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Fact Check
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Politifact's Bill Adair, the weekly guest for the month of September, brings his Truth-O-Meter to fact-check some recent campaign claims.
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I was wondering if your guest's organization has looked into the truthfulness of the claim that as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin made rape victims pay for their own rape kits.
Could you ask your guest about McCain and Prime Minister Zapatero gaffe. eg. not know where he was from...
If Stephen Hawkins can operate a computer, I don't think McCain's physical limitations would keep him from doing the same
Blackberries are made by a Canadian company. Wow, people, you have to at least lie about AMERICAN innovation.
Whether or not true, McCain's inability to use a computer is a losing issue for Obama. It's many of the older voters who are still on the fence--many of which ALSO may not know how to use a computer and rely on family and friends. I think that they would probably be more empathetic to McCain in this instance.
Sorry, but you cannot compare McCain, no matter what you think of him, to Bush. McCain was an active and productive member of the Senate. Reaching across the aisle is something he desrves credit for, not like Pelosi and Reid, those useless do-nothings.
Alas, I think we will be stuck with an Obama presidency, due to the media providing the inpenetrable protective bubble around Obama. No serious inquiries at all. Shame.
#1
That fact is correct. She was making rape victim's pay for their rape kits.
The fact is too that Palin is saying she will not cooperate with an ethics investigation that she filed against herself in Alaska for abuse of power charges, she stated yesterday she will not comply with subpoenas for her regarding the investigation.
Not good!
I hope that it is a fact that Cindy McCain has the good taste to spend money for a MAC after all the money she wasted on jewelry.
Do McCainns have a MAC or PC? What did they say?
Another fact is that the McCain campaign is sending Democrats application for absentee ballots in every state with the return address to the county clerk to register for an absentee ballot wrong.
Check out that one Bill Adair!
It is really important we stick to the facts and not let emotions get in the way when arguing our points.
Emotion cannot rule logic. Present the facts to your coworkers and family and friends whom don't agree with you, a fact cannot be disputed, it is a fact.
Politifact does cherrypicking of its own, particularly in crediting McCain with being truthful in his claims that he opposes torture. His voting record shows unalloyed support for Bush legislation (and legislative evasions).
Obama consistently cites transparency as necessary, in addition to more regulation.
It really isn't possible to come up with a solution to this crisis while we are in the midst of it.
However, your perspective before the turmoil is important. People should read Obama's economic speech at Cooper Union in New York in March 2008.
Doesn't it mean something that the Republicans denigrate fact checkers, while Democrats welcome them?
Obama miscalculation: he is betting on the youth vote, meanwhile older americans are the ones who go to the polls on election day, and older voters have more in common with McCain.
What??? Spin??? From Karl Rove??? Really??? Ya think??? That comment was such transparent spin, I'm surprised his head remained facing forward. Maybe it moved so fast you couldn't see it. Don't blink.
The trouble with Bill Adair is not bias -- apart from his "mainstream" point of view, which disinclines him to think outside the accepted terms of discourse -- but ignorance, on display every Thursday.
In the last two minutes of this interview (all I heard), Adair made two glaring mistake/omissions. McCain did explicitly call for abolition of the Dept. of Education and the Palin rape kit story is pretty well known by now. The prevailing view is, Palin opposed the kits because they included a contraceptive pill. But Adair hadn't heard a word about it, or read a word about it.
On a host of other issues, Adair simply doesn't know the facts or do the kind of research which reveals not only the truth of falsehood or any particular claim, but the candidate's actual position.
This is what happens when the best and the brightest don't go into journalism.
How about looking into the Obama campaign's claim that in Michigan, Republicans are challenging the residency and therefore voter registrations of people who have lost their homes to foreclosure.
THE LAST TOPIC ( BOTH PARTIES TWISTING THE FACTS ABOUT VOTES ON VARIOUS BILLS )
IS A PET PEEVE OF MINE--
THE COMPLEXITY OF OUR LEGISLATION IS SO OBFUSCATED IT IS DESTROYING OUR DEMOCRACY---
THOUGH IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN WE SHOULD HAVE
EACH BILL INCLUDE ONLY 1 THING AND EVERYONE VOTES UP OR DOWN
The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto fact-checked and found that, indeed, McCain can't use a keyboard because of his war injuries. He links to an article in The Boston Globe a few years back that mentions that he can't comb his hair, tie his shoelaces or type on a computer, due to these injuries. It would be refreshing, Brian, if you would confirm this and mention it on your show. Bill Adair's WRONG fact-checking has gone out to many people. Only a few people read this blog. I called and gave this info to your screener while you were talking to Mr. Adair, but it didn't get on the air. I truly hope WNYC is neutral toward the candidates.
John McCain, plane crash or shot down?
In Fred Thompson’s and others speeches at the Republican convention, they mentioned McCain’s plane being shot down, that lead to his being taken prisoner. "On October 26, 1967, on his 23rd mission over North Vietnam, a surface-to-air missile slammed into John's A-4 Skyhawk jet, blowing it out of the sky. When John ejected, part of the plane hit him, breaking his right leg, his right knee, his left arm and right arm in three places." But did he have other plane crashes?
Multiple plane crashes?
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/cin_mccain_lost_five_u.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19085-2004May11.html
Is it true that McCain attempted suicide while a POW? If so, is he on physch meds?
John McCain's suicide attempt and his resulting PTSD
http://www.usvetdsp.com/dec07/mccain_suicide_ptsd.htm
Can you check the accuracy of John McCain and Sarah Palin's educational backgrounds as listed below?
McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 of 899
Palin:
1. Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
2. North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
3. University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
4. Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
5. University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism
John McCain and Sarah Palin are born liars and are incapable of telling the truth about anything.
Brian, heard your segment on Palins policy toward wolves, especially aerial killing.
The rational for the "predator control" program is to increase the numbers of moose and caribou. The science behind this has been ignored as has been the statement by 124 wildlife biologists urging change in the program. Palin has taken money from Safari International to fund the recent vote to ban aerial killing. She has ignored the Alaska tourist groups who make money from photogs and wildlife tourism, instead of killing. I reject Mr Adair's assertion that the brutality and inhumanity of the killing of wolves and bears from planes is a question of perspective. Look at the videos, and tell me it is not barbaric and depraved to inflict such suffering.
Plese review these informative sites for more info and get the truth to your listeners. Thank you! Victor Tiship, Kent Cliffs, NY
http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm
http://www.akwildlife.org/content/view/75/70/
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