During a televised discussion on national health care reform this morning, Mayor Gavin Newsom told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and conservative pundit Pat Buchanan that he does not support raising taxes to realize reform that includes a public option, saying The City didn’t have to raise them when implementing its own public health care option.

Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski questioned whether the tax comment was a Newsom campaign tactic, as he’s running for California governor. The mayor denied the suggestion.