In an attempted factcheck of Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech at the Republican convention, AP‘s Calvin Woodward (8/30/12) takes on Romney’s big laugh line:
Romney at the RNC (Photo by Mallory Benedict/PBS NewsHour)
President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family.
Woodward looked into it and found that, indeed, Obama had said something like that. But aren’t the important factual questions here whether ocean levels actually are rising, and if so whether it’s possible to do anything about them? (The answers are “yes” and “yes,” as it turns out.)
The Washington Post Glenn Kessler (8/31/12) was similarly selective when factchecking Romney’s promise, “Unlike President Obama, I will not raise taxes on the middle class.” He addresses the first part—finding that “overall Obama has cut taxes broadly for the middle class”—but ignores the second part. Romney does have a tax proposal, though, and what seems to be the best analysis of it concludes that it would deliver a tax increase to the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers—those in the middle income group would get a tax hike of more than $500 a year, while the top 0.1 percent would get an average tax break of $247,000. That seems like a fact voters might want to know about.
(CBS‘s Brian Montopoli does a better job checking the same Romney statement—8/31/12.)
Is he openly, brazenly lying, or does he really know or care about what he’s saying at any given moment? I think it’s both–Romney simply can’t be bothered by anything that’s going to stop his elevation to the Presidency. Making sense is something the little folks have to do.
We are assuming that he actually understands anything that he is talking about.
Just because he was able to use his influence to buy and gut company’s, and send the jobs overseas which did benefit him and his Corporation, he thinks he actually understands markets. He ‘believes’ and therein lies the problem. We all know what it means when someone ‘believes it so’ rather than understands why it can’t be, with over whelming evidence.
He honestly ‘believes’ that if you give money to wealthy, it will all work out for the better. Because he will increase his millions; ergo it must work; that we proles can’t see that and emulate him, well that is our problem isn’t. He will trickle down on us, with a dollar here and dollar there, as he has to eat and drink and sleep sometime. The servants can’t take care of you 24/7 you know.
So let vote for number two, doesn’t know what he is talking about, and doesn’t know anything about economies. He knows, “I have money, I need more, anyway I can.”
Perhaps he’s using “middle-class” in the Marxian sense.
The press is now so postmodern that it cannot be bothered with things like “truth” or “facts” anymore!
Romney will not raise taxes on anyone….PERIOD.The Obama healthcare tax would raise taxes on the middle class irregardless of any other tax maneuver.As far as that bit about “yes but the oceans are rising aren’t they”….that was funny.
Remember Obama in between the Roman style columns?He was going to bring peace to the worldStop the waters from rising.Bring our troops home.Fix the economy.End divisiveness.Sometimes I watch that speech instead of SNL.
Still laughing, Michael, still laughing. You are sooooooooooooooo gullible. Try checking your “facts” just once, then check the lies that were told at the RNC. Start with Ryan’s speech as it’s the easiest. Go to http://www.factcheck.org It’s fun and easy.
It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe it, the fact is, U.S. Presidents do not have the power to do much of anything except be a figurehead for the real power behind the scenes. It’s their wealthy backers who hold the puppet strings. And Romney’s puppet-masters care for the worker class only inasmuch as they can profit from their labor. They have no idea how most people in the United States live, nor do they give a whit as Mrs. Romney’s reference to “those people” clearly shows.
I’ll vote for President Obama again as he at least gives voice to environmental issues, world peace instead of world domination, and the rights and desires of the 99%.
truthout had a fine article on the Ryan/Romney (how easily Ryan pops up first) poilicy. If you want the source of the article, check out the Tax Policy Center and Howard Gleckman and CBO.gov. In brief, this source tells us that Ryan’s “plan” is based on slashing Medicare, cutting taxes on corporations and high income people, and replacing Medicaid with drastically less well funded voucher system. This would increase the deficit in the first 10 years and beyond. How this is not raising taxes on the middle class baffles me.
