[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          NATIONAL MEDIA SHOW DOUBLE STANDARD ON TAX PROMISES

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during the Presidential campaign, 
then-Senator Obama made a firm pledge that, ``No family making less 
than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase.'' The 
nonpartisan fact-checkers of Politifact say the administration broke 
that promise, but the national media have collectively yawned in 
response.
  In comparison, when former President George H.W. Bush broke his 1988 
``Read my lips, no new taxes'' pledge, the national media heavily 
criticized him. The New York Times described President Bush's pledge as 
``the seminal six words of his Presidency,'' and said it helped 
eliminate ``any plausible leadership path.'' The L.A. Times said it was 
one of several factors that ``ended the GOP stranglehold on tax 
policy.'' The national media should hold President Obama to the same 
standard, not give him a free pass.

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