Senator John McCain’s persistence in repeating demonstrably false charges against Senator Barack Obama sets a new low in presidential politics. Even in the debate, with Obama standing beside him, he did it again and again.

When McCain says Obama would raise taxes on the middle and working classes, he is not telling the truth. In fact, Obama wants to rewrite the tax code to benefit the middle class instead of corporations and the very wealthiest. His progressive tax plan would not raise any taxes on couples with an adjusted gross income under $250,000 a year or on single people with an adjusted gross income under $200,000. Not income taxes. Not capital gains taxes. Not dividend taxes. Not payroll taxes. In fact, 95% of families with children and/or 81% of households would see a tax cut under his plan. Obama also wants to zero capital gains on small businesses and eliminate income taxes on those elderly recipients on Social Security making less than $50,000 a year. The Tax Policy Center, which has done the most detailed analysis of both candidates’ proposals, says that for the bottom 80% of the population (those households making $118,000 or less), McCain’s plan would mean a net savings of $200 a year on average, while Obama’s plan would bring in $900 a year.

McCain’s claim that Obama would raise taxes on those making $42,000 needs qualification. McCain is referring to a provision in a past budget resolution that would have allowed the 25% tax bracket to return to 28%. Obama did vote for the resolution, but taxes would not have been altered without additional legislation. The claim is moot now, because Obama’s current plan would not raise the rate on that tax bracket. The Tax Policy Center, which has done the most detailed analysis of both candidates’ proposals, says that for the bottom 80% of the population (those households making $118,000 or less), McCain’s plan would mean a net savings of $200 a year on average, while Obama’s plan would save $900 a year. So, in fact, Obama is the real tax cutter in this campaign.

When McCain says Obama proposes a government-run health care system, he is not telling the truth. Obama’s plan does not require everyone, or even anyone, to be covered by a nationalized system. His is a market-based system with added options. People can choose to keep their current private plan, choose a different private plan, or participate in an expanded government program. Obama’s plan would mandate coverage for children only. He would offer subsidies to make insurance affordable for those in need. And, he would implement oversight and regulation of the drug and insurance industries. It may be notable that McCain himself has almost always been covered by a government, taxpayer-financed health care plan, as a member of the military and Congress.

When McCain says Obama opposes offshore drilling and nuclear power, he is not telling the truth. McCain repeats this charge even after almost 40 million people watching the Democratic convention heard Obama say he was open to both, if done cleanly and safely, and as part of a larger effort to shift to renewable energy. Obama’s record shows he consistently accepts opportunities to support alternative and renewable energy, unlike that of McCain. McCain generally has declined to vote for incentives and tax credits.

The truth can be elusive. Campaigns today are about manipulation and messaging, branding and marketing. Obviously, we voters need to remain skeptical and proactive. We need to check candidates’ official Web sites, seek information from experts and academicians, rely on reputable and impartial news organizations, and research facts on Web sites such as FactCheck.org and PolitiFact.com. The stakes are too high now to get it wrong. I will be voting for the Obama-Biden ticket in November. I wholeheartedly believe this team is on the right side of the issues and demonstrates the right leadership qualities for our times. I am also disappointed with the way McCain has conducted himself and his campaign.

I understand why McCain’s strategists believe their candidate can’t win on the merits of the issues, given the almost catastrophic situations our country faces both at home and abroad. These disasters are a direct culmination of the Bush-McCain worldview, ideology and policymaking. It’s too late for McCain to run away from all of that now. And it certainly doesn’t excuse resorting to lies, manufactured controversies, phony outrage, scare tactics, smears, risky stunts and petty distractions. I believe that McCain is running a dishonest campaign which is beneath him. He grossly misrepresents Obama’s policies and positions and relentlessly and unfairly assaults Obama’s character.
Even after he has been called on it. He has blamed Obama for everything from the high gasoline prices to the bailout breakdown, at the same time calling for unity and bipartisanship. At his most egregious, McCain said Obama would “rather lose the war, than lose an election.” It seems obvious to me that McCain would rather lose his moral standing and good name than lose an election. By sticking to the same destructive Rovian tactics Republicans have used to win before,and standing by the most consequential of Bush bad policies, McCain has not shown himself to be the maverick he believes he is.

That biggest lie of all is the one he tells himself.

Minnette Pereira
St. Louis