Former RNC Chair Michael Steele threw a major wrench in the Romney campaign's efforts to dismiss as biased a study showing his plan would raise taxes on middle-class Americans. "I don't think necessarily they can" dismiss the study, Steele said on The Ed Show Wednesday night.
The study in question, released Wednesday by the Brookings Institution and the Tax Policy Center, found that under Romney's tax plan, 95% of Americans would see a $500 tax increase on average.
President Obama was quick to jump on the study and attack Romney on the numbers today. The Romney campaign hit back, saying that "President Obama continues to tout liberal studies calling for more tax hikes and more government spending."
But, as guest host Michael Eric Dyson noted, during the primary Romney cited analysis from what he called the "objective" Tax Policy Center to slam a proposal by Rick Perry. Indeed, a Romney campaign press release at the time said, referring to the Tax Policy Center: "Objective, Third-Party Analysis Showed Governor Perry’s Plan Would Raise Taxes On Millions Of American Families – But He Doesn’t Seem Interested In The Discussion."
Steele, formerly the head of the Republican party, agreed.
Asked by Dyson whether the Romney campaign can so easily dismiss the study, Steele replied: "Well I don't think necessarily they can. I think they have to take it into account. Particularly if they referenced this organization in the past as legitimate and stand-up, with respect to analysis given about someone else's work."