Georgia leaders respond to Obama visit

Georgia Leaders Respond to Barack Obama’s Visit to GeorgiaJuly 8, 2008 Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and Speaker Glenn Richardson today released the following statements in response to Barack Obama’s visit to Georgia.Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle stated:“I’m disappointed that Barack Obama didn’t take the opportunities to address the questions on the minds of Georgian voters. With Georgian families and small business struggling, why was Obama proposing raising the income tax? Why is he proposing raising the social security tax, along with capital gains tax, proposing a raise in the dividend tax? Obama seems to want to raise every tax. Why did Obama vote twice in 2008 to raise income taxes for people making just $32,000 a year? Why did Obama request $97.4 million for earmarked pork projects in 2007? Before Georgians should be asked to vote for the freshman senator from Illinois, they deserve to have these questions answered.”Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson pointed out that: “While Barack Obama’s pre-ticketed audience of supporters may have been impressed by his high flying rhetoric, I have a feeling that voters across the state are trying to figure out how they can afford his brand of ‘change’. Drivers filling up their cars are puzzled by his opposition to gas tax relief and his contention that the only problem with our high gas prices is that they went up too quickly and that he would have preferred a gradual increase. The 859,500 small businesses in Georgia are disappointed to hear that he plans to raise their payroll taxes. Taxpayers making $32,000 a year and up are wondering why he voted twice last year to raise their income taxes. Georgians deserve more than well delivered lines in a rehearsed speech. They deserve the kind of leadership Senator McCain will provide as our nation’s 44th President.”NOTE: Audio of Lieutenant Governor Cagle’s statement is attached.For more information contact:Ben FryGeorgia Republican Partybfry@gagop.org(404) 257-5559Governor Sonny Perdue today released the following statement in response to Barack Obama’s visit to Georgia.July 8, 2008 “There’s one thing I know for certain - Georgia voters are smart. Georgians notice when you campaign on tax relief for the middle class, but vote twice this year to raise taxes on Americans making as little as $32,000 a year. They pay attention when one candidate, Barack Obama, requested $97.4 million in pork projects last year, while John McCain was leading the fight against wasteful spending. Obama’s television ads can’t hide the facts; his rhetoric can’t hide reality - he’s an inexperienced freshman Senator who is out of touch with Georgia values.”“As Governor of a state with a balanced budget requirement, I applaud Senator McCain’s commitment to balancing the federal budget by 2013. Georgians know that this requires leadership, fiscal discipline, and making the same tough choices our families face every day. His long record of leadership on crucial issues and consistent stand against wasteful earmark spending give him the credibility to implement his plan of economic growth, to control spending, and to reform entitlement programs in a bipartisan fashion. I look forward to working with Senator McCain to balance the federal budget and regain the trust of American taxpayers.” For more information contact:Ben FryGeorgia Republican Party(404) 257-5559bfry@gagop.orgStatement of Georgia Republican Party Chairman on Obama’s VisitJuly 8, 2008 Georgia Republican Party Chairman Sue P. Everhart today released the following statement in response to Barack Obama’s visit to Georgia.“With Barack Obama back in town to raise money as the first major candidate since Watergate to use private funds in the General Election, I hope Georgians will get an opportunity to pose some very important questions. We deserve to hear from Obama himself why he twice voted to raise taxes on people making as little as $32,000 earlier this year, why he has voted for higher taxes 94 times during his short career in the Senate, and why he recently said that his only problem with gas prices was that they went up too quickly.The choice voters face in November is clear. Will they vote for Barack Obama, an untested freshman Senator who believes we can tax our way to economic growth, or will they cast a ballot for Senator John McCain, who after a lifetime of putting our nation’s interests before his own understands the challenges facing families and small businesses?”For more information contact:Ben FryGeorgia Republican Party(404) 257-5559bfry@gagop.org'DocumentationObama voted twice in favor of the Democrats' FY 2009 budget resolution. (S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #85, Adopted 51-44: R 2-43; D 47-1; I 2-0, 3/14/08, Obama Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #142: Adopted 48- 45: R 2- 44; D 44- 1; I 2-0, 6/4/08, Obama Voted Yea) "Under both Democratic plans, tax rates would increase by 3 percentage points for each of the 25 percent, 28 percent and 33 percent brackets. At present, the 25 percent bracket begins at $31,850 for individuals and $63,700 for married couples. The 35 percent bracket on incomes over $349,700 would jump to 39.6 percent." (Andrew Taylor, "Presidential Hopefuls To Vote On Budget," The Associated Press, 3/13/08)Obama voted at least 94 times for higher taxes in the U.S. Senate. To date, Obama has voted for a tax increase approximately once every five days Congress has been in session. (RNC Research; The Library Of Congress Website, thomas.loc.gov, Accessed 6/8/08) Obama said he would have preferred a gradual increase in gas prices. Obama: "Well, I think that we have been slow to move in a better direction when it comes to energy usage. And the president, frankly, hasn't had an energy policy. And as a consequence, we've been consuming energy as if it's infinite. We now know that our demand is badly outstripping supply with China and India growing as rapidly as they are. So..." CNBC's John Hardwood: "So could these high prices help us?" Obama: "I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment. The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing." (CNBC's "Your Money, Your Vote," 6/10/08)