Dan Seals on Taxes

What He Says

"Well let's talk about taxes, I want to lower your taxes." -- Dan Seals, WBBM "At Issue," April 13, 2008.

"I also would not support increasing the capital gains tax." -- Dan Seals, Chicago Tribune Interview, December 11, 2007.

His Record

Supporting the Largest Tax Increase in History:

Dan Seals supported the largest tax increase in American history – roughly $683 billion over 5 years – to finance hundreds of billions in new spending. (Source: Dan Seals Web Site, Supporting House Vote 141, H Con Res 312, 3/13/08)

Dan Seals supported increasing the 10-percent tax rate bracket to 15-percent – a brutal tax hike on more than 6 million low-income individuals and families. (Source: Dan Seals Web Site, Supporting House Vote 141, H Con Res 312, 3/13/08)

Dan Seals supported reimposing the marriage penalty. Roughly 23 million taxpayers would see their taxes increase, on average, by $466 in 2011, because they are married. (Source: Dan Seals Web Site, Supporting House Vote 141, H Con Res 312, 3/13/08)

Dan Seals wanted to cut the child tax credit in half. Approximately 31 million taxpayers would see their taxes increase, on average, by $859 in 2011 – just because they have kids. (Source: Dan Seals Web Site, Supporting House Vote 141, H Con Res 312, 3/13/08)

This is how Dan Seals’ tax plan would affect average Americans:

· Raise taxes by 156 percent on an elderly couple earning $40,000
· Raise taxes by 70 percent on a family of four earning $60,000
· Raise taxes by an average of $1,833 on 116 million taxpayers
· Raise taxes by an average of $2,121 on 84 million women
· Raise taxes by an average of over $3,000 on 48 million married couples
· Raise taxes by an average of $2,323 for 43 million families with children
· Raise taxes by an average of $2,181 on 18 million elderly Americans
· Raise taxes by an average of over $4,000 on 27 million small-business owners
· Force 6 million low-income Americans to start paying taxes

Raising the Capital Gains Tax:

Dan Seals supports S.1111, the Fair Flat Tax Act of 2007 (Seals press release, April 14, 2008). S.1111 would dramatically raise the capital gains tax on most families in the Tenth District. An unmarried individual with an income of $60,000 or more would see his or her capital gain tax increase from 15% to 35%. A married couple filing jointly with an income above $30,000 would see their capital gains tax increase from 15% to 25% -- while a couple earning $120,000 or more would see that tax jump to 35%. Do you want a 10-20% increase in your capital gains tax?

Cutting the Child Tax Credit:

When the Chicago Tribune asked Dan Seals whether he would vote to extend the tax benefit provisions contained in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, Dan Seals said: "No, I would not." (December 11, 2007) That means Dan Seals would cut the child tax credit, hit more Americans with the Alternative Minimum Tax, increase the marriage penalty, raise capital gains taxes and increase marginal income tax rates across the board.

Raising Taxes to Pay for Government-Run Health Care:

Dan Seals has a solution to health care in America: raise taxes to provide government-run health care. Seals told the Chicago Tribune he would like to see a new Medicare program to cover Americans without insurance. How would he pay for it? "If the 47 million can't pay into it, we may have to talk about taxes," Seals said. (December 11, 2007). Dan Seals' solution to health care is raising taxes and making it harder for Tenth District families to afford their health care.

Pushing Jobs Overseas:

Dan Seals supported H.R. 5720, the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 (Seals press release, May 13, 2008). In 2004, Congress took bipartisan action to stop Americas companies from moving their operations out of the U.S. and encourage foreign companies to base their operations in America. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 would end the double taxation levied against multi-national corporations, making the U.S. a friendlier environment to base a corporation and hire American workers. H.R. 5720 would delay the start date of this pro-American jobs policy until 2010. That would mean another year of American companies moving overseas and foreign firms choosing not to invest in America.

Dan Seals on Israel

What He Says

In carefully prepared written statements, Dan Seals says he stands with Israel...