Elizabeth….Ryan has not yet removed dime one from medicare.His plan is a starting point for Romney’s consideration.And hopefully helpful debate from both right and left.Obama has robbed over 700 million already!!!!!God girl that is enough right there for you to never vote for him again.As far as fact check.org they have absolutely argued many assertions from the right.But all in all they are handing out a B plus.Obama and his ilk are getting solid Fs.and thats only because there is nothing lower”their words”.You are nit picking minutia while your side has not told a truth yet.One giant world crushing lie.
I listen to Democracy now every day.When was the last time you sat back and listened to Rush?To see the other side of the coin?
I’m glad Michael_e is commenting. I can be reminded how close minded, deluded and fact deficit some people are. I realize there is no use discussing politics with my brother-in-law.
LeeMg
What is a close minded person?People like me, who told you note for note exactly where you would be 4 years after Obamas immaculation?People like me who are trying to tell you exactly where you will be 4 years from now if he wins again?Being right eight years running won’t get us an apology from you I would wager.You will argue minutia until the cows come home and the smoke is so thick we all choke on it.Just say it.He has sucked as a president.He probably will suck for the next four.And if you had a crystal ball that could allow you to see Mitt turning everything around to the betterment of everyone 4 years from now…you still WOULD NOT VOTE FOR HIM.Because for so many on your side it is like a football game.You will never turn your back on your team no matter how bad they are.I voted for Clinton.I worked for Clinton.I loved a lot of things he did and thought he should of stepped down when he lied under oath to Congress.When have any of you ever voted outside your little football team?
Minnows and whales, indeed! Many in the media want to lead us into tiny and irrelevant issues while ignoring vast and crucial ones. Remember hanging chads? As the macro lens zoomed into dents in paper regarding a few votes, tens of thousands of votes were being tossed in the trash, as Greg Pallast tried to alert us.
The Dems and the media tripped all over themselves trying to not rattle the minnow Clint Eastwood’s pretentious ego even as he roused up the rabble into a frenzy, getting them to boisterously complete his iconic line, “Make my day.” So, after four years of unrelenting ridicule and obnoxious obstructionism on our president, whose office at least they should respect, they top it off by enjoying a collective cheer to shoot him?
Like Sarah Palin’s earlier putting gun sights on the faces of politicians she didn’t like right before Gabby Gifford was shot in the head, the right toys with murderous threats, showing how truly vicious they are. Has any Republican objected to or tried to veer this huge whale of self-righteous hatefulness growing typical in their ranks?
Brad…..No one want anyone to shoot anyone.That is idiotic.You may point out that things like “make my day” at the RNC ,or on the Dems side “lets take them out” may be unwise sayings in our violent world- and I would agree with you.But your taking it too far.Im a conservative tea party member.I think I can speak for everyone I know who believe as i do, that we wish Obama a long ,healthy,prosperous ,happy life with his family and friends.We hope to help him start that new exiting life as a private citizen very soon.Im sure you felt the same when George Bush left office………right? :)
Michael e,
Obama SHIFTED $716 Billion from big pharma, corporate hospitals and other overcharging PROVIDERS in order to provide better access to preventative and other healthcare for millions of people who otherwise did not have it. Had a Republican done that, not that a Republican would EVER take a nickel away from corporate American, he would be bragging about reducing the size of government and reducing waste and inefficiency. The Ryan/Romney plan does the opposite: it leaves corporate healthcare alone, eliminates the improvements to access, and substantially reduces the amount of help provided to the needy.
I personally prefer to vote for a President with the courage to END wars instead of starting them, even while showing the courage needed to put his political future on the line in order to attack one of America’s worst enemies.
I personally prefer to vote for a President that acts to save a major American industry, along with the benefits and pensions of the workers it employs, rather than let it go bankrupt so that vultures like Bain can steal those pensions while slicing and dicing the industry to suit themselves.
