Would They Lie to Us?
Well of course they would. The bigger question is - will so many people continue to believe the lies? The silliness? The outrageousness? Will people grab onto whatever they like to support their fears or uncertainties? I'd like to think not, but . . .
McCLAIN
THE LIE - The McCain campaign 30-second radio ad running in key states says that "McCain-Palin and Congressional allies" support stem cell research.
THE TRUTH - GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin opposed stem cell research in her 2006 gubernatorial race.
THE LIE - The McCain campaign is running a 30-second Spanish-language television ad that says "Obama and his congressional allies say they are on the side of immigrants. But are they? The press reports that their efforts were 'poison pills' that made immigration reform fail."
THE TRUTH - It was the lack of Republican support that killed immigration reform last time around. At a GOP debate in January, McCain said he wouldn't vote for his own immigration bill.
THE LIE - McCain said "I have never asked for a single earmark, pork-barrel project for my state of Arizona." It has become a standard line in his stump speech.
THE TRUTH - In 2006, the nonpartisan Politifact notes that McCain co-sponsored legislation asking for $10 million for the University of Arizona; in 2003, McCain won authorization to buy property to create a buffer zone around Luke Air Force Base in Arizona; and in 1992, McCain asked the EPA to provide $5 million for a wastewater project in Nogales, Ariz.
THE LIE - McCain and Palin often say that Obama will raise taxes on the middle class. A 30-second TV ad released Thursday says he would tax electricity, heating oil and "life savings."
THE TRUTH - "McCain ad misrepresents Obama's tax plan. Again," according to Factcheck.org. Obama's economic plan calls for cuts for middle-income taxpayers and would increase rates only for people with family incomes above $250,000 or for individuals making over $200,000.
THE LIE - In response to this week's economic crisis on CNBC, McCain pointed to his experience as "chair of the Commerce Committee which oversights every part of our economy."
THE TRUTH - the Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee is responsible for the financial institutions that went south this week. Commerce isn't.
THE LIE - McCain said oil imports send "$700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much."
THE TRUTH - the U.S. is on track to import a total of only $536 billion worth of oil at current prices, and close to a third of that comes from Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
PALIN
THE LIE -"Alaska produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy."
THE TRUTH -Alaska's share of domestic energy production was 3.5 percent, according to the official figures kept by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And if by "supply" Palin meant all the energy consumed in the U.S., and not just produced here, then Alaska's production accounted for only 2.4 percent.
THE LIE - "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."
THE TRUTH - Palin actually slashed Alaskan funding for schools for special needs kids by 62%.
THE LIE - Palin on Monday argued in a legal filing that she fired Monegan because he had a "rogue mentality" and was bucking her administration's directives and went on an "unauthorised trip to DC for securing funding for anti-sexual-violence program
THE TRUTH - Palin's office approved the trip to DC.
THE DENIAL - "show me where I have ever said that there's absolute proof that nothing that man has ever conducted or engaged in has had any affect, or no affect, on climate change."
OK - "I'm not a doom and gloom environmentalist like Al Gore blaming the changes in our climate on human activity." (Palin about a year ago).
THE LIE - "As mayor I took a voluntary pay cut, which didn't thrill my husband; and then as governor I cut the personal chef position from the budget, and that didn't thrill my hungry kids,"
THE TRUTH - Two reports in the local Alaska press in 1999, three years after Palin became Mayor, say explicitly that her salary at that time was $68,000, higher than the $64,000 it was just before she took over as mayor.
AND OF COURSE, THE MOST POPULAR PALIN LIE - "I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves."
THE TRUTH - Congress' requirement that funds be spent on that bridge (aka the 'earmark') were removed before she became governor. She was therefore in no position to tell Congress anything about the bridge, one way or the other. Later, she accepted the money -- now not restricted by an earmark -- and used it for other infrastructure projects.
As we all know, there are more than enough McCain-Palin half truths to fill several blog posts, but I only have time to post these fun whoppers.
McCLAIN
THE LIE - The McCain campaign 30-second radio ad running in key states says that "McCain-Palin and Congressional allies" support stem cell research.
