Fact Checkin', Part II

I’ve looked quite a bit and haven’t found any fact-checking on Biden’s claim that Obama warned of the sub-prime housing crisis two years ago. But a widely-circulated AP article, “Vice presidential debate quotes from Biden, Palin,” uses Biden’s quote on the claim of Obama’s warning but not Palin’s on McCain’s warning, which is interesting, since McCain’s is the only one that there is clearly evidence for, as far as I’m aware.

“On who is at fault for the subprime lending meltdown:

“PALIN: Darn right it was the predator lenders, who tried to talk Americans into thinking that it was smart to buy a $300,000 house if we could only afford a $100,000 house. There was deception there, and there was greed and there is corruption on Wall Street. And we need to stop that. Again, John McCain and I, that commitment that we have made, and we're going to follow through on that, getting rid of that corruption.

“BIDEN: Two years ago Barack Obama warned about the subprime mortgage crisis. John McCain said shortly after that in December he was surprised there was a subprime mortgage problem. John McCain while Barack Obama was warning about what we had to do was literally giving an interview to the Wall Street Journal saying that I'm always for cutting regulations. We let Wall Street run wild."

It’s interesting that AP’s heading there says “who’s at fault,” but only Palin’s response has anything to do with fault. Biden’s is a questionable plug for Obama and an attack on McCain which distorts what McCain actually said.

The other interesting thing I’m finding is that the “fact-checkers” keep saying that Palin’s statement is somehow untrue because McCain’s warning was “too late.” I’m not convinced of that (neither apparently is Biden or the AP) but, interestingly enough, it seems the media “fact-checkers” are interested only in downplaying McCain and Palin on his warning two years ago, and not Biden’s claim on Obama’s warning two years ago. But if McCain’s warning was “too late,” what makes Obama’s warning different? Why not “fact-check” both of them on it, since they essentially made exactly the same claim? (But fact-checkers have admitted that McCain’s statement on being “surprised” by the crisis was taken out-of-context, “Fact check: Context of key debate claims,” USA Today, and that Biden himself voted for deregulation, “Biden voted for 1999 deregulation that liberal groups are blaming for part of the financial crisis today,” “Some facts adrift in veep debate,” AP).

The media coverage of the housing crisis has been taken over by the election, and that’s become part of the whole scandal. Reporters have suppressed the real picture. They’ve done virtually no background reporting on a situation that has threatened our country and will cost Americans in the ballpark of a trillion dollars. They have completely shirked their duties to report basic facts, allowing the Democrats to stand up there for weeks and blame Republicans, Reagan, those generally favoring deregulation, which includes McCain, and the Bush administration. There’s been no evidence offered by Democrats, just talking points about Republican beliefs and the last eight years. The press hasn’t been looking at both parties in Washington (which they are obligated to, especially since these are government enterprises which all of our leaders in Washington have been responsible for overseeing). The false perception has been created that it is simply the Republicans’ fault, which is why the media pundits have been saying all along that the crisis is hurting McCain.

In keeping quiet on how we got to this point, the media hasn’t talked about past attempts to reform FM/FM, including in 2003 when Bush pushed for it: “The plan is an acknowledgment by the administration that oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- which together have issued more than $1.5 trillion in outstanding debt -- is broken. A report by outside investigators in July concluded that Freddie Mac manipulated its accounting to mislead investors, and critics have said Fannie Mae does not adequately hedge against rising interest rates” (“New Agency Proposed to Oversee Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae,“ NY Times, 9/11/03). In 2004 there was an accounting scandal, which also should have prompted reform.

The truth about both parties and this crisis is only very slowly starting to get out. The new Factcheck article, “Who Caused the Economic Crisis?” concludes: “So who is to blame? There's plenty of blame to go around, and it doesn't fasten only on one party or even mainly on what Washington did or didn't do.” An informative Slate article, “Fannie Mae and the Vast Bipartisan Conspiracy,” names a lot names from both parties. But from the beginning, all the coverage should have been like those examples and “How Washington Failed to Rein In Fannie, Freddie” (Washington Post), which discusses how “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac enjoyed the nearest thing to a license to print money.”

Why did the DNC file a motion to dismiss in the lawsuit that is pending against obama in regards to his birth certificate? He has been ordered to produce it. What are they trying to hide? If he didn't have something to hide, they would just produce the birth certificate, not file a motion to dismiss.

