrawing troops from Iraq. President Bush vetoed it. (McCain supported that veto, but didn't call it "vetoing support for our troops.") What Obama voted against was the same bill without withdrawal language. And he had voted yes on at least 10 other war funding bills prior to that single 2007 no vote." [FactCheck.org, 10/2/08: http://wire.factcheck.org/2008/10/02/obama-voted-against-troop-funding/]

AP: Palin Claim About Troop Levels in Iraq "Not Correct." "PALIN: Said the United States has reduced its troop level in Iraq to a number below where it was when the troop increase began in early 2007. THE FACTS: Not correct. The Pentagon says there are currently 152,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, about 17,000 more than there were before the 2007 military buildup began. PALIN: 'Two years ago, remember, it was John McCain who pushed so hard with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reform measures. He sounded that warning bell.' THE FACTS: Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska led an effort in 2005 to tighten regulation on the mortgage underwriters - McCain joined as a co-sponsor a year later. The legislation was never taken up by the full Senate, then under Republican control." [AP, 10/02/08: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEBATE_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AZTUS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]

Washington Post Fact Checker: Palin Tax Hike Claims "Untrue." "Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin signaled early she would go after Barack Obama all night on the charge that he had voted 94 times to either raise taxes or fight against tax cuts. Fact check.org, a non-partisan watchdog, has analyzed the charge. Of the 94, 23 of those votes were indeed votes against proposed tax cuts. Eleven of them were increases on families earning over $1 million to help fund programs such as Head Start and school nutrition. And 53 were on non-binding budget resolutions that foresaw allowing tax cuts to expire as scheduled. Such out-year projections are meaningless, since non-binding budgets are passed each year. Fact.check.org ruled the claim misleading. On another point, Palin said a tax hike that hits earners over $250,000 would hit 'millions of small businesses.' That is untrue. The vast majority of small businesses barely break even and do not pay the top tax brackets. To get that figure, Republicans count affluent taxpayers who claim some income from some small business income as 'small businessmen.'" [Washington Post Fact Checker Blog, 10/02/08: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/]

Washington Post Fact Checker: Palin Repeats False Tax Hike for Families Making $42,000 Claim. "Sarah Palin repeated John McCain's claim that Barack Obama voted to increase taxes for every American earning more than $42,000 a year. This is a considerable stretch. Obama voted for a non-binding budget resolution that laid down general budgetary guidelines based on the assumption that the Bush tax cuts will expire, as scheduled, in 2011. The budget resolution did not represent a vote to raise taxes. Obama has said that he is in favor of continuing the Bush tax cuts for all but the wealthiest Americans." [Washington Post Fact Checker Blog, 10/02/08: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/]

FactCheck.org: Palin Got Troop Levels "Wrong." "Palin got her numbers wrong on troop levels when she said that troops were now down to "pre-surge" levels. The surge was announced in January 2007, at which point there were 132,000 troops in Iraq according to the Brookings Institute Iraq Index. As of September 2008, that number was 146,000. President Bush recently announced that another 8,000 would be coming home by February of next year. But that would still be 6,000 more than when the surge began." [FactCheck.org, 10/2/08: http://wire.factcheck.org/2008/10/02/troop-levels-off/]

FactCheck.org: Palin Repeats "Several False Claims" on Taxes. "Palin repeated several false claims about Obama's tax policies. Obama did not in fact vote to increase taxes on "families" making as little as $42,000 per year. What Obama actually voted for was a budget resolution that called for returning the 25 percent tax bracket to its pre-Bush tax cut level of 28 percent. That could have affected an individual with no children making as little as $42,000. But a couple would have had to earn $83,000 to be affected and a family of four at least $90,000. Palin also repeated the exaggeration that Obama voted 94 times to increase taxes. That number includes seven votes that would have lowered some taxes, 23 that were against tax cuts, and 17 that came on just seven different bills. And finally, it's false that Biden and Obama voted for 'the largest tax increase in history.' Palin is referring here to the Democrats' 2008 budget proposal, which would indeed have resulted in about $217 billion in higher taxes over two years. That's a significant increase. But measured as a percentage of GDP, the yardstick that most economists prefer, the 2008 budget proposal would have been the third-largest since 1968, and it's not even in the top 10 since 1940." [FactCheck.org, 10/2/08: http://wire.factcheck.org/2008/10/02/tax-distortions/]

New York Times: Palin's Small Business Tax Hike Claim Overstated. Ms. Palin said "millions of small businesses" would pay higher taxes under Mr. Obama's tax plan, pointing to the increases for "those making $250,000 a year or more." Mr. Obama's plan would affect couples making more than $250,000 or singles making more than $200,000. Many small-business owners actually pay taxes as individuals, not as corporations. But Factcheck.org cited a projection by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center that 663,608 taxpayers with business income would fall into the top two tax brackets in 2009 and, therefore, be affected by the Obama tax plan. Not all of these, however, would be properly considered "small business owners." Some are simply those who get income in from real-estate partnerships or other investment arrangements. In other words, the actual number of small businessmen who would be affected by Obama tax plan is likely even smaller than that number, not "millions." [New York Times, 10/2/08: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/check-point-the-vice-presidential-debate/]

New York Times: Palin Increased Wasilla Sales Tax. "Governor Palin said she reduced taxes when she was mayor of Wasilla, from 1996 to 2002. The city did eliminate property taxes, but she also pushed through a half-cent sales tax increase to pay for a $15 million sports complex. That increase followed a 2-cent sales tax initiated by her predecessor that helped the city expand its police force and pay for other new services. Ms. Palin also said she eliminated a business inventory tax. She did, and that move is credited with bringing many large chain stores to Wasilla." [New York Times, 10/2/08: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/check-point-the-vice-presidential-debate/]

