FactCheck.org analysis of 2008 primary debates


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EXPLANATORY NOTE by OnTheIssues.org:

FactCheck.org analyses the veracity of statements made during political races. OnTheIssues.org summarizes two sets of analyses:
1. From debates and public speeches
2. From TV & radio advertisements

Following is the self-description of how FactCheck.org works:

[FactCheck.org is] a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org, November 2008

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Abortions HAVE gone down under Pres. Bush.

Budget & Economy     John McCain: FactCheck: $300B mortgage plan shifts burden to taxpayers.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: McCain didn’t “lurch” from “strong” to “crisis”.     John McCain: FactCheck: Yes, “fundamentals are strong” but “threatened”.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: National debt up from $6T to $10T under Bush.     John McCain: FactCheck: Rescue package already has mortgage renegotiation.     John McCain: FactCheck: Obama’s new programs cost $286B; McCain’s $211B.     John McCain: FactCheck: Said--then denied--he needed economics education.     Barack Obama: Voted against limiting credit to 30%, because 30% too high.     Hillary Clinton: Voted to limit credit card interest to 30%.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Consistently against making bankruptcy stricter.

Civil Rights     John McCain: FactCheck: Pay discrimination still subject to time limits.

Corporations     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: No, Obama’s plan won’t tax millions of businesses.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Pushed Wal-Mart for women managers & environment.     Mitt Romney: FactCheck: Closed $174M in corporate tax loopholes.

Crime     Mike Huckabee: FactCheck: AR violent crime rate increased under Huckabee.

Education     Barack Obama: FactCheck: McCain for national reforms & also DC vouchers.     George W. Bush: FactCheck: Yes, NCLB has raised test scores.

Energy & Oil     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: No, Obama has always supported clean coal.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: McCain rejected alternatives 11 times, not 23.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Reluctant on nuclear power in past; now favors it.     John McCain: FactCheck: No, Obama voted for $300M oil tax INCREASE.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Both McCain & Obama plans kill oil tax loopholes.     John McCain: FactCheck: US sends $357B to hostile countries, not $700B.     John McCain: FactCheck: Obama not opposed to nuclear energy; just Yucca.     John McCain: FactCheck: Voted against new investments in renewable energy.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Yes, FTC is investigating gas price manipulation.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Self-contradictory on Bush’s clean-energy plan.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Oil & gas giveaways stripped from final 2005 Bill.     John Edwards: FactCheck: Changed to anti-Yucca before forged documents.     Bill Richardson: FactCheck: No, NH gas prices are not highest ever.

Foreign Policy     Joe Biden: FactCheck: McCain did not refuse to sit down with Spain.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Kissinger opposes presidential meetings with Iran.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Campaign prevented committee meetings, not rules.     John McCain: FactCheck: Obama sought restraint in Georgia; so did Bush.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Accomplished but exaggerated foreign experience.

Free Trade     Ron Paul: FactCheck: NAFTA Superhighway not a conspiracy; it’s I-35.     Hillary Clinton: AdWatch: Supported NAFTA in 1998; opposed CAFTA since 2005.

Government Reform     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, agreed to public financing, then declined it.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, earmarks total $18B in this year’s budget.     John McCain: FactCheck: Killed corrupt $6.8B contract, but reinstated it.     John McCain: FactCheck: Earmarks have gone down in last 5 years.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Worked with McCain on ethics, but bill fell apart.     George W. Bush: FactCheck: Earmark veto threat takes no effect until 2009.     John McCain: FactCheck: $35B in pork meant $484 per child, not $1000.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, Obama cast 130 “present” votes in IL Senate.     John McCain: FactCheck: Claim of “24 years with no earmarks” mostly true.

Gun Control     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, Obama endorsed Illinois handgun ban.

Health Care     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Exempts small business, but no $2,500/yr savings.     John McCain: FactCheck: Plan is $5,000 per family, not $5,000 per person.     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: Obama’s plan does not remove private insurance.     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: McCain’s plan costs $14B/year; not budget-neutral.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: McCain’s plan taxes employees, not employers.     John McCain: FactCheck: Obama’s plan is voluntary for adults.     John McCain: FactCheck: McCain’s $5,000 health tax credit would be taxed.     Hillary Clinton: AdWatch: Got health insurance for six million kids.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Yes, she deserves credit for SCHIP.     Barack Obama: AdWatch: punishing uninsured families doesn’t make sense.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Hillary’s plan does mandate; but so does Obama’s.     George W. Bush: FactCheck: Tax deduction insures at most 9M, & not poorest.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, Obama favored single-payer, despite denial.     Barack Obama: Bring GOP & Dems together to make healthcare affordable.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: No, US costs are not twice as much as others.     Mitt Romney: FactCheck: Untrue that 47M uninsured want to “not play”.     Barack Obama: AdWatch: Pressure insurance & drug companies to change.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: OPPORTUNITY to insure all, but no GUARANTEE.

