Opinion: White House’s Gibbs repeats, again and again, pledge on middle-class tax hike
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One could understand their confusion—the White House reporters, we mean. As the Ticket reported earlier today, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and chief economic advisor Lawrence Summers suggested on Sunday talk shows that the Obama administration might be eyeing new taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had another view: “I want to just state again clearly here that the president has made a very clear commitment to not raise taxes on middle-class families, period,” Gibbs said.
That did not satisfy the White House press corps. This led to some exchanges with Gibbs that, depending on the point of view, were vigilant, thorough or redundant. The following examples are taken from a White House transcript, the reporters indicated by ‘Q.’
Q: So did Geithner and Summers go off-script or were they sort of testing the temperature out there of what something like this would -- GIBBS: I don’t know. I know the president has been clear about his commitment on it. Q: So there is no -- there’s no real scenario there, as the administration sees it, where middle-class taxpayers might be hit with a hike? There’s no scenario right now -- GIBBS: The President has been clear, very clear. Q: Could I make that even a little more precise? The president, as you well know, is -- not just middle class, but he’s been very precise about it: no family -- GIBBS: Let me be precise. Q: Go ahead. GIBBS: Let me be precise: The president’s clear commitment is not to raise taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year.
You get the idea. But just to be perfectly clear, a reporter tried again.
Q: So any implication anybody drew from Geithner and Summers yesterday to the contrary is flatly wrong? GIBBS: I think the president has been clear. I think you heard him reiterate it not that long ago right outside this room in the Rose Garden.
On and on it went, the reporters returning to Geithner and Summers, Gibbs repeating his answer, or another variation on it. Before they finally branched off to a new topic — a healthcare bill — a reporter tried one more time.
Q: The door is not open even a millimeter on raising taxes? GIBBS: I hope you’ll take seriously what I said.
-- Steve Padilla
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