Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
stated on February 11, 2008 in an RNC Web site feature where you can send a GOP valentine from your favorite Democrat:

RNC version of a Hillary Clinton valentine: “Roses are red, violets are blue, I’ll raise your taxes and there is nothing you can do.”

Pants on Fire!

Hunk of burning love

Its presidential nominee all but announced, the Republican National Committee is ready for the next challenge: love note writing.

In a feature on its

Web site,

the RNC offers up free gifts for Valentine’s Day. That is, cards from your favorite Democratic opponents.

“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put T and AX together,” coos a sweet valentine from Sen. Hillary Clinton.

“My liberal heart bleeds for you,” intones Sen. Barack Obama.

Six options await the last-minute shopper — and you can send it to 10 people at once!

Many can appreciate the messages’ snide sentiments, but here’s the problem: While most of the Valentines are cute twists on criticisms of the two candidates, one is simply untrue.

It’s a Clinton valentine that reads: “Roses are red, violets are blue, I’ll raise your taxes and there is nothing you can do.”

PolitiFact checked an earlier claim from the RNC that Clinton’s campaign proposals would cost taxpayers more than $777.6-billion. We found that to be

Mostly True.

And Clinton has said she supports letting the Bush tax cuts of 2001 expire as scheduled in 2010 for people making more than $250,000 a year. Critics point to that as a sign she plans to raise taxes as president.

But it’s the “there is nothing you can do” line that draws the Truth-O-Meter’s attention.

Since when can a president raise taxes without the approval of Congress? And aren’t voters encouraged to speak up about policies they oppose?

We gave a Pants on Fire ruling to former presidential candidate John Edwards when he claimed

king-like powers

for the presidency. The RNC now makes a similar claim.

Maybe the RNC should stick to the biting sarcasm of such sentiments as “On this Valentine’s Day … may higher taxes come your way!” (a Clinton card offering) or “Will you be my Valentine? Yes … no … present” (a shot at Obama’s voting record in the Illinois state Senate).

Or consider adding fact sheets with footnotes to its Valentines. For this day, it’s Pants on Fire wrong.

Our Sources

Republican National Committee, RNC: Valentine's Day Cards

McClatchy Newspapers, Clinton's 'fiscal responsibility' a sham, critics say, by Matt Stearns, Nov. 27, 2007

Office of the Clerk — U.S. Capitol, How does a bill become law?

New York Times, Democratic debate transcript, Jan. 5, 2008

HillaryClinton.com, Issues, Strengthening the middle class

CNN.com, Democratic debate transcript, Jan. 31, 2008

Interview via e-mail with Amber Wilkerson, RNC spokesman

Hunk of burning love

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts



stated on January 20, 2026 an op-ed


Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office


Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts





Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino