Oregon Public Broadcasting

A conservative anti-tax group in Oregon has hit the airwaves with an ad meant to drum up support to overturn two new tax hikes. But you might be surprised at who the ad features. Salem Correspondent Chris Lehman explains.

The ad starts with an ominous voiceover about Oregon's economy.

Ad Voiceover: “...third highest unemployment rate. A quarter million Oregonians out of work....”

But then it takes an unlikely turn. Democratic President Barack Obama is seen making comments that are seemingly sympathetic to the anti-tax cause.

President Obama: “The last thing we want to do is to raise taxes in the middle of a recession....”

The clip is from an NBC television interview earlier this month. Scott Moore is with Our Oregon, a group that's fighting efforts to overturn the Oregon tax hikes.

Scott Moore: “They have taken President Obama's comments completely out of context and applied what he was talking about on a federal level to a state economy.”

Anti-tax campaign spokesman Pat McCormick says the President's comments do apply to Oregon's situation.

The anti-tax groups have until late next month to get enough signatures to force a referendum on a pair of budget-balancing tax hikes.