"We must stand firmly and unequivocally with Israel against Iranian aggression." -- Seals Campaign Website

"During the 2006 Lebanon War, I spoke up forcefully in support of Israel." -- Seals Campaign Website

"I am absolutely committed to the safety and security of Israel." -- Seals Campaign Website




His Record


But when he’s not scripted, you never know where Dan really stands…

On Iran:

Dan Seals was asked who he would side with in a war between Israel and Iran. His answer: "I think you come down on the side of peace." Watch the video here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GNA_uuleoJM

On the 2006 Lebanon War:

Dan Seals was asked his position on the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the midst of the 2006 Lebanon War. His answer: "You'll actually increase the number of radical Islam. We need to move toward a ceasefire." Watch the video here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pPuSvhVRN4E&feature=related

On U.S. Support for Israel:

On July 1, 2008 Dan Seals sent campaign workers to record a town hall meeting held by Congressman Mark Kirk in Buffalo Grove. One Seals campaign representative stood up and told the audience that America's image in the world has declined, in part due to America's biased support for Israel.

Keeping Strange Bedfellows:

On May 29, 2008, Dan Seals sent an urgent e-mail plea: "Help Bring General Wes Clark to the District!" Dan Seals asked supporters to help him "Serve with the General." Regarding U.S. policy toward Iran, Wes Clark told the Huffington Post: "The Jewish community is divided but there is so much pressure being channeled from the New York money people to the office seekers." In response, the Washington Editor of the Israeli Newspaper Ha'aretz made this comment: "It is, actually, rather troubling, even scary. People in elite circles somehow came to the conclusion that denouncing the Jewish community and its support for Israel is now becoming acceptable. Walt and Mearsheimer came first, then former president Carter, now Clark."

In 2007, Dan Seals served as a featured "Future Leader" panelist at the YearlyKos Convention in Chicago. DailyKos regularly features anti-Israel and, in some cases, anti-Semitic blog posts. The Convention featured only one panel on foreign policy – and it featured anti-Israel notables including John Mearsheimer and Juan Cole. In an interview at the Convention later posted on YouTube, Cole said, "These are my homies. This is my audience. The bloggers and the blogopshere are really people who know my work."

Also last year, former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. -- a Democrat -- took the founder of DailyKos to task on his Web site's slanders against Jewish-Americans.

Earlier this year, DailyKos named Seals one of its top candidates for 2008. They even set up a fund raising drive for him called "Orange to Blue."

Seals went a step further and took contributions from DailyKos' founder, Markos Moulitsas.

This year, YearlyKos changed its name to "Netroots Nation" and hosted their annual conference in Austin, TX. Seals attended Netroots Nation as a featured "future leader." Seals told Real Clear Politics. "We have a relationship. Long before the Democratic Party was returning my phone calls, we had the interest of the Netroots who quietly discovered our campaign and started writing about it and spreading the word. So that relationship is already there, and I'm indebted to the work of a lot of people who've helped out."

That means Dan Seals is indebted to people who say Iran has a right to attack Israel; people who blame "Apartheid Israel" for trying to start World War III; and people who write a eulogy on the decline and death of Israel.

Overall Experience on U.S.-Israel Issues:

Dan Seals has visited Israel only once in his life -- in the spring of 2006 after he won the Democratic nomination for Congress.

Even Democrats Question His Support:

Former White House Jewish Liaison Jay Footlik ran against Dan Seals in the Democratic primary this year. During their joint appearance before the Chicago Tribune on December 11, 2007, Footlik blasted Seals:

"Footlik: We disagree also as it relates to a comment that my primary
opponent made last time. He was asked in a conflict between Iran and Israel
where he would come down. He said it was a false choice, he'd come down on the
side of peace. I would clearly come down on the side of our allies – one of our
strongest allies in the region – one of our most important strategic
relationships.

Chicago Tribune: Do you think that [Seals] has taken any positions on
tangible issues that would undermine Israel's security?

Footlik: Well if he is not willing to come out forcefully and oppose Iran.
And I don't know that he is not willing to do that, but certainly his statement
saying that he would come down on the side of peace suggests to me that he may
not know what to do."

If fellow Democrats are even questioning Seals' commitment to Israel, don't you think there's a problem here?

FAQs about Dan Seals

Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS WAS A DIRECTOR OF GE COMMERCIAL FINANCE?