THE TRUTH - GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin opposed stem cell research in her 2006 gubernatorial race.
THE LIE - The McCain campaign is running a 30-second Spanish-language television ad that says "Obama and his congressional allies say they are on the side of immigrants. But are they? The press reports that their efforts were 'poison pills' that made immigration reform fail."
THE TRUTH - It was the lack of Republican support that killed immigration reform last time around. At a GOP debate in January, McCain said he wouldn't vote for his own immigration bill.
THE LIE - McCain said "I have never asked for a single earmark, pork-barrel project for my state of Arizona." It has become a standard line in his stump speech.
THE TRUTH - In 2006, the nonpartisan Politifact notes that McCain co-sponsored legislation asking for $10 million for the University of Arizona; in 2003, McCain won authorization to buy property to create a buffer zone around Luke Air Force Base in Arizona; and in 1992, McCain asked the EPA to provide $5 million for a wastewater project in Nogales, Ariz.
THE LIE - McCain and Palin often say that Obama will raise taxes on the middle class. A 30-second TV ad released Thursday says he would tax electricity, heating oil and "life savings."
THE TRUTH - "McCain ad misrepresents Obama's tax plan. Again," according to Factcheck.org. Obama's economic plan calls for cuts for middle-income taxpayers and would increase rates only for people with family incomes above $250,000 or for individuals making over $200,000.
THE LIE - In response to this week's economic crisis on CNBC, McCain pointed to his experience as "chair of the Commerce Committee which oversights every part of our economy."
THE TRUTH - the Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee is responsible for the financial institutions that went south this week. Commerce isn't.
THE LIE - McCain said oil imports send "$700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much."
THE TRUTH - the U.S. is on track to import a total of only $536 billion worth of oil at current prices, and close to a third of that comes from Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
PALIN
THE LIE -"Alaska produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy."
THE TRUTH -Alaska's share of domestic energy production was 3.5 percent, according to the official figures kept by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And if by "supply" Palin meant all the energy consumed in the U.S., and not just produced here, then Alaska's production accounted for only 2.4 percent.
THE LIE - "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."
THE TRUTH - Palin actually slashed Alaskan funding for schools for special needs kids by 62%.
THE LIE - Palin on Monday argued in a legal filing that she fired Monegan because he had a "rogue mentality" and was bucking her administration's directives and went on an "unauthorised trip to DC for securing funding for anti-sexual-violence program
THE TRUTH - Palin's office approved the trip to DC.
THE DENIAL - "show me where I have ever said that there's absolute proof that nothing that man has ever conducted or engaged in has had any affect, or no affect, on climate change."
OK - "I'm not a doom and gloom environmentalist like Al Gore blaming the changes in our climate on human activity." (Palin about a year ago).
THE LIE - "As mayor I took a voluntary pay cut, which didn't thrill my husband; and then as governor I cut the personal chef position from the budget, and that didn't thrill my hungry kids,"
THE TRUTH - Two reports in the local Alaska press in 1999, three years after Palin became Mayor, say explicitly that her salary at that time was $68,000, higher than the $64,000 it was just before she took over as mayor.
AND OF COURSE, THE MOST POPULAR PALIN LIE - "I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves."
THE TRUTH - Congress' requirement that funds be spent on that bridge (aka the 'earmark') were removed before she became governor. She was therefore in no position to tell Congress anything about the bridge, one way or the other. Later, she accepted the money -- now not restricted by an earmark -- and used it for other infrastructure projects.
As we all know, there are more than enough McCain-Palin half truths to fill several blog posts, but I only have time to post these fun whoppers.
posted by Anonymous at 2:58 PM
2 Comments:
I don't know if the Great American Public is onto this pattern yet, but it has penetrated the mass media...there are ap and mcclatchy stories addressing the inaccuracies and distortions specifically of the mccain campaign. we'll have to see if it makes a difference...to judge by general reaction, no one minds the lies that the bush people have told. not one of them has been held responsible to date.
That's one long list. And it's getting longer every day.
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