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All: Hello from the McCain-Palin war room at Belmont University in Nashville. We stand ready to savage your in-boxes with an overflow of truth and justice. While folks are getting set up for tonight’s debate, we want to alert you to one particular set of utterly false Obama attacks that he’s certain to repeat again tonight.

The Obama-Biden campaign has repeatedly charged that John McCain’s health care reform plan represents the “largest increase on middle-class taxpayers in American history,” a charge that virtually every independent fact-checking organization and major news outlet has called “false” and “wrong.” Indeed, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center — which is routinely cited by the Obama campaign on other issues — has said=0 Athere’s no basis for Obama’s attack, and further made clear that middle-class families under McCain’s plan would see their after-tax income rise, with “very generous” tax credits. See below for more on this.

Goldfarb will be blogging at the McCain Report (www.johnmccain.com/mccainreport) and we’ll be here if you need us. Good luck.

OBAMA HEALTH CARE ATTACKS CALLED “FALSE” AND “WRONG”

The Facts:

The Obama Campaign Is “Wrong” About John McCain’s Health Care Plan

· The Associated Press: Obama-Biden Campaign Is “Wrong” In Their Health Care Attacks. “Joe Biden charged Thursday during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania that John McCain’s tax proposals for health insurance would be ‘the largest tax increase in the history of America for the middle class.’ He was wrong.” (Kevin Freking, “Biden Misleads With Accusation Of Tax Increase,” The Associated Press, 9/26/08)

· CNN: Obama Attack Charging That McCain Is Proposing “Largest Increase On Middle-Class Taxpayers In American History” Is “False. Biden’s Characterization Ignores McCain’s Plan To Provide Tax Credits.” “At a campaign stop Thursday, September 25, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Sen. Joe Biden said Sen. John M cCain is ‘proposing the largest increase on middle-class taxpayers in American history.’ Pointing to McCain’s plan to tax what people pay for employer-provided health plans, Biden said, ‘It will cost the middle class over the next four years over one trillion dollars in additional taxes.’ … The facts: McCain’s health-care plan does call for ending the tax-free status of employer-provided health plans. But it also offers a tax credit of $2,500 per individual and $5,000 per family. The McCain campaign says the plan could help give people more choices. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, which the Obama campaign has cited at times to back up some of its assertions about taxes, has analyzed both McCain and Obama’s health-care plans. The center says the McCain tax credits are ‘initially very generous compared with current law.’ So, as CNNMoney reported earlier this month, ‘initially it may be a break for many.’ … Ben Harris with the Tax Policy Center told CNN he sees no basis for Biden’s assertions that McCain’s health plan amounts to the ‘largest increase’ ever on U.S. middle-class taxpayers or that it would cost the middle class over a trillion dollars in taxes over the next four years. Verdict: False. Biden’s characterization ignores McCain’s plan to provide tax credits.” (“Fact Check: Is McCain Proposing The Largest Middle-Class Tax Hike Ever?” CNN, 9/26/08)

· Michael Dobbs, Washington Post Fact Checker: Obama-Biden Has “Mischaracterized” John McCain’s Health Care Plan. “Joe Biden mischaracterized McCain’s proposal for giving Americans a tax credit to pay for their own health insurance programs in return for taxing the health benefits they receive from employers. He suggested that the average American family would lose around $7,000 on the deal, receiving a $5,000 tax credit in return for having to pay $12,000 for their own health care program. In fact, the non-partisan Tax Policy Center has calculated that most American families would come out slightly ahead for the next decade at least.” (Michael Dobbs, “Vice Presidential Debate: St. Louis,” Washington Post Fact Checker, 10/2/08)

· The Associated Press: A Middle Class Family Under John McCain’s Plan Would See Their After-Tax Income Rise. “To take Biden’s comparison one step further, consider his $40,000 family whose insurance cost $12,000. That family is in the 15 percent tax bracket. So, multiplying that additional $12,000 in income by 15 percent means that the family in Biden’s example currently gets an $1,800 federal income-tax break. McCain’s tax break for that family would be $5,000.” (Kevin Freking, “Biden Misleads With Accusation Of Tax Increase,” The Associated Press, 9/26/08)

Despite Earlier Claims That It Would Cost Less, Barack Obama Recently Said His Plan Will Cost $150 Billion

· Barack Obama Said On “60 Minutes” That His Plan Would Cost $150 Billion. CBS’ Steve Kroft: “How much is it going to cost? $150 billion it’s going to cost, right?” Obama: “It is. It is. But we pay for every dime that we propose to spend. I believe in pay as you go. That if you want to propose a new program, you better cut some old ones. If you want to expand a program, then you better figure out where the money’s coming from.” (CBS’ “60 Minutes,” 9/21/08)

· Barack Obama Is “Low-Balling The Cost Of Their Plans” And Ignoring The “Tough-But-Necessary” Measures To Control Costs. “More important, [Obama and Sen. Clinton] might be low-balling the cost of their plans, and neither proposes the kind of tough-but-necessary measures needed to control surging health care costs.” (Editorial, “Candidates’ Health Plans Duck Some Key Questions,” USA Today, 2/19/08)

· HSI Network: Barack Obama’s Health Care Plan Will Cost $243 Billion A Year. Consumers will face an extra burden of $243 billion because of the expected regulatory burdens of the national public plan that would be similar to FEHBP in generosity and benefit design.” (Roger Feldman et al. “Impact of Barack Obama 2008 Health Reform Proposal,” HSI Network, LLC., 8/21/08)