Homeland Security     John McCain: FactCheck: Pushed for immediate withdrawal from Somalia.     John McCain: FactCheck: Voted against Lebanon deployment, but post-hoc.     Ron Paul: FactCheck: US spends $572B on foreign operations, not $1T.     George W. Bush: FactCheck: Wiretapping authority foiled no terrorist plots.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Promised to repeal Patriot Act, then voted for it.     Rudy Giuliani: FactCheck: Claimed Clinton cut army by 25%; actually was 16%.

Immigration     John McCain: FactCheck: Yes, he has used the word “amnesty” in the past.     Mitt Romney: FactCheck: Yes, his ads DID accuse McCain of “amnesty”.

Jobs     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, wants to limit secret balloting for unions.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, McCain voted for overseas tax deferral, but.     George W. Bush: FactCheck: Yes, 52 months of job growth, but at lower wages.     Rudy Giuliani: FactCheck: Cut unemployment substantially, but not in half.

Principles & Values     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Spoke at ACORN events, as well as court case.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: William Ayres never killed anyone with bombs.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, refused to wear a flag pin, last year.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Ranked most liberal in Senate, based on 99 votes.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Ranked 16th most liberal in Senate.     John McCain: FactCheck: Won NH & SC via independents, but lost GOP vote.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Obama praised GOP for having ideas, not GOP ideas.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Took Rezko’s donations, but never represented him.     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Obama, Bill, & Hillary all praised Ronald Reagan.     Hillary Clinton: AdWatch: Clinton didn’t cause Peter Paul fraud investigation.     Hillary Clinton: AdWatch: “Hillary: The Movie” counts as campaign ad.     Dennis Kucinich: Excluded from debate by Nevada Supreme Court ruling.

Social Security     Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: No, teachers & police won’t pay if cap over $102K.     Fred Thompson: FactCheck: Slower growth of benefits for future retirees.

Tax Reform     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, McCain wants Bush cuts in place after 2011.     John McCain: FactCheck: Obama voted for taxes 76 times, not 94 times.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: McCain did not vote with Obama on tax increase.     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: Undoing Bush tax cut only hits families over $83K.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Voted for non-binding tax increase on $42K income.     John McCain: FactCheck: $7,000-per-child tax EXEMPTION, not tax CREDIT.     Ron Paul: AdWatch: Taxpayer’s best friend: never supported an increase.     Hillary Clinton: AdWatch: cut taxes for the middle class.     George W. Bush: FactCheck: Expiring tax cuts typically cost $828, not $1,800.     John McCain: FactCheck: Against Bush tax cuts in 2003; for them in 2006.     Mike Huckabee: FactCheck: To be revenue-neutral, FairTax raises some taxes.     Mike Huckabee: FactCheck: FairTax does not bring underground into economy.     Mitt Romney: FactCheck: Never opposed 2003 Bush cuts, but never supported.     Rudy Giuliani: FactCheck: Claimed 34% NYC hotel tax cut; actual cut was 14%.     Mike Huckabee: AdWatch: Your worth is from God, not your checking account.     Mike Huckabee: FactCheck: 90 cuts + 23 tax increases: net $505M increase.     Mike Huckabee: AdWatch: Signed first-ever broad-based tax cut in Arkansas.     Mike Huckabee: FactCheck: Passed broad-based tax cut, but not “first ever”.

Technology     Mitt Romney: AdWatch: More change in next 10 years than in 10 centuries.     Mitt Romney: FactCheck: Ludicrous exaggeration to compare 10 centuries.

War & Peace     John McCain: FactCheck: Biden’s plan decentralized Iraq; not 3 countries.     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: Disputed that Obama tried to delay Iraq deal.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Iraqis have $29B surplus, not $79B.     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: No, we’re not back to pre-surge troop levels.     Sarah Palin: FactCheck: No, Afghan general did not say a surge would work.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Iraq has at most $59B surplus, not $79B surplus.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Promised 16-month exit; now 16-month reduction.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Opposes surge--hasn’t produced political solution.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Pakistan has lost 1,200 troops fighting Al Qaeda.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Kissinger says Iran meet ok; but only lower level.     John McCain: FactCheck: Admiral did not call Obama’s plan dangerous.     John McCain: FactCheck: Obama did declare Republican Guard terrorists.     John McCain: FactCheck: Bush vetoed troop bill that Obama voted against.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Overstated displaced Iraqis; actually 4.2 million.     George W. Bush: FactCheck: Troop drawdown of 20,000 still above pre-surge.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: No, violence in Iraq is LOWER than 2 years ago.     John McCain: FactCheck: Yes, criticized Rumsfeld, but not before invasion.     Mike Huckabee: FactCheck: Correct that Romney did support timed withdrawal.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Barack Obama Bill Richardson Dennis Kucinich Fred Thompson George W. Bush Hillary Clinton Joe Biden John Edwards John McCain Mike Huckabee Mitt Romney Ron Paul Rudy Giuliani Sarah Palin