New York Times: On Taxes, Palin "Made Claims About Senator Obama's Policies That Are Not Correct. "In addressing the issues of taxes, Governor Palin has made claims about Senator Obama's policies that are not correct. She revived, for example, an accusation that he and Mr. Biden voted "for the largest tax increases in U.S. history" and also charged that he would raise taxes "for those families making only $42,000 a year. Mr. Obama voted twice this year in favor of a budget resolution that would have allowed the tax cuts that President Bush pushed through Congress in 2001 and 2003 to expire at the end of 2010, as the original law mandated. But that, by the definition of the Congressional Budget Office and other tax experts, does not constitute a tax increase. The resolution, if not accompanied by other tax changes, envisages an increase in taxes for an individual earning $42,000 a year who has no dependents and owns no real estate. But it would not apply to a family. Indeed, estimates are that a family of four making as much as $90,000 would not see a tax increase." [New York Times, 10/2/08: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/check-point-the-vice-presidential-debate/]

AP: Palin Repeats "Dubious Count" of Tax Votes. "PALIN: Said of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama: '94 times he voted to increase taxes or not support a tax reduction.' THE FACTS: The dubious count includes repetitive votes as well as votes to cut taxes for the middle class while raising them on the rich. An analysis by factcheck.org found that 23 of the votes were for measures that would have produced no tax increase at all, seven were in favor of measures that would have lowered taxes for many, 11 would have increased taxes on only those making more than $1 million a year." [AP, 10/02/08: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEBATE_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AZTUS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]

New York Time: Palin's Claim About McCain on Fannie and Freddie Not Accurate. "Gov. Sarah Palin boasted that Mr. McCain 'sounded that warning bell' about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, echoing some of Mr. McCain's recent comments in which he portrayed himself as being on the vanguard in warning about the impending financial crisis. Ms. Palin was referring to Mr. McCain's decision in 2006 to sign on as a co-sponsor of a Senate bill that would have overhauled regulations governing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But the legislation was introduced more than 16 months earlier and the debate over the issue had been going on for some time. He also only added his name after an oversight agency issued a lengthy report condemning practices at Fannie Mae." [New York Times, 10/2/08: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/check-point-the-vice-presidential-debate/]

This week Governor Howard Dean will make campaign stops in Wisconsin to register voters and continue to campaign on behalf of the Obama-Biden ticket and their message for change. On Tuesday Gov. Dean will make campaign stops in Janesville, Monroe, Platteville and on Wednesday Dean will continue to make campaign stops in Eau Claire and Menomonie.

Over the past three months Gov. Dean has campaigned in more than 22 states and the District of Columbia to bring Barack Obama's message of change to the grassroots and register voters. This campaign season Gov. Dean has recruited hundreds of volunteers and registered thousands of voters. Dean's "Register for Change" bus tour began in George Bush's backyard in Crawford, Texas to remind voters about the choice they face in November: change vs. more of the same. The tour continues to build on the overwhelming enthusiasm and voter turnout seen during the primaries as Democrats mobilize and organize voters for the fall election.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Janesville, WI
JANESVILLE ECONOMIC TOWN HALL
United Auto Workers Union Hall
1795 Lafayette Street
Janesville, WI

Event Time: 12:00 p.m.

* For more information contact the Wisconsin Campaign for Change press office at 608-255-0703.

Monroe, WI
MONROE COMMUNITY RALLY
Minhas Craft Brewery
1208 14th Ave
Monroe, WI

Event Time: 2:45 p.m.

* For more information contact the Wisconsin Campaign for Change press office at 608-255-0703.

Platteville, WI
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PLATTEVILLE STUDENT AND COMMUNITY RALLY
UW- Platteville, Pioneer Student Center
1 University Plaza
Platteville, WI

Event Time: 5:30 p.m.

* For more information contact the Wisconsin Campaign for Change press office at 608-255-0703.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2008

Eau Claire, WI
EAU CLAIRE ECONOMIC TOWN HALL
L.E. Phillips Career Development Center
1515 Ball Street
Eau Claire, WI

Event Time: 10:45 a.m.

* For more information contact the Wisconsin Campaign for Change press office at 608-255-0703.

Menomonie, WI
UNIVERSITYOF WISCONSIN STOUT STUDENT AND COMMUNITY RALLY
UW- Stout, Memorial Student Center
712 South Broadway St.
Menomonie, WI

Event Time: 12:45 p.m.

* For more information contact the Wisconsin Campaign for Change press office at 608-255-0703.

The Democratic National Committee today updated the Count the Lies counter after the Washington Post gave the McCain campaign Three Pinocchios for distorting the record on Rick Davis's connections to Freddie Mac.

This article is at least the 64th fact check to debunk McCain campaign lies since he promised to run a respectful campaign in February. Visit www.democrats.org/CountTheLies to see the updated Count the Lies counter.
Washington Post: Three Pinocchios for "Working the Refs" with Non-Denial Denial. " "McCain spokesmen have tried to discredit the newspaper's reporting with the argument that it is "in the tank" for Obama, a charge that it frequently uses against journalists who cross the campaign. The attacks fail to address the substantive points raised by The Times and other news organizations. The McCain campaign responded to the latest batch of reports with a classic non-denial denial: It furiously rebutted something that was never alleged. A McCain blog entry by spokesman Michael Goldfarb said that the New York Times had made a 'demonstrably false' allegation, charging that 'Davis was paid by Freddie Mac until last month.' In fact, the newspaper reports pointed out that the payments were to Davis's firm, rather than Davis himself, and that Davis is not receiving a salary from his company while working for McCain. The reports also noted that Davis remains a partner in Davis Manafort, and stands to benefit over the long term from its success. Davis's close ties with McCain were cited as the primary reason for payment of the retainer by Freddie Mac to Davis Manafort…Rather than discuss Davis's relationship with the failed mortgage giants, the McCain campaign is relying on the tried-and-tested campaign technique known as "working the refs." The McCain camp has accused The Times of a "willful disregard for the truth," but has been unable to demonstrate factual errors in the newspaper's reporting of the Davis-Freddie Mac relationship." [Washington Post Fact Checker blog, 9/25/08: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/09/mccain_works_the_refs.html]