I also take note of the agenda that the Republicans laid out for themselves in the midst of our nation’s economic crisis in 2008, when the stock market lost a third of its value while we were fighting two wars: Keep Obama Limited to One Term! They have passed NO significant legislation designed to stimulate job creation, but managed to find time to vote for the repeal of the Affordable Healthcare Act more that 30 times! Even in his first two years, the Democrats held only slim margins in Congress, which were regularly blocked with threats of filibusters (no House in history has used the filibuster more than the last one.)
Maybe you are comfortable with the ultra-wealthy paying only 13% of their income in taxes while the rest of us pay 2 or 3 time that amount. I’m not.
Maybe you are comfortable with a Vice Presidential candidate whose inspiration for entering politics were the writings of a Russian Atheist whose entire philosophical theory can be boiled down to one phrase: Greed is Good! I’m not.
And please, if you want people to hear the “other side” of the debate, please don’t send them to a lying, misogynistic blowhard who’s never bothered to verify anything before he spewed it out into the national airwaves. And since a check of Fox showed that roughly 45% of their information is either wrong outright or slanted. So good luck finding a reliable source for the “other side.”
How will the country look in four years? It depends on whether the 99% is smart enough to vote for the Democrats who are trying to turn things around or the Republicans who only care about reducing taxes for the rich and blocking anything this President tries to do.
Michael e, I’ll take you at your word that you don’t want to shoot the president or anybody. However, given that collective cheer “Make my day,” the gun sights on political opponents prior to Gabby being shot, the numerous findings of arsenals in various right-wing corners – all point to bellicose braying at best and murderous fantasies (intentions?) at worst. I don’t agree that I’m “idiotic” to note it and worry. I’m glad you’re not in agreement with such talk and possibilities, and I wish more Republicans would denounce it and help distance us all from such horrid directions.
We (usually) change politicians by civil voting in America, so I’m glad we agree on that process rather than resorting to violence and the entrenched cycles that leads to.
As to being glad when G.W. Bush left office . . . you’re right. Bush’s (and the neo-cons, some of who now advise Romney (the same guy who didn’t mention Afghanistan but did taunt possible war in Syria and Iran)) flippant hurrying us into a cruel, expensive, unneeded war in Iraq left me wishing he could be tried for war crimes, and if found guilty, not executed, but sentenced to eight years in Iraq spent picking up depleted uranium during the day and tending to children and others with war wounds during the evenings. Maybe dealing with the reality of what he and his did (emotionally, medically, economically, environmentally) would start to change the smirk on his face and cut through his smug indifference.
Larry you sound like you bought the “Obama is the man”idea hook line and sinker.Your prerogative to see every failure as a shining success.That is being a team player I suppose.You should enjoy the DNC where they will try to prove everything is getting better.What a sad joke it all is.We told you where this was all gonna lead.And we were spot on.Look…. He is a disaster on every level and another four years will simple add another 5 trillion at least to the debt.He is incapable of ending the printing ,borrowing,and spending.Another 4 years without a budget.Ignoring his own council on fiscal planning.A complete incompetent.But vote for him and his gaffe a minute dumb ass VP.Its a free country.Just don’t waste your breath trying to sell us this snake oil.
Brad of course I don’t agree with what you wrote on Bush.As you can see neither does Obama.All his talk of Bush being a war criminal vanished the minute he was privy to top level intel.In fact he joined Bush on almost every military plan as laid down by Bush.The knowledge he gained changed his outlook 180 degrees.Knowledge you lack.So …….Sounds like Bush derangement syndrome still on display.It sounds as if we can see the good in Dem leaders while your side is incapable of such things..
As far as violence on the right…I have seen no sign of it.Tea party is the model for clean orderly get togethers.I worked for Clinton, and I am well versed with the left.Angry,loud ,dirty.But lets not talk too much about Obamas inauguration.And how about the occupy wall street?I was there.What a mess of angry ,bitter people.By the way…I have never heard anyone wish bodily harm to Obama at Republican rallies. I have never been to a Dem get together where that motto is not wide spread in regard to Bush.Soon it will be Romni.
