Mitt Romney Watch: Tax FLIP for MITT

Republican presidential hopeful, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, shakes hands with customers during a campaign stop at MaryAnn’s Diner in Derry, N.H., Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007.

There HE goes again – another FLIP FOR MITT.

Romney ad: Pledge not to raise taxes

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney planned to continue hammering his rivals on Friday, starting a new radio ad in New Hampshire that touts his promise not to raise taxes.

Romney, who has seen his polling lead in New Hampshire evaporate in recent months, reminds voters in his new 60-second ad that he has signed a pledge not to raise taxes.

The ad:

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=_rjuw4M78UU[/youtube]

“For years, conservative candidates for president signed their name on the dotted line, pledging to oppose tax increases,” Romney says in the ad that starts on Friday. “I’m proud to be the only major candidate for president to sign the tax pledge. The others have not.”

The ads come after back-to-back days of trading jabs between Romney and fellow GOP candidate Rudy Giuliani. The pair spent Thursday in a sharp exchange over their tax and spending records.

In Romney’s new ad, he notes he signed the no-taxes pledge because voters deserve to know where he stands — and, by contrast, where former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain do not.

“We’ve got to get taxes down. And grow our economy,” Romney says. “I believe it’s not fair that you have to pay taxes when you earn your money, when you save your money and when you die.

“I stood firm to roll back taxes as governor. I’ll roll back taxes as president,” says Romney, who was unable to cut taxes while leading Massachuset

But, is Mitt Romney telling the truth? He opposed taking tax pledges in 2002.

Romney’s anti-tax stance doesn’t exactly mesh with his 2002 record. In that year, his spokesman called such pledges “government by gimmickry.” His critics also note taxes and fees in Massachusetts went up about $700 million.

Let’s look deeper into Mitt’s Massachusetts tax history:

• In 2002, Romney Refused To Sign “No-New-Taxes” Pledge, Breaking With His GOP Predecessors And Earning Praise From Boston Globe For Keeping Tax Hike Option Open. (Scott Helman, “Romney Finds ‘No New Taxes’ Promise Suits Him After All,” The Boston Globe, 1/5/07; Editorial, “Romney’s Realism,” The Boston Globe, 3/29/02)

• “Romney’s Gubernatorial Campaign Spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, Dismissed Such Pledges At The Time As ‘Government By Gimmickry.’” (Scott Helman, “Romney Finds ‘No New Taxes’ Promise Suits Him After All,” The Boston Globe, 1/5/07)

• Former Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci: Mitt Romney had no broad based tax cuts. He had a sales tax holiday which is about the best you can say in a capital gains reduction. And the tax burden actually went up 10% during his time because he closed a lot of loopholes. And talk about hypocrisy, one of the loopholes he closed was that he increased income taxes on people who did not reside in Massachusetts but were employed or had a business in Massachusetts. He actually increased taxes on those people…..this really is about who has the determination to get things done because you know Mitt Romney said he was going to cut the income tax from 5.3% to 5%. That was one of his platforms as he came in and when he left as Governor of Massachusetts, the income tax was still 5.3%. I was able to cut it from 5.95 down to 5.3 because I was determined to get there just like Rudy Giuliani was determined to get there in New York City even though he had an overwhelmingly Democratic City Council. So I think the record is clear. Rudy Giuliani cut taxes, broad base tax relief for the families in New York, for the businesses in New York. Mitt Romney did not cut taxes in Massachusetts.

So, did Mitt FLIP on the No New Tax Pledge?

And, now, how can he hypocritically question Rudy and John McCain on not taking a pledge that he has previously dismissed and ridiculed as a GIMMICK?

Another oddity, like the rest:

Flip on Abortion

Campaign finance reform

Flip on Gay Marriage

Lied about hunting

Scientology book one of his favorites

Poor Mitt’s Dog

Jay Garrity Trooper Flap

The Robert Lichfield FLAP

None of Mitt’s five adult sons had served in the military

Health Care 2.0 Flip Flop

PhoneyFred.org Flap

Chalk up another one for FLIPPER Mitt………

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