The Democratic National Committee today released a new web video highlighting John McCain's history of stacking the deck in favor of his favorite gambling industry lobbyists. The video comes on the heels of a new report outlining McCain's pattern of using his position as the chairman of a key Senate committee to tip the scales in favor of casino lobbyists with connections to his family and campaigns -- even if it meant reversing long held positions.

The video, called "Betting on McCain," shows McCain stacking the deck in favor of friends and former campaign aides who lobbied for the casinos with business before McCain's committee. In return, those casino lobbyists organized gambling trips to casinos for McCain (whose reputation as a high roller is well known), steered hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaign, and at least 40 of them went to work for or are helping raise money for McCain's current campaign.

Later this week, the DNC will launch new web ads highlighting the "Betting on McCain" video that will run on a number of major news sites -- including political, religious and conservative news sites.

To see the new DNC Web Video "Betting on McCain," click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGq6UCIKEkM

DNC Web Video:
"Betting on McCain"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGq6UCIKEkM

MCCAIN: "Well, I am a betting man." [NBC Nightly News, 9/25/08]

CHYRON: Betting on McCain? Casino Lobbyists Are

IMAGE: "For McCain and Team, a Host of Ties to Gambling Industry" [New York Times, 9/28/08]

CHYRON: John McCain Stacked The Deck For His Favorite Lobbyists

PHOTO AND CHRYON: Scott Reed, Former Aide & Lobbyist

PHOTO AND CHRYON: Wes Gullett, Lobbyist & Family Friend

CHYRON: And They Returned The Favor ...

CHYRON: $400,000 Casino Campaign Fundraisers / PHOTO: Casino [New York Times, 9/28/08]

CHYRON: Gambling With Casino Lobbyists At 2:30AM / PHOTO: McCain Gambling [New York Times, 9/28/08]

CHYRON: Fundraisers with Famous Vegas Tycoons / PHOTO: Sheldon Adelson [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/29/08]

CHYRON: 40 Gambling Lobbyists on the Campaign [New York Times, 9/28/08]

CLOSING CHYRON: JOHN MCCAIN: Special Interest Driven Politics

CLOSING CHYRON: JOHN MCCAIN: More of the Same Broken Politics

The Democratic National Committee today updated the Count the Lies counter after CNN called one of John McCain's most frequent false attacks on tax cuts "misleading.'   As CNN notes, McCain's campaign continues to repeat a long-debunked lie about Senator Obama's voting record despite a clear record of opposing tax increases on the vast majority of American families.  

This article is at least the 62nd fact check to debunk McCain campaign lies since he promised to run a respectful campaign in February. Visit www.democrats.org/CountTheLies to see the updated Count the Lies counter.

CNN: McCain Claim on Obama's Tax Cuts Voting Record "Misleading." "The effort to convince voters that Sen. Barack Obama would support higher taxes is a central part of Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. McCain and the Republican National Committee have repeatedly cited 94 alleged votes by Obama to bolster their argument. Factcheck.org, a non-partisan project of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center, pieced through records to determine just what these 94 votes were… Annenberg says a close look at the record reveals that Obama has "voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers."  Verdict: Misleading. McCain's summary ignores the fact that some of the votes were for measures to lower taxes for many Americans, while increasing them for a much smaller number of taxpayers. A nonpartisan examination also finds that the 94 total includes multiple votes on the same measures and budget votes that would not directly lead to higher taxes." [CNN, 9/21/08: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/21/fact-check-did-obama-vote-94-times-for-higher-taxes/]

Today Newsweek reported that John McCain owns 13 cars - and that contrary to what McCain said in a recent TV interview, the fleet includes three foreign cars. The report shows that McCain wasn't being honest with voters during a recent interview with WXYZ TV in Detroit when he said: "I've bought American literally all my life, and I'm proud."  

McCain made the comments while defending his purchase of foreign hybrid vehicle - a purchase he denied making despite having bragged about it in South Carolina last year.  

In addition to the foreign hybrid he bragged about last year, Newsweek reports that McCain's fleet of 13 vehicles includes a Lexus, a 2005 Volkswagen convertible, and a 2001 Honda sedan.  
 
In a conference call today to respond to the latest news of John McCain not being straight with working families, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said:
"In an interview a few weeks ago with a Detroit TV station, John McCain said, and I quote, "I've bought American literally all my life, and I'm proud."  That may be a nice campaign line, but it turns out that  John McCain wasn't being straight with the people of Detroit-in fact, John McCain owns 13 cars, including a foreign made Lexus, a Volkswagon, and a Honda Sedan-on top of the Toyota Prius that he bragged about buying just last year. People are free to buy any kind of car they want-that isn't the issue here.  What is the issue is that the American auto industry, and American voters, deserve a president who will be straight with them. If we can't trust John McCain on something as simple as what kind of cars he owns, how can we trust him when he talks about investing in American jobs.  "Buy American" can't just be a slogan that John McCain rolls out when he is in Michigan.  It's insulting to our members.  We need a president who's committed to rebuilding the auto industry here America, not a President who buys foreign cars and then lies about when he thinks autoworkers are watching."
Read the Newsweek article here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/160091

Watch McCain's interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0QRapvB9xc

Listen to the entire conference call here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/42d2c75ecce177d0f3_mlbrgaxho.mp3

In light of this week's Wall Street upheaval, today Judy Feder, Democratic nominee for US Representative from Virginia's 10th Congressional District, Barbara Favola, Vice Chair of the Arlington County Board and a member of Virginia's State Health Board, and concerned Virginians held a press conference outside of John McCain's campaign headquarters in Arlington, VA to challenge McCain's new magazine article calling for the deregulation of the health insurance companies "just as we have done over the last decade in banking."  McCain's article was just published in the September/October issue of Contingencies, the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries.  In spite of the unprecedented crisis created by Bush-McCain deregulatory policies, McCain wants to put Americans' health care at risk with the same approach.