Michael,
If you’d bother to read my entry a little closer, you’d see that I’m relating facts which you seem to have no reply to beyond your broadbased negativity towards Obama. We get it. You don’t like Obama. But to call saving the automobile industry, killing Bin Laden and finding a way to improve access to healthcare for millions of Americans a series of failures is either rank secterianism or outright stupidity.
As far as his record on the economy is concerned, even with the Republican obstructionism during his term, more jobs have been created than were created during W’s two terms, while government jobs declined. And please, give the deficit thing a rest: Saint Reagan quadrupled the deficit during his terms, W started an unnecessary war without funding it, and the deregulation of the financial industry, which the Republicans still advocate, required the largest bailout in history, and they ALL required that the national debt be increased. How do Republicans get away with calling themselves ‘conservative’ with a record like that?
I don’t blame you for avoiding facts, though. I can’t think of any that would help your position.
You are completely right about one thing, Michael: it’s a complete waste of breath to try to reason with someone who has drunk the Republican kool-aid. Your refusal or inability to argue on a factual basis demonstrates that better than anything I can say.
Jesus Larry he did not save the auto industry.Ford took nothing and did fine.Fantastic in fact.GM cost us a boatload of money but like the investment strategy of groups like Bain it seemed a good investment.Hope it pans out.So far the American taxpayer has payed out hundreds of millions.Stocks sold at a loss.As we speak GM is fighting to unentangle its self from government tendrils.But that is how a president mediates every day.Osama?????The intel community your side so lampoons found him.The Seals killed him.Obama i dare say had no choice.Im glad he did not stand in the military’s way and stayed the” Bush ” course in seeing it through.That is another thing a president has to do every day.The buck does stop there.HEALTHCARE??????You mean that tax that was promised to cost no more than 800 billion when he forced it through like a thief in the night?That tax that s now over 2.7 trillion and heading north fast before it even started????We have no money for such nonsense.The “buck” can’t stop there because it is down to about 27 cents!The bailout of the financial industry was the fault of the collapse of the housing industry.A Dem plan started during Clinton years.Remember Fanny and Freddy?Reagan grew the deficit because he could afford to.It was a loan,paid in full as he made money hand over fist.As far as growing jobs give it a break.That is a bullshit number.The important number is unemployment.I can’t believe anyone would argue Obamas successes.I watched the DNC last night.So sad.Empty words and figures.He is a shambles as a president.Soon he will be an ex president
Michael e – Another angry, disillusioned teabagger. How sad. The world evidently isn’t that bad since you at least had enough Internet access to post all of your drivel above. Or maybe you’re too busy “reloading” now. Try not to shoot anyone today, okay angry guy?
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PABLUM ARTICLE????????? IS THIS CALVIN WOODWARD GUY SERIOUS????? HE WRITES AN ARTICLE OMITTING EVERY SINGLE DETAIL ABOUT ROMNEY AND HOW HE WANTS MANDITORY VAGINAL PROBES AND NO EXCEPTION WHEN THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER IS IN JEOPARY???? WTF HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE WHO WORKS FOR AP TO LIE LIKE THIS BY OMISSION. ALSO, HOW THE HELL DOES HE KNOW WHAT ROMNEY STANDS FOR, THE GUY LIES CONSTANTLY, HAS ZERO PLAN, AND JUST SAYS WHATEVER ANYONE WANTS TO HEAR. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=calvin%20woodward%20associated%20press%20romney&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCUQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fhostednews%2Fap%2Farticle%2FALeqM5i8ocZZ2msmzNmLKUvJjpkIDUoURg%3FdocId%3D9f6e325672ec48538542a2c201f43b00&ei=6LFOUJv9NcTMqgHYjoHIBA&usg=AFQjCNG0yJyP_naqn4Ej8eSbk2b16t-ZUw