November 10, 2009

Bill Owens (D-NY): Record for breaking campaign promises

November 7, 2009: Congressman Owens, D-NY

November 7, 2009: Congressman Owens, D-NY

How fast can campaign promises be broken?

According to a home state news outlet, it took Congressman Bill Owens only an hour to break 4 of his campaign promises1. While no reliable record keeping exists, this must be a record or tie for one.

The broken promises of Mr. Owens were as follows:

  1. Cutting Medicare benefits,
  2. Taxing healthcare benefits,
  3. Increasing taxes on the middle class, and
  4. That the “public option” of the healthcare bill2 had no place in it.

Mr. Owens was elected from a predominantly Republican district against a Consevative Party opponent after the Republican candidate quit a few days before the election. The victory was close, and these broken promises might have been critical in swaying undecided voters.

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