The text of McCain's call for deregulating health insurance companies follows:

"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation." - John McCain

Below are excerpts from the press conference:

Judy Feder, Democratic nominee for US Representative from Virginia's 10th Congressional District:

"We're here today, all of us, to repudiate Senator McCain's call to deregulate the health insurance companies. Senator McCain wrote in this month's issue of an insurance magazine that we should deregulate the insurance companies--and I quote--'as we have done over the last decade in banking.' In other words, John McCain wants to run the health care industry just like they've been running Wall Street--straight into the ground...After risking the American people's retirement and jeopardizing the economic security of our country, now they want Americans to suffer the same uncertainty about their health care...I'm here today, as someone who has spent my life trying to get everybody affordable health care and fix our broken system, and I'm here to say to John McCain: No way.   It's a risk we can't afford."

Barbara Favola, Vice Chair of the Arlington County Board and a member of Virginia's State Health Board:

"The election before us is about choices.  As we stand before John McCain's campaign headquarters and one of his homes, one of his many homes, John McCain's risky health care plan won't do a whole lot to help the people I just talked about...working families need someone who will stand up for them, someone who will tell the oil lobbyists, the insurance companies, and other special interest groups that the average American must come first. Can we trust John McCain to deliver that message? No. On the other hand Barack Obama understands the struggles of working class families. He understands that access to health care is a basic necessity of life and the pursuit of happiness and the American dream really don't happen until these basic necessities are taken care of.  Barack Obama has a package that respects American families that tells them they are valued and helps them provide for their children and their future."

In his own words, John McCain writes that his approach to health care would mirror what has happened in the banking industry over the last decade:

"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."

--- John McCain in the current issue of Contingencies, the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries. 

This Friday, September 19th Governor Howard Dean will visit Pennsylvania to register voters and continue to campaign on behalf of the Obama-Biden ticket and their message for change.

Over the past three months Governor Dean has campaigned in more than 22 states and the District of Columbia to bring Barack Obama's message of change to the grassroots and register voters. The tour has recruited hundreds of volunteers and registered thousands of voters. Dean's "Register for Change" bus tour began in George Bush's backyard in Crawford, Texas to remind voters about the choice they face in November: change vs. more of the same. The tour continues to build on the overwhelming enthusiasm and voter turnout seen during the primaries as Democrats mobilize and organize voters for the fall election.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
 
Hershey, PA
Remarks at SEIU's Healthcare PA Annual Convention
Hershey Lodge, Blue Room
W. Chocolate Ave and University Drive
Hershey, PA
 
Event Time: 8:30 AM
 
* For more information contact Andrea Mead at AMead@PAforChange.com or (215) 563-2440.

Philadelphia, PA
Temple University Registration Rally with Gov. Dean and Mayor Nutter
Temple University, Student Activities Center, Room 200
Student Activities Center
1755 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA
 
Event Time: 12:30 PM
 
* For more information contact Zach Friend at ZFriend@PAforChange.com or (215) 563-2440.
 
Philadelphia, PA
Campaign for Change Philadelphia Field Office Visit
1500 Samsom Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA
 
Event Time: 3:00 PM
 
* For more information contact Zach Friend at ZFriend@PAforChange.com or (215) 563-2440.
 

Today, the Obama campaign hosted a press conference with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to discuss Senator Obama and Senator Biden's record of fighting for issues of concern to women and American families.  Speaker Pelosi was joined by Representatives DeLauro, Diana DeGette, Jan Schakowsky, Linda Sanchez, Donna Edwards and close to 40 Democratic women members of Congress.  

From fighting for equal pay for equal work, to protecting retirement security and tacking the skyrocketing cost of health care, there is a stark difference on where the Obama-Biden campaign and the McCain-Palin campaigns stand on the critical issues facing America's women and families.  

The following are audio clips from today's news conference.  

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on the Change America's Women "Need, Expect And Deserve:"
http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/d742336ad34c03ac40_eem6b0isx.mp3
"In the weeks ahead, we will be all over the country bringing a message of positive change, a new direction in America that addresses the economic concerns of the American people, in particular the economic concerns of America' working families and America's women.  And in recent weeks, we have seen the consequences of the mismanagement of the Bush Administration on our economy.  Yet, John McCain says the fundamentals of our economy are strong.  American women know better.  We are here today to focus on the change in America's economy. Barack Obama is the chance America's women need, expect and deserve."

Colorado Representative Diana DeGette on Senator McCain's Radical Health Care Plan:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/78e530a3700a37f6ea_nqm6bkepu.mp3
"Under Senator McCain's health care plan more than 59 million women who receive health insurance through their job or spouse's job risk losing that insurance. More than 30 million women with employer sponsored health insurance who have a chronic condition could lose their health insurance and some of the requirements that some of us have fought so hard for at the state level--requiring maternity coverage and cancer screening and other coverages--would be wiped away under this plan.  The bottom line: Senator McCain's radical health care plan is risky and dangerous for American women.  

Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro on Equal Pay for Equal Work:
http://www.democrats.org/page/-/audio/9_17_2008_A2_DeLauro.mp3
"Equal pay is at the heart of our debate for president and it has the power to make this a transformational election.  Today, women are getting paid less than men, but John McCain opposes equal pay for equal work. He says, don't worry. All you need to do is get more education and training to get better jobs. And that shows why he cannot rescue this economy or help women to lift themselves up in this economy.  When the Senate brought up the bill to remedy the Supreme Court's decision overturning Lily Ledbetter's pay discrimination claims to make sure it does not happen again, John McCain said he would oppose it.  When it came time to vote, he didn't even bother to show up."
 
Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky on the Threat John McCain Poses to Social Security:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/344ad3122bfd6ae036_6tm6b6wcg.mp3
"Barack Obama believes that Social Security is the cornerstone of the Social Compact in this country and he promises to protect it today, tomorrow and forever.  John McCain says Social Security funding is an absolute disgrace. He simply doesn't get how it works in the first place.  And he support privatization.  In March, McCain said, I am totally in favor of personal savings accounts.  Barack Obama opposes Social Security privatization because it would gamble the retirement plans of millions of Americans.  We're talking about people over 65 years old.  We're talking about persons with disabilities.  We're talking about spouses and dependents, including my very own grandchildren, who lost their mother and are being helped by social security payments."  

California Representative Linda Sanchez on John McCain's Outreach to Women and the Health Care Crisis in America:
http://www.democrats.org/page/-/audio/9_17_2008_A5_Sanchez.mp3
"Despite his campaign's outreach efforts I think that McCain's efforts to bridge the gender gap is about as effective as the bridge to nowhere.  And I want to take health care as an example.  The lack of universal health care coverage hits women especially hard.  There are over 20 million uninsured women in this country, and women are more likely than men to delay or not get medical care because of high costs.  Health care premiums have doubled in the last seven years alone.  No wonder only 27 percent of women are very confident that they'll be able to afford health care for themselves and their families.  And, what does John McCain offer these women?  John McCain offers a health care plan that would, for the first time in our country's history, tax health care benefits. And John McCain's plan won't even make a major dent in the number of uninsured Americans."

Maryland Representative Donna Edwards on Economic Opportunity and Domestic Violence:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/28530c4957ee2e5255_u6m6bpj8e.mp3
"I know I wouldn't have gone to college if my father, who was disabled, hadn't been able to receive Social Security and we hadn't been able to receive benefits as children.  This is important not as a ceiling, but as a floor and Barack Obama understands that.  For America's women, for America's children, we understand that we want to live in our homes and in a home that's free of violence. Barack Obama, and certainly Joe Biden, understand that.  They understand that when women live in homes that are filled with violence and when children withness that violence that it impacts how they perform in the workplace. It impacts how they are able to take care of themselves and their children.  Barack Obama understands that.  John McCain doesn't."

The Democratic National Committee today released a web video called "Fundamentally Strong?" highlighting McCain's out-of-touch claim yesterday that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong" even as Americans watched the stock market plunge and saw their savings and retirement slip away and as two major financial institutions went belly up.

McCain's remarks yesterday are only the latest in a series of out-of-touch remarks on the economy from McCain and his advisors. McCain has said that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" at least 16 times over the past year and a half, even as Americans have struggled with decreasing incomes, mounting job losses, and rising costs for everything from groceries and gas to health care. Meanwhile, top economic advisor Phil Gramm called Americans "a nation of whiners" and just this weekend McCain advisor Donald Luskin wrote in the Washington Post that "Things today just aren't that bad," and that Americans "have surely become a nation of exaggerators."

The web video, "Fundamentally Strong?", captures 10 instances of McCain's repeated insistence that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong" and the disturbingly out-of-touch remarks of his top economic advisors.

To see the new web ad, "Fundamentally Wrong," click HERE.

DNC Web Ad
"Fundamentally Strong?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWMVW_82dQ8
Text

MCCAIN: "I want to convince you of my belief and my firm conviction that
Americas economy, the fundamentals of it, are strong." [Town Hall, Chula
Vista, CA, 3/24/08]

MCCAIN: "So our fundamentals, I still believe, are very strong." [Town
Hall, Round Rock, TX, 2/29/08]

MCCAIN: "But the underpinnings of our economy are strong." [Rally,
Pensacola, FL, 1/22/08]

MCCAIN: "But the fundamentals of America's economy are very strong."
[House Party, Concord, NH, 12/31/08]

MCCAIN: "I believe the fundamentals of our economy are still strong."
[Town Hall, West Palm Beach, FL, 1/24/08]

MCCAIN: "The fundamental principles, the foundation of our economy, is
strong." [Speech, Aiken, SC, 1/17/08]

MCCAIN: "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." [Speech and
Roundtable, Santa Ana, CA, 3/25/08]

MCCAIN: "Our economy, I think, still, the fundamentals of our economy
are strong." [Rally, Jacksonville, FL, 9/15/08]

MCCAIN: "The fundamentals of it are strong." [Rally, Pensacola, FL,
1/22/08]

MCCAIN: "I still believe that the fundamentals of our economy are
strong." [Laura Ingraham Show, 8/20/08]

TEXT: "Things today just aren't that bad." "When it comes to the
economy, we have surely become a nation of exaggerators." McCain Advisor
Donald Luskin, September 14, 2008.

