Fact Checking McCain

The good folks at FactCheck.org, a NON-Partisan site, had this to say about John McCain’s acceptance speech:

  • McCain claimed that Obama’s health care plan would “force small businesses to cut jobs” and would put “a bureaucrat … between you and your doctor.” In fact, the plan exempts small businesses, and those who have insurance now could keep the coverage they have.
  • McCain attacked Obama for voting for “corporate welfare” for oil companies. In fact, the bill Obama voted for raised taxes on oil companies by $300 million over 11 years while providing $5.8 billion in subsidies for renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative fuels.
  • McCain said oil imports send “$700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much.” But 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.
  • He promised to increase use of “wind, tide [and] solar” energy, though his actual energy plan contains no new money for renewable energy. He has said elsewhere that renewable sources won’t produce as much as people think.
  • He called for “reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs,” but as in the past failed to cite a single program that he would eliminate or reduce.
  • He said Obama would “close” markets to trade. In fact, Obama, though he once said he wanted to “renegotiate” the North American Free Trade Agreement, now says he simply wants to try to strengthen environmental and labor provisions in it.

In contrast, the site said Obama stuck to the facts even as he stretched them.  A far cry from some of the whoppers told by Republicans at the convention.

  • Obama said he could “pay for every dime” of his spending and tax cut proposals “by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens.” That’s wrong – his proposed tax increases on upper-income individuals are key components of paying for his program, as well. And his plan, like McCain’s, would leave the U.S. facing big budget deficits, according to independent experts.
  • He twisted McCain’s words about Afghanistan, saying, “When John McCain said we could just ‘muddle through’ in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources.” Actually, McCain said in 2003 we “may” muddle through, and he recently also called for more troops there.
  • He said McCain would fail to lower taxes for 100 million Americans while his own plan would cut taxes for 95 percent of “working” families. But an independent analysis puts the number who would see no benefit from McCain’s plan at 66 million and finds that Obama’s plan would benefit 81 percent of all households when retirees and those without children are figured in.
  • Obama asked why McCain would “define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year”? Actually, McCain meant that comment as a joke, getting a laugh and following up by saying, “But seriously …”
  • Obama noted that McCain’s health care plan would “tax people’s benefits” but didn’t say that it also would provide up to a $5,000 tax credit for families.
  • He said McCain, far from being a maverick who’s “broken with his party,” has voted to support Bush policies 90 percent of the time. True enough, but by the same measure Obama has voted with fellow Democrats in the Senate 97 percent of the time.
  • Obama said “average family income” went down $2,000 under Bush, which isn’t correct. An aide said he was really talking only about “working” families and not retired couples. And – math teachers, please note – he meant median (or midpoint) and not really the mean or average. Median family income actually has inched up slightly under Bush.

3 Comments

  1. John “2nd Wifey’s $$$ – I’m Out of Touch” McCain

    McCain voted to EXPORT millions of middle-class USA jobs (PNTR, NAFTA, etc) to satisfy his cronies on Wall Street.

    Now he (like the Oil $$$ Bush’s) says these displaced workers need to be “re-trained.”

    TO DO WHAT???

    Flip burgers at Mickey D’s or be a greeter at Wal Mart …
    (Answer that one Johnny boy … DARE YA’ …)

    The USA middle-class JOB LOSS to date is the tip of the iceberg …

    Every country in the world – PROTECTS it’s JOBS – except ours
    (policy dictated by wall street bankers & run by our lawyer/legislaters) …

  2. 1. Who cares who’s most “bipartisan,” and who cares if Obama voted 100% with the other Democrats? Point is, the Democrats’ positions are popular with the American people, and Bush’s are not.

    2. This year, McCain voted 100% with Bush and the other lockstep Republicans, 95% last year. (The 90% is the average over Bush’s tenure, which included a couple of “mavericky” years for McCain early in the decade.)

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