Did Obama Vote 94 Times for Higher Taxes?

I am aware of an amazing amount of misinformation out there which serves to distract and divide us rather than inform, empower, and unite. My perspective is that it is important to continue to research deeply and share with one another the facts as best as we know them -- and to do so with an intention that is rooted in the value of placing principles before personalities. May we join together in growing numbers to promote the well-being of all. Peace ~ Molly

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Fact Check: Did Obama vote 94 times for higher taxes?

September 21, 2008
From CNN's Josh Levs

Did Obama vote to raise taxes more than 90 times?
The statement: "He said he won't raise taxes for most people, but he's voted 94 times in his short Senate career for tax increases and against tax cuts."-Sen. John McCain, at a campaign stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Friday Sept. 19, 2008

Check out the facts after the jump!
The facts: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. Key findings:
-23 were against proposed tax cuts
-7 were "for measures that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on a relative few, either corporations or affluent individuals"
-11 were to increase taxes on people making more than $1 million a year, to help fund programs such as Head Start, school nutrition, or veterans' health care
-53 were votes on budget resolutions or amendments that "could not have resulted by themselves in raising taxes," though many "were clear statements of approval for increased taxes"
- The total includes multiple votes on the same measures

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.

Filed under: Fact Check

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"Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are." -- Hafsat Abiola