GRAMM: "We've surely become a nation of whiners." [Interview with Washington Times, 7/9/08]

The Democratic National Committee today launched a new McCain-Palin Press Watch clock highlighting the fact that John McCain has gone 33 days since his last news conference with national reporters. His running mate, Sarah Palin, hasn't done any since she was chosen. To view the clocks, click here: www.democrats.org/McCainPressWatch

McCain once prided himself on running an open and transparent campaign, saying curbing accessibility to reporters "destroys credibility." He even promised to hold weekly press conferences if elected. But, as his campaign has descended into blatant lies and outright distortions, John McCain has slammed the door on the media rather than answer tough questions. McCain's last news conference was on August 13 in Birmingham, MI. In the 33 days since, he has launched a string of lies that have been called "truly vile," some of the "sleaziest ads ever" and been "exposed" as lies.

"Since John McCain has been running an utterly indefensible campaign, it's easy to see why he doesn't want to be held accountable to the people or to his own promises," said DNC spokesman Damien LaVera. "If John McCain is going to echo President Bush's out of touch rhetoric and run sleazy campaign ads full of vile distortions, he owes it to the voters to stand up and take the tough questions. The American people simply cannot afford another four years of failed policies and flawed politics from Republicans who would launch misleading smears to distract from their out of touch agendas."

To view the McCain-Palin Press Watch clocks, click here: www.democrats.org/McCainPressWatch

John McCain: Curbing Access to Reporters: "Destroys Credibility." "As the JetBlue charter from Michigan touched down in South Carolina, I strolled up to John McCain's front-row seat -- none of his aides batted an eye -- and asked if he would continue to chat with reporters around the clock if he won the Republican nomination. Most candidates, after all, grow more cautious around the media mob as the stakes get higher. McCain said he couldn't stop, because 'that destroys credibility.' And besides, he said, 'I enjoy it a lot. It keeps me intellectually stimulated, it keeps me thinking about issues, and it keeps me associated with a lower level of human being than I otherwise would be.'"[Washington Post, 1/21/08]

McCain: "I will hold weekly press conferences." [McCain speech, Columbus, OH, 5/15/08]

McCain, 2008: Ducking the Media. "He used to be the most accessible presidential candidate in modern American history, and he prided himself on that. No longer. The last time he took questions from his press corps was on Aug. 13." [ABCNews, 9/11/08: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/mccain-2008.html]

Fox News: McCain Skips Media Avails for Staged Rallies. "Today marks the four-week anniversary since McCain held his last press conference (8/13 in Birmingham, MI) and three weeks since his last public town hall meeting (8/20 in Las Cruces, NM)." [Foxnews.com, 9/10/08: http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/09/10/mccain-embraces-the-staged-rally/]

MSNBC: McCain Hasn't Spoken to Reporters Since August 13. "McCain has not spoken to the press since August 13 in Birmingham, MI -- the day his wife sprained her wrist at a fundraiser." [MSNBC.com, 8/25/08: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/25/1291016.aspx]

Campaign Uses Promise of Availability to Lure Reporters to Campaign Event. "The strange scene was enough to distract reporters from the fact they believed they would be covering a 'press conference' this morning, as the McCain schedule had advertised. McCain, who has been at his Sedona cabin for several days working on his convention speech and readying the announcement of his VP pick, has not taken questions from his traveling press corps since Aug. 13 when he visited Michigan." [Newsweek, 8/25/08: http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/08/25/mccain-s-counter-programming-daddy-yankee.aspx]

The Democratic National Committee today launched a new online counter and web page that chronicles John McCain's lies and distortions on the campaign trail. Called "Count the Lies," the site and counter lists the articles from independent, non-partisan fact checkers who have debunked the false and misleading claims and smears that have dominated McCain's campaign.

When John McCain wrapped up his party's nomination in February, he promised the voters he would run a respectful campaign. In the weeks since, McCain and his surrogates have unleashed a staggering barrage of lies and distortions that have resulted in the publication of at least 51 fact checks from independent, nonpartisan organizations. In the 50 days left until Election Day, the DNC will update the counter with each new fact check debunking a McCain campaign lie.

"John McCain's decision to run one of the most dishonest and dishonorable presidential campaigns in history is one more reason to reject his promise of more of the same failed policies and broken politics," said DNC spokesman Damien LaVera. "John McCain has kept his promise to run a new kind of campaign, but unfortunately that has meant going to new lows. Why should the voters trust John McCain with our country's future when he doesn't respect them enough to honestly defend his flawed and out of touch agenda?"

The DNC's Count the Lies webpage is a feature of McCainPedia, an online research tool launched earlier this year to help empower voters and volunteers across the country with the research and information they need to see John McCain's real record. To see the new Count the Lies counter, click here: http://www.mccainpedia.org/index.php/Count_the_Lies

The following is a sample of some of the most recent fact checks debunking the McCain campaign's lies and distortions:

Washington Post Fact Checker: 4 Pinocchios for McCain Earmark Claim. "John McCain is trying to claim that black is white when he argues that his running mate, Sarah Palin, has not accepted earmarks as Governor of Alaska. While it is true that she has sought fewer earmarks than her predecessor, Governor Frank Murkowski, Alaska still leads the nation in terms of per capita spending on earmarks, according to Citizens Against Government Waste. …I will give Governor Palin a pass this week, to mark her inaugural media outing. Four Pinocchios for McCain for his clumsy attempt to rewrite history." [Washington Post, 9/13/08: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/09/weekend_edition.html]

FactCheck.org: McCain Energy Claim "Not true. Not even close." Palin says Alaska supplies 20 percent of U.S. energy. Not true. Not even close. "Palin claims Alaska 'produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy.' That's not true.… It's simply untrue that Alaska produces anything close to 20 percent of the U.S. 'energy supply,' a term that is generally defined as energy consumed. That category includes power produced in the U.S. by nuclear, coal, hydroelectric dams and other means - as well as all the oil imported into the country. …Sen. John McCain has also has used this inflated, incorrect figure. On Sept. 3, McCain told ABC News' Gibson: 'McCain: Well, I think Americans are going to be very, very, very pleased. This is a very dynamic person. [Palin's] been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply.' McCain repeated the false figure more recently, in a September 11 interview with Portland, Maine, news station WCSH6." [FactCheck.org, 9/12/08: http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/energetically_wrong.html]

