Bush Ad Assails Kerry's Economic Record ("troubling" economic record?)

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAMPAIGN_ADS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Bush Ad Assails Kerry's Economic Record

By JENNIFER LOVEN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush began airing a new campaign ad Thursday that accuses Democratic rival John Kerry of a "troubling" economic record, while a pro-Kerry group fired back with a spot accusing Bush of tailoring tax policy to the rich.<snip>

Bush's anti-Kerry ad, also produced in Spanish, accuses him of voting to increase taxes on Social Security benefits and to boost gas taxes by 50-cents-a-gallon, opposing small business tax credits and planning a $900 billion tax hike.

The new (Media - pro Kerry) ad touts Kerry's support for cutting taxes on the middle class, some married couples and families with children and for reversing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

By contrast, the spot says, Bush "raided Social Security to pay for a tax cut for millionaires" and backed tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas.<snip>

Kerry voted for a 4.3-cent increase in the per-gallon gas tax in 1993 as a deficit-reduction measure. A year later, he told the Boston Globe of his "support for a 50-cent increase in the gas tax," but later said he no longer held that view. He also noted that he had never proposed or voted for it.

The ad cites Kerry's 2001 vote against tax credits for small businesses to buy health insurance, but his campaign claims he repeatedly has voted to cut taxes for small businesses.<snip>

and he wants to blame Kerry? He just won't ever take responsibility for anything! What a loser.

economic policy was going to derail the economic turnaround and send the country into possibly the biggest fiscal crisis it has ever faced.

Yah, I remember "The Great Depression II". Don't you? Must be that damn "liberal media" that glossed it over.

Yeah, I remember those lines of people waiting for an interview, when there would be 300 applicants for 1 listing.

leading" statements in the ad.

The ad "Differences," will be in 18 states, English and Spanish, as well as the GOP's favorite national cable channels.

Now the the ad says "Kerry voted to increase taxes on Social Security benefits. And he voted against giving small businesses tax credits to buy healthcare for employees. Kerry even supported raising taxes on gasoline 50 cents a gallon. Now John Kerry's plan will raise taxes by at least $900 billion his first 100 days in office. And that's just his first 100 days."

but a truthful - - for the US Media - that means "less misleading" - review of Kerry's voting record as a senator from Massachusetts might include a bit of context.

Kerry supported Clinton's 1993 budget, which raised taxes on Social Security payments to wealthy beneficiaries (and voted against efforts to repeal the benefits tax in subsequent years), but the tax was part of a budget plan widely credited with helping turn federal budget deficits into surpluses.

On healthcare, Kerry opposed a Republican proposal for business tax credits, but supported Democratic alternatives to make insurance more affordable.

On gas taxes, Kerry was quoted in 1994 as favoring a 50-cent per gallon increase, but later shelved the idea and never introduced it as a bill.

Somehow Kerry's call to repeal of some of the Bush-sponsored tax cuts, including the reductions in income tax rates for families earning more than $200,000 a year, while protecting middle- and lower-income families from any rate increases, seems to be missing.

I wonder if any in the US Media - like those on the 6 o'clock news - will mention the lack of "context"?

:-)