McCain Spokesperson Says McCain Would Increase Taxes On Oil Companies

Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign has long pushed lofty rhetoric claiming McCain will “stand up” to oil companies (despite the fact that he is offering $4 billion in tax cuts to Big Oil). In an interview on Fox Business channel Tuesday, McCain economic spokesperson Taylor Griffin claimed McCain favors repealing the tax giveaways to Big Oil from the 2005 energy bill:

Q: I’m just saying is he for taking away the tax breaks for big oil?

GRIFFIN: Yes!

Q: He is for that?

GRIFFIN: Yes. The tax breaks in the 2005 energy bill, Senator McCain believes they should be repealed, yes.

Watch it:

Griffin’s statement may anger McCain’s anti-tax base again because it suggests McCain is supporting raising taxes on oil companies. “In McCain’s mind, the removal of the tax provision — a manufacturing tax credit — is tantamount to a tax hike,” Marc Ambinder explained.

For example, McCain won’t support the “Gang of 10” energy compromise, which would roll back $13 billion in oil company tax breaks, because “he cannot and will not support legislation that raises taxes,” according to a spokesperson.

Furthermore, McCain has rejected efforts to repeal the 2005 tax breaks. In 2007, McCain failed to vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the Energy Independence and Security Act, which would have ended $13 billion in Big Oil tax breaks. A “spokesperson said that he would not have supported breaking the filibuster,” Forbes reported.

So, does McCain — who rails against rolling back Bush’s tax cuts and has pledged “no new taxes” — support a tax hike?