Bloomberg: McCain Campaign Misleading on Crowd Sizes. "McCain aide Kimmie Lipscomb told reporters on Sept. 10 that an outdoor rally in Fairfax City, Virginia, drew 23,000 people, attributing the crowd estimate to a fire marshal. Fairfax City Fire Marshal Andrew Wilson said his office did not supply that number to the campaign and could not confirm it. Wilson, in an interview, said the fire department does not monitor attendance at outdoor events…The campaign attributed that estimate, and several that followed, to U.S. Secret Service figures, based on the number of people who passed through magnetometers. `We didn't provide any numbers to the campaign,' said Malcolm Wiley, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service. Wiley said he would not ``confirm or dispute'' the numbers the McCain campaign has given to reporters." [Bloomberg, 9/13/08: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=a1J0tfV3XJYs&refer=politics]

New York Times: "Disrespectful" Ad Resorts to "Dubious Disregard for the Facts. "The advertisement is the latest in a number that resort to a dubious disregard for the facts. The nonpartisan political analysis group Factcheck.org has already criticized 'Disrespectful' as 'particularly egregious,' saying that it 'goes down new paths of deception,' and is 'peddling false quotes.' Even the title is troublesome. 'Disrespectful' is one of those words that is loaded with racial and class connotations that many people consider offensive." [New York Times, 9/13/08: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/politics/13madbox.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin]

FactCheck.org: McCain Ad "Less Than Honest" About use of FactCheck.org. With its latest ad, released Sept. 10, the McCain-Palin campaign has altered our message in a fashion we consider less than honest. The ad strives to convey the message that FactCheck.org said "completely false" attacks on Sarah Palin had come from Sen. Barack Obama. We said no such thing. We have yet to dispute any claim from the Obama campaign about Palin. They call the ad "Fact Check." It says "the attacks on Gov. Palin have been called 'completely false' ... 'misleading.' " On screen is a still photo of a grim-faced Obama. Our words are accurately quoted, but they had nothing to do with Obama. http://www.newsweek.com/id/158265/output/print

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Hispanic Caucus Chair Ramona Martinez issued the following joint statement today commemorating the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated September 15 through October 15: 

"We're honored to join millions of Americans in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanics have made great contributions to our country in everything from serving proudly and honorably in our armed forces, to agriculture, to business to the arts. 

"In the upcoming presidential elections, Hispanics will play a pivotal role.

"Hispanics have been particularly hard hit by eight years of failed Republican policies in Washington. Hispanics are more likely to have seen their incomes decline, are more likely to be among the uninsured, and are among the hardest hit in the mortgage crisis that has cost so many Americans their homes. And John McCain's Republican Platform, written by the far right, fails to speak to or about the middle-class, families or women, and treats immigrants as criminals. Hispanics know first hand we just can't risk more of the same failed policies from John McCain for four more years.

"This Hispanic Heritage month, the Democratic Party renews our commitment to fighting to provide opportunities for every American, and to deliver the change America needs. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will fight to get our economy working for most Americans again, lowering taxes on middle-income Americans, not just the few already at the very top. They'll fight for health care for every American, and for comprehensive immigration reform that both secures our borders and also provides hard working, law-abiding immigrants a path to earned legalization. That's what's at stake, that's real change."

The Tulsa World reports that President Bush will conduct a business roundtable in Oklahoma City today to promote his failed plan for health savings accounts before heading off to a private closed door fundraiser for John McCain's campaign. [Tulsa World, 9/12/08: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080910_16_A4_hHepla243517]

As part of his record of voting with President Bush more than 90 percent of the time, John McCain endorsed the Bush plan for health savings accounts even though the Wall Street Journal said was "dead-on-arrival in Congress in early 2007." This plan is a radical new scheme to tax health insurance benefits for the first time in history, provide more power to insurance companies, and give families a tax credit that covers only a fraction of average health insurance costs.

"It should surprise no one that President Bush is raising money for the candidate who is promising more of the same failed Bush policies on everything from health care to the economy," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "While millions of Americans have lost their health insurance in the Bush-McCain era, John McCain says we're better off than we were eight years ago and that the fundamentals of our economy are strong. No wonder he's promising a warmed over version of the failed Bush plan that won't do anything to help Americans find health care."

Bush-McCain:
More of the Same on Health Care

Under McCain's Plan, Health Insurance Benefits Would be Taxed For The First Time, Resulting In A $3.6 Trillion Tax Increase On Working Families. McCain's health care plan would eliminate the payroll deduction on health care benefits, which would have the effect of raising taxes on working families by $3.6 trillion. [New York Times, 5/1/08]

McCain Health Plan Just Like Bush Plan. "President Bush proposed a similar idea" to the tax credits in McCain's plan, which was dead-on-arrival in Congress in early 2007, because the plan only awarded those who purchased insurance in the private market. [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/2007]

McCain Would Expand Health Savings Accounts. McCain said, "We took an important step in this direction with the creation of Health Savings Accounts, tax-preferred accounts that are used to pay insurance premiums and other health costs. These accounts put the family in charge of what they pay for. And, as president, I would seek to encourage and expand the benefits of these accounts to more American families." [Congressional Quarterly Healthbeat, 4/29/2008]

McCain Supported Bush's Veto of SCHIP and Providing Insurance For Millions of Uninsured Children. McCain voted against reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program for five years, expanding the program by $35.2 billion. [Senate Vote #307, 8/2/07]

