WASHINGTON, June 11, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ ----As Obama Travels To Wisconsin, How Will He Explain To Voters His Tax Hikes On Middle-Income Taxpayers And Small Businesses, And Protectionist Trade Policies?

The following was issued today by the Republican National Committee:

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OBAMA'S HIGH TAX PLATFORM WOULD HURT WISCONSIN TAXPAYERS AND THE STATE'S ECONOMY

Obama Has Proposed A Laundry List Of Tax Hikes, But Wisconsin Taxpayers Already Have A Large Enough Tax Burden:

Obama Has Called For Higher Income Taxes, Social Security Taxes, Capital Gains And Dividend Taxes, And Corporate Taxes, As Well As "Massive New Domestic Spending." "Obama's transformation, if you go by his campaign so far, would mean higher income taxes, higher Social Security taxes, higher investment taxes, higher corporate taxes, massive new domestic spending, and a healthcare plan that perhaps could be the next step to a full-scale, single-payer system. Is that what most Americans want, someone who will fulfill a Democratic policy wish list?" (James Pethokoukis, "Barack Hussein Reagan? Ronald Wilson Obama?" U.S. News & World Report's "Capital Commerce" Blog, www.usnews.com, 2/12/08)

Wisconsin Taxpayers Had To Work Until April 24 Of This Year To Pay Off Their Total Federal, State And Local Tax Burden For 2008. "Tax Freedom Day is the day when Americans finally have earned enough money to pay off their total tax bill for the year. In 2008, Wisconsin taxpayers had to work until April 24 to pay their total tax bill, ranking it 14th highest in the nation." (The Tax Foundation Website, www.taxfoundation.org, Accessed 6/11/08)

Obama Has Called For A Tax On Coal And Natural Gas, Which Would Hurt Wisconsin Families And Industries:

Obama Called For A Tax On "Dirty Energy, Like Coal And ... Natural Gas." Obama: "What we ought to tax is dirty energy, like coal and, to a lesser extent, natural gas." ("Q&A With Sen. Barack Obama," San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08)

Wisconsin Relies On Coal For Electricity: Coal Fuels More Than Two-Thirds Of The State's Power Plants. "Coal dominates electricity generation in Wisconsin, fueling more than two-thirds of the State's power plants." (Energy Information Administration Website, tonto.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 6/11/08)

Wisconsin's Residential And Industrial Sectors Rely On Natural Gas: Approximately Two-Thirds Of Wisconsin Households Rely On Natural Gas To Heat Their Homes. "Wisconsin's residential and industrial sectors lead the State's natural gas consumption. Natural gas dominates the home heating market, as roughly two-thirds of Wisconsin households use natural gas as their primary fuel for home heating." (Energy Information Administration Website, tonto.eia.doe.gov, Accessed 6/11/08)

Obama Supports Nearly Doubling The Capital Gains Tax Rate, Which Would Mean A Tax Hike For Many Wisconsin Taxpayers:

Obama Plans To Raise The Capital Gains Tax Rate. Obama: "I think that we can have a capital gains rate that is higher than 15 percent." (CNBC's "Closing Bell," 3/27/08)

Obama May Raise The Tax To As High As 28 Percent. CNBC's Maria Bartiromo: "Right now, as you know, the cap gains tax is at 15%. ... He [Obama] has said, and he told me today, that he won't go above 28%. So we are talking about the possibility of a doubling in the capital gains tax." (CNBC's "Closing Bell," 3/27/08)In 2006, Over 613,000 Wisconsin Taxpayers Reported Capital Gains Income. (Internal Revenue Service Website, "Individual Income And Tax Data, By State And Size Of Adjusted Gross Income, Tax Year 2006," www.irs.gov, Accessed 6/11/08)

Over 272,000 Wisconsin Taxpayers With Adjusted Gross Incomes Under $50,000 Reported Capital Gains. (Internal Revenue Service Website, "Individual Income And Tax Data, By State And Size Of Adjusted Gross Income, Tax Year 2006," www.irs.gov, Accessed 6/11/08)

