What was once 250K is now down to 120K
For the second time in a week, a prominent Democrat has downgraded Barack Obama's definition of the middle class -- leading Republicans to question whether he'll stick to his promise not to raise taxes on anyone making under $250,000.
The latest hiccup in the campaign message came Friday morning on KOA-AM, when New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson pegged the middle class as those making $120,000 and under.
"What Obama wants to do is he is basically looking at $120,000 and under among those that are in the middle class, and there is a tax cut for those," Richardson said in the interview, according to a clip posted on YouTube.
There's no indication that Obama has changed his tax policy, which states that anyone making under $200,000 would get a tax cut under his administration, and nobody making under $250,000 would be hit with a tax increase. Richardson actually recited that part of Obama's plan correctly earlier in his radio interview.
But Sarah Palin accused Obama of shifting the threshold Friday afternoon at a rally in York, Pa.
"So now we're down to less than half of the original income level," she said, citing Richardson's interview. "We can't let this happen."
And the Republican National Committee quickly blasted out an e-mail saying, "At this rate, it won't take long until Obama is again raising taxes on Americans making as little as $42,000 a year."
"When Barack Obama comes to your door this Halloween, there will be no treats -- just taxes," the e-mail said.
Joe Biden caused headaches for the campaign Monday when he told a Scranton, Pa., TV station that Obama's tax break "should go to middle class people -- people making under $150,000 a year."
John McCain said the tax threshold was "creeping down," while the Obama campaign accused him of lying about Obama's tax policies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G88ebXY2uaI
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