Arizona Republic Headline: "In Tight Senate Votes, McCain Not A Maverick. When It Matters The Most, He Seldom Bucks His Own Party." "Over the years, Sen. John McCain has publicly condemned Republican Party leaders and occasionally voted against the GOP on selected issues. But an Arizona Republic analysis of his Senate votes on the most divided issues in the past decade shows that McCain almost never thwarted his party's objectives." [Arizona Republic, 5/7/08]

McCain: On The "Most Important Issues Of Our Day, I Have Been Totally In Agreement And Support Of President Bush." In a June 2005 interview on NBC's "Meet The Press," John McCain stated that he was a strong supporter of President Bush: "I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I have been totally in agreement and support of President Bush." [NBC, "Meet The Press," 6/19/05]

McCain Has Voted With Bush 90 Percent Of The Time In The Senate. According to Congressional Quarterly, McCain has voted in support of President Bush's position 90 percent of the time since the beginning of his administration. [Congressional Quarterly, 8/15/08, http://www.cqpolitics.com/cq-assets/cqmultimedia/flash/votestudy/index.html]

As Sen. John McCain visits Reading Terminal this afternoon, Governor Ed Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter will hold a news conference at 4:00pm today on corner of 12th and Arch - right outside the Terminal. Governor Rendell and Mayor Nutter will call attention to Sen. McCain's support for more of the same Bush economic policies. From taxes to Social Security to health care, John McCain means more of the same for struggling Pennsylvania families.

WHAT: Press Conference

WITH: Governor Ed Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter

WHEN: 4:00 pm; Wednesday, September 10, 2008

WHERE: Corner of 12th and Arch, across the street from Reading Terminal

This Friday and Saturday, Governor Howard Dean will continue his voter registration efforts in Oregon and Washington.

Governor Dean kicked off his cross country registration effort in mid-July in George Bush's backyard in Crawford, Texas. Since its launch, Gov. Dean's Register for Change tour has campaigned in 18 states and the District of Columbia making dozens of campaign stops, recruiting hundreds of volunteers and registering thousands of voters. The tour continues to build on the overwhelming enthusiasm and voter turnout seen during the primaries as Democrats mobilize and organize voters for the fall election.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

Portland, OR
Lewis and Clark Community Registration Event
Council Chambers at the Templeton Campus Center
615 SW Palatine Hill Road
Portland, OR

Event Time: 1:00 PM

Portland, OR
Obama for America Oregon Appreciation Pot Luck
Obama for America Headquarters
3016 SE Division Street
Portland, OR

Event Time: 5:00 PM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2008

Renton, WA
Obama for America Canvass Kick-Off Event
Carpenters Union Hall
231 Burnett Avenue N
Renton, WA

Event Time: 11:30 AM

According to news reports, immigration "hard-liner U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, says GOP presidential candidate John McCain -- who had been at odds with King and many others in his party over the issue -- is now on board." King added that McCain has "gotten it," and that he believes McCain when he says he "'heard the American people'" and understands "'the message.'" The Republican congressman added that he has had "those conversation behind closed doors with" McCain and expects that he will "follow through on the word that he's given." [Iowa Independent, 9/8/08]

Perhaps Congressman King should watch Univision. During an interview aired this past Sunday, McCain suggested he disagreed with his Party's platform on immigration and legalization of undocumented immigrants, and even suggested he opposed the Republican platform's call to make English the official language and end bilingual education. As the New York Times' editorial board noted, the Republican platform adopted just last week treats "undocumented immigrants as, more or less, criminals." [New York Times, 9/3/08]

"Clearly someone isn't telling the truth, and John McCain owes the voters an explanation," said Democratic National Commitee spokesman Luis Miranda. "Are voters supposed to believe Steve King and the Republican Party platform or should they believe John McCain? This is one more example that John McCain doesn't offer change, he promises more of the same misleading politics of the last eight years."

Below are excerpts of McCain's interview that aired on Univision on Sunday September 7, 2008:

Univision: Senator, the platform of your party says, and I am quoting, "We support the adoption of English as the official language of the United States, and we demand the abolition of bilingual education." Do you agree with this?

John McCain: No, look it's fine with me if English is the official language, because it is our official language, it is. Anyone that comes to this country that wants to move up the economic ladder, we all know has to learn English, is a requirement for citizenship, so we all know that, but the point is...If you want to call it official, it already is official, official or unofficial it is our language, but I come from a state where Spanish was spoken before English, o.k.? So, I cherish Spanish language, our heritage, our culture, our food, everything about our Hispanic culture and that is what I want our party and Americans to do...

Univision: Senator, the last time we talked, you told us that it would take a year or two to secure the border, and then you said we can address the other part of it. Would that include massive legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants in this country?

John McCain: I think it means that we go through a step by step process of allowing people to apply and achieve citizenship in this country, of course. But, I want to point out again; it's a little more complicated.

Univision: It goes against the platform of your party, by the way, because they are against the legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants.

John McCain: My position is very clear, and that was part of our proposal, that I took up twice…So, what we need to do is take the two million according to Chertoff, that have broken laws in our country, and deport or imprison them, they are law breakers. Other people who have come here and have been here for a period of time and are law abiding citizens and are willing to go through a certain process, of course, there is not a twelve million pairs of handcuffs in America. So, we can together republican and democrat work out this issue, provide a path to citizenship, on the principle that they do not take any priority over anyone who came to this country legally, or waited legally...

Univision: Senator Barack Obama told us in an interview that he would present a comprehensive immigration reform to congress during the first year could you match that?

John McCain: Sure, I would do it in the first day, but I was the one who led, I was the one who led with Senator Kennedy, a great political risk to my self.