Hall to Crawford: come clean, which Crawford do we believe? Hall challenges Congressman to a debate

State Representative Clark Hall called on Congressman Rick Crawford to explain his repeated record of flip-flopping on tax policy today just as Rick Crawford reversed himself yet again leaving Arkansas unclear of where he stands on the issues. Hall challenged Crawford to a debate of his record.

“How do we know which Rick Crawford to believe?  It’s time he comes clean. The people of Arkansas’s First Congressional District deserve a principled representative who they can trust. When Crawford voted against a $1,000 payroll tax cut on six different occasions and called it ‘irresponsible,’ he voted against hard working families struggling to pay for gas and groceries. When he called a 23 percent national sales tax an ‘interesting concept,’ he spoke against Arkansas families, Arkansas jobs, and fiscal responsibility,” Hall said.

Crawford previously called the dubiously dubbed “fair tax” an interesting concept and said that the flat tax proposal was “a good idea.”  

“Rick Crawford thinks taking all sides of an issue and holding one’s finger up to the political wind will help his election chances. In reality, it’s political cowardice, and the only compromise Rick Crawford has shown willingness for is a compromise of his principles,” Hall said.

Hall challenged Crawford to a debate.

“You can’t hide convictions easily, especially in a debate.  That's why I challenge Rick Crawford to a debate.  He may bring anyone of his umpteenth and contradictory economic ideas.  I will bring my proven record and steadfast conviction that serves Arkansas first,” Hall added.   

Crawford Flip Flips Include:

FLIP on Fair Tax:  Crawford Called Fair Tax An “Interesting Concept.” In 2010, Crawford called the Fair Tax, which would enact a 23% national sales tax on all goods and services sold at retail, an “interesting concept.” [Facebook, 4/30/10]

FLOP on Fair Tax: In October 2010, Crawford denied that he had ever suggested that the Fair Tax was worthy of discussion. “I don’t know that I would say that it’s an idea that is worthy of discussion, and I don’t know where that was attributed to. But I would say this, is I have never advocated for a Flat Tax, Fair Tax, anything like that,” 

FLIP on Payroll Tax: In 2011, Crawford voted against the consideration of a payroll tax cut extension for working Americans 6 times and voted to block a bi-partisan Senate plan that would have extended a $1,000 Payroll Tax Cut to 160 Million Americans. With the expiration of the payroll tax cut, Arkansas workers would see a decrease in their take-home pay of $84 a month for those earning $50,000 annually.  Additionally, an estimated 10,400 out-of-work Arkansans would lose long-term federal unemployment benefits by mid-February. [Southwest Times Record, 12/21/11; HR 3630, Vote # 946, 12/20/11; CBS News, 12/20/11; ABC News, 12/20/11; H Res 477, Vote #870, 11/30/11; H Res 479, Vote #889, 12/06/11; H Res 487, Vote #902, 12/08/11; H Res 491, Vote #918, 12/13/11; H Res 493, Vote #925, 12/14/11; H Res 502, Vote #944, 12/20/11]

FLOP on Payroll Tax:  In 2011, Congressman Crawford eventually caved on payroll tax deal because of vulnerability. “Congressman Rick Crawford, likely feeling the heat of the Republican payroll tax cut fiasco, today decided to cave into political reality and called on Speaker Boehner to allow a vote on the Senate payroll tax cut extension plan. Crawford’s decision today caught the attention of the Washington Post’s ‘The Plum Line’ which called him a vulnerable freshman in a competitive district facing a real Democratic challenger.” [Talk Business, 2/17/12]

FLIP on Flat Tax:  While running for Congress in 2010, Rick Crawford said the flat tax proposal was a good idea. According to the Center for Tax Justice, a similar flat tax plan would give the richest one percent at least a $272,730 tax cut. Recently, two Republican Presidential candidates have proposed changing the personal income tax by introducing a “flat tax” that is described as having a single rate at 15-20 percent. “Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s $18.1 trillion tax plan would give the richest one percent of Americans an average tax cut of $391,330” and “Texas Governor Rick Perry’s $10.5 trillion tax plan would give the richest one percent of Americans average tax cut of $272,730.”

FLOP on Flat Tax:  In October 2010, Crawford denied that he had ever suggested that the Flat Tax was worthy of discussion. “I don’t know that I would say that it’s an idea that is worthy of discussion, and I don’t know where that was attributed to. But I would say this, is I have never advocated for a Flat Tax, Fair Tax, anything like that,”