In 2005, The Average Capital Gains And Dividend Income Reported Per Tax Return In Wisconsin Was $3,876. On Average, It Accounted For 7.79 Percent Of Adjusted Gross Income. ("Dividends And Capital Gains Income Compared To Other Income, 2005," The Tax Foundation, taxfoundation.org, 7/16/07)

OBAMA IS WRONG FOR WISCONSIN'S SMALL BUSINESSES

Small Businesses Are Vital To Wisconsin's Economy:

"Wisconsin Had An Estimated Total Of 447,200 Small Businesses." (Small Business Administration Office Of Advocacy, "2007 Small Business Profile: Wisconsin," www.sba.gov, Accessed 6/11/08)

98 Percent Of Wisconsin's Employer Firms Are Small Businesses. "Employer firms totaled 130,000 in 2006, up 1.8 percent from the previous year. Of this total, an estimated 98.0 percent, or 127,400 were small." (Small Business Administration Office Of Advocacy, "2007 Small Business Profile: Wisconsin," www.sba.gov, Accessed 6/11/08)

Small Businesses Have Employed Over 53 Percent Of Wisconsin's Non-Farm Private Labor Force - Which Is Above The National Average. "Small firms employed 53.9 percent of the state's non-farm private labor force in 2004, which was above the national average of 50.9 percent." (Small Business Administration Office Of Advocacy, "2007 Small Business Profile: Wisconsin," www.sba.gov, Accessed 6/11/08)

Obama's Payroll Tax Hike Would Hurt Wisconsin's Small Businesses:

Obama Supports Lifting The Earnings Cap On Payroll Taxes. Obama: "I think that lifting the cap is probably going to be the best option." (Sen. Barack Obama, Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Hanover, NH, 9/26/07)

Small Business Owners Would Be Significantly Affected By Lifting The Earnings Cap. "Small businesses would be particularly hard hit. In fact, about one-third of the workers affected by raising the cap would be small business owners." (Michael Tanner, "Keep The Cap," The Cato Institute, www.cato.org, 6/8/05)

"The Self-Employed Would Be Subject To A Double Whammy, Since They Pay Both The Employee And Employer Portion Of The Payroll Tax." (Editorial, "Caps Off For Obama," Investor's Business Daily, 9/25/07)

Obama's Income Tax Hike Would Hurt Wisconsin's Small Businesses:

Obama Would Roll Back The Tax Cuts On Americans Earning Over $250,000. Obama: "[I] would roll back the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000." (Sen. Barack Obama, CNN Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)

"The Clear Implication Is That Raising The U.S. Personal Income Tax Rates Would Also Stunt Small Business Entrepreneurship. Yet This Is Precisely What All Of The Democratic Presidential Candidates ... Propose." (Editorial, "Corporate Tax War," The Wall Street Journal, 12/4/07)

At Least 55 Percent Of Small Businesses File Their Taxes As Individuals. "Small businesses and individual entrepreneurs are the driving force of rapid innovation and economic growth in this country. At least 55% of them file their taxes as individuals." (Editorial, "Caps Off For Obama," Investor's Business Daily, 9/25/07)

A Significant Percentage Of U.S. Taxpayers That Fall Into The Top Income Tax Bracket Are Small Businesses. "Overall, 28 percent of all taxpayers in the 'richest' fifth (or quintile) report business income. At even higher income levels, however, the percentage of taxpayers with business income increases. Of those taxpayers exposed to the highest individual tax rate (39.6 percent in 1999), 62 percent have business income. The nearby chart displays the distribution of business income by taxpayer group." (Scott A. Hodge, "Own A Business? You May Be Rich: Two-Thirds Of Taxpayers Hit By Highest Tax Rate Have Business Income," www.taxfoundation.org, 5/5/03)

