Oh Baby That's What I Like!: McCain, Thompson, & All Democratic Candidates Fail to Sign No-Tax Pledge

Thursday, January 17, 2008

McCain, Thompson, All Dems Fail to Make No-Tax Pledge


   All but two GOP presidential candidates have committed to voters to

oppose income tax increases

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For two decades,

Americans for Tax Reform has asked all presidential and federal candidates

to commit to their constituents, in writing, to oppose any and all efforts

to raise income taxes. On the presidential level, every Republican nominee

since Ronald Reagan has made this commitment, including President George W.

Bush. In the current Congress, 42 Senators and 195 members of the House of

Representatives have made this commitment, including Nevada Sen. John

Ensign and Reps. Dean Heller and Jon Porter.

    Among the 2008 presidential field, all but two of the Republican

candidates -- Sens. John McCain and Fred Thompson -- have made this

commitment to the American people, while none of the Democrats have done

so. Sen. McCain signed the Pledge as a candidate for president in 2000, and

has signed and kept the Pledge as a Senator.

                    2008 Presidential Candidates

           Name               Party           Taxpayer Protection Pledge

                            Affiliation                   Status

    Rudolph Giuliani        Republican                     Yes*

    Mike Huckabee           Republican                     Yes

    Duncan Hunter           Republican                     Yes

    John McCain             Republican                     No

    Ron Paul                Republican                     Yes

    Mitt Romney             Republican                     Yes

    Fred Thompson           Republican                     No

    Hillary Clinton          Democrat                      No

    John Edwards             Democrat                      No

    Dennis Kucinich          Democrat                      No

    Barack Obama             Democrat                      No

    Bill Richardson          Democrat                      No

    *Giuliani did not sign the Pledge per se, but has put in writing his

commitment to oppose and veto all tax increases (as did George W. Bush) and

ATR considers this to achieve the spirit and letter of the Pledge.

    Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and

taxpayer groups who oppose all tax increases. For more information or toarrange an interview please contact John Kartch at jkartch@atr.org or via

telephone at 202-785-0266.

Oh Baby That's What I Like!