A: No. In his May 7, 2007 Financial Disclosure Statement to the U.S. House of Representatives, Dan Seals listed that he was a "Director" of GE Commercial Finance in 2005. The disclosure came in the filing's section on board positions and was separate from his disclosure elsewhere as having earned income from GE Commercial Finance as an employee. However, corporate filings of General Electric do not list Dan Seals as a Director in any year. It's true that he was a Marketing Director, or held a similar title, but that's much different that being a "Director" of a corporation.

Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS IS A PROFESSOR AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY?

A: No. Seals has never been a professor at Northwestern. Seals was hired earlier this year to teach 10 night school sessions at Northwestern's School of Continuing Studies. On January 30, 2008, the Chicago Daily Herald reported that Seals was an "instructor" at the university rather than a "professor." Admitting that he was not in fact a "Professor," Seals told the Daily Herald, "What it might show is I don't know what the proper terms are." On January 31, 2008, Northwestern spokesman Chuck Loebbaka told the Chicago Tribune, "Seals' official title will be lecturer." Seals was not re-hired after his 10 sessions and his 2008 Financial Disclosure with the U.S. House of Representatives shows he was paid only $3,300 for his services -- hardly a Professor's salary.

Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS TAUGHT THOUSAND OF STUDENTS IN JAPAN?

A: No. During a Democratic primary debate at Stevenson High School on January 9, 2008, Seals said, "I began my career as a teacher – well I'd like to think that I had an impact on the thousands of students that I taught." But according to Seals, he spent only two years in Japan. To substantiate his claim of impacting “thousands of students,” Seals would have needed to teach more than one thousand Japanese students per year. Furthermore, if he participated in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program – the most common for Americans teaching in Japan – Seals was actually an “assistant language teacher,” not a “teacher” as claimed.

Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS TRADED FREE GAS FOR VOTES IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW?

A: Yes, as far as TA can tell. From 12 to 1 pm on May 22, 2008, Dan Seals subsidized gasoline purchases for voters seeking to refuel their automobiles at the Marathon Gas Station in Lincolnshire, IL at 435 North Milwaukee Ave. Seals and campaign workers passed out bumper stickers to motorists. Title 18, Section 597 of U.S. Code states, "Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate shall be fined not more than $10,000 under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined not more than $10,000 under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both." Seals was later fined $2,200 by the Lincolnshire Police for the extra police needed to unsnarl the traffic jam caused by the stunt. (Watch the news report on the event)



Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS WAS A PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FELLOW?

A: No. Seals' Web site includes a long-time claim of serving as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF), including a stint as an “economics fellow” in the U.S. Senate. However, the PMF program was founded in 2003 under an Executive Order issued by President Bush. PMF replaced the Presidential Management Internship, a different program in which Seals may have participated. If Seals was a Presidential Management Intern, he could not have served as a “fellow” in a U.S. Senate office.

Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS LIVED IN THE 10TH DISTRICT UNTIL HE WAS REDISTRICTED OUT?

A: No. Dan Seals’ mortgage was recorded with the Recorder of Deeds on July 30, 2002 and Seals first registered to vote at his current address on September 25, 2003. Since redistricting occurred in 2001, Seals has never lived in the 10th District. He moved to the 9th District in 2002 from Chicago.

Q: IS IT TRUE DAN SEALS IS CURRENTLY A BUSINESS CONSULTANT?

A: Not that anyone can substantiate. Since he did not return to GE Finance, Dan Seals has called himself a "business consultant" but has never been able (or willing) to name a client. On December 27, 2007, Seals' primary opponent questioned him on this during an interview with the Chicago Tribune. At that time Seals said, "So, a, I’ve consulted on two projects. I do business consulting and management strategy for mid-sized firms. I am helping a lot of new business here in Chicago." On June 9, 2008, Dan Seals was asked again to name his clients at an appearance before the City Club of Chicago. Seals replied, "My consulting obviously dropped off tremendously since I started running for office." In other words, it appears Dan Seals is unemployed and has no clients -- he just calls himself a "consultant."

Q: DID DAN SEALS REALLY PAY HIMSELF $25,000 OUT OF HIS SPECIAL INTEREST FINANCED CAMPAIGN FUND?

A: Yes. According to Dan Seals' 2007 Financial Disclosures with the U.S. House of Representatives, Seals paid himself $25,000 in salary from Dan Seals for Congress.