Obama's Health Care Plan Includes A Mandate That Amounts To A Tax On Employers, Which Would Depress Worker Wages And Force Employers To Eliminate Jobs:

Obama's Health Care Plan Calls On Employers That Don't Provide Insurance To Forfeit A Percentage Of Their Payroll. Obama For America: "Employers that do not offer meaningful coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan." (Obama For America Website, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/8/08)

"Mandates That Require Employers To Provide Health Benefits Or Pay A Percentage Of Their Payrolls As A Tax -- A Proposal Backed By Sens. Hillary Clinton And Barack Obama -- Would Result In Lower Wages For Some Employees." (Guy Boulton, "Better Benefits Or Higher Wages?" The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/5/08)

Harvard Economist Amitabh Chandra Said The Employer Mandate Could "Force Employers To Eliminate Jobs, Raise Prices Or Move Jobs To Foreign Countries." "'The populist view is this will only come out of profits,' said [Amitabh] Chandra, the Harvard economist. But, ultimately, the money will come out of wages. 'And, worse, for some people, it can't come out of wages,' he said. Some low-wage jobs simply can't support the cost of health insurance, now estimated at more than $12,000 a year for family coverage. For this reason, Chandra said, a mandate would force employers to eliminate jobs, raise prices or move jobs to foreign countries." (Guy Boulton, "Better Benefits Or Higher Wages?" The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/5/08)

Small Businesses Would Be Hardest Hit. "The biggest impact would be on small businesses, which are less likely to offer health benefits, and industries that employ more low-wage workers." (Guy Boulton, "Better Benefits Or Higher Wages?" The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5/5/08)

OBAMA IS WRONG FOR WISCONSIN ON FREE TRADE

Wisconsin's Economy Benefits From Free Trade As Exports Have Increased 67 Percent Since 2003:

Wisconsin's Exports Totaled $19.2 Billion In 2007, Up 67 Percent Since 2003. "Wisconsin's export shipments of merchandise in 2007 totaled $19.2 billion, up 67 percent from 2003, and above the 61 percent expansion in total U.S. exports of goods during this period. Wisconsin ranked 18th among the states in total export shipments in 2007." (Office Of Trade And Industry Information, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department Of Commerce, "Wisconsin: Exports, Jobs, And Foreign Investment," 5/29/08)

Wisconsin Exported To 209 Destinations In 2007, And Its Largest Foreign Markets Were NAFTA Members Canada And Mexico. "Wisconsin exported to 209 foreign destinations in 2007. The state's largest market, by far, is Canada. In 2007, Wisconsin posted exports of $5.8 billion to Canada, or 30 percent of the state's total export shipments. Canada was followed by Mexico ($1.9 billion), China ($1.2 billion), the United Kingdom ($723 million), and Germany ($661 million)." (Office Of Trade And Industry Information, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department Of Commerce, "Wisconsin: Exports, Jobs, And Foreign Investment," www.ita.doc.gov, 5/29/08)

Obama's Protectionism Is Wrong For Wisconsin:

"On The Record So Far, Mr. Obama Is The Most Protectionist U.S. Presidential Candidate In Decades." (Editorial, "Change You'll Have To Pay For," Wall Street Journal Asia, 5/28/08)

Obama Pledged To Renegotiate NAFTA With The Threat Of A "Potential Opt-Out." NBC's Tim Russert: "A simple question. Will you as president say to Canada and Mexico, this [NAFTA] has not worked for us, we are out?" Obama: "I will make sure that we renegotiate in the same way that Senator Clinton talked about, and I think actually Senator Clinton's answer on this one is right. I think we should use the hammer of a potential opt-out as leverage to ensure that we actually get labor and environmental standards that are enforced." (Sen. Barack Obama, MSNBC Democrat Presidential Debate, Cleveland, OH, 2/26/08)

Obama: "Well, I Don't Think NAFTA Has Been Good For America - And I Never Have." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Loraine, OH, 2/24/08)

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