I will admit that Palin seems a little, shall we say, less experienced than McCain.

However, I would NOT like to see Biden as president, who is a known liar...and deliberately lied about things in the debate, to "win" it with an unctuous smile.

He may be "prepared," but if he were president it would be awful. The fact that Obama chose Biden shows what kind of administration it would be.
Two lawyers lying with smiles. Sometimes more intelligent than their opponents, lawyers deliberately ignore facts that do not support their cases and emphasize only those that do. In addition, they often push the facts to their breaking point. Not exactly a model for bipartisanship...

Where Palin may have made made mistakes and gaffes, Biden deliberately told lies.

Just one huge example...how did France and the US kick Hezbollah out of Lebanon? WHAT? Why did he say with such confidence that McCain voted one way on certain bills when he voted the opposite. you get the feeling that Biden just makes things up on the spot if he thinks it sounds good. Sickening.

Please prove that Biden is not a known liar. He has a long history of being deliberately dishonest. Oh yeah, he also lied about the guy who killed his wife being a drunk driver...he wasn't. Nice for the guy...

The question is? Sarah Palin proved she is ready to be the next vice president? The answer is: NO
The question is: was she able to answer accurately on questions made by the moderator?
The answer is simply NO: She was using time after time such irrelevant talking points.
The question is: did she make independent voters change their minds and vote for John McCain? I don’t think so!
Joe Biden was chosen for VP, for his honesty free spirit and his experience!
He’s supposed to make a point when is needed. Sarah Plain was chosen for the position after only one meeting .The decisive factor was only the women’s vote and the prerequisite to be the John McCain cheerleader. She has only scripted talking points and very thin Resume. Sarah Plain VP? Thanks but not thanks!

Amazing that even with cheat cards loaded with talking points that Palin was so wrong so often.

What is scary is how she could just make up the lie about divesting from Sudan, or of McCain's position on the bankruptcy bill, and get gullible people to believe it. Are there that many people afraid of a person of color leading the country because he is more QUALIFIED to lead the country?

Just saw a segment on Now (pbs) about New Mexico and some hispanics who think Obama will give a leg up to blacks over hispanics because he's black.

One candidate is interested in helping people who aren't as rich as Cindy McCain (saw Diane Sawyer special too). That one candidate is Barack Obama. Imagine that Cindy does all that humanitarian work...isn't it odd that her husband does none of it.

This whole false equivalence ABC is setting up in an attempt to appear "fair" is ridiculous. Not only because the dead-enders will never believe that you're being fair to them, even when you are in the tank for McCain, like Brokaw is. Mainly, it is because this lame attempt means that you don't actually cover 90% of what happened. Granted, its hard to tell what Palin says because she appears not to have mastered the concept of the period, but in the end you are not reporting the real world this way.

Barracuda,

Congrats on getting a job. We were all pulling for you. Your description of the coffee room discussion at the McCain HQ was hilarious! Keep it up, hope you keep this one for more than a week this time.

Katie's Restaurant = Joe Biden's I gotta bracelet too moment.

When will the democrats ever learn that calling someone stupid will not keep them from getting elected. It did not work against Reagan. it did not work against Bush/Quayle, it did not work against W. Bush.

I went to work today and many women were impressed with Sarah Palin's debate and the ones who were Hillary supporters are now rethinking their choice and thinking about the Mccain/Palin ticket. We were having coffee and this one co worker who was an Obama supporter was deriding Palin and saying she was stupid. Sarah's good performance obviously left her in a bad mood as were the other Obama supporters I know. I will call my coworker Pam. She knows that I am a democrat and was having reservations about Obama. I said at the table that the debates have made me go McCain and she hit the roof. The two other people in the room said later that Pam was red in the face and made a fool of herself. I guess what I am trying to say is when you say things like SARAH IS EVIL, which was what Pam was saying, you only make your self look stupid.

Biden is either a liar or he is senile. Take your pick! Sarah was awesome last night!

Jake, you need to be more credible in checking the facts:

Item #1: Obama voted to tax people making a little as $42,000.00 annual. This was the central point of the matter. It must be right since you do not quibble with it. Instead you point to a secondary concern, as to whether or not McCain would have also voted for it (didn't).

Incidentally, Obama denied he did last week, which also must be false.

Item #2: Why the 50/50 on false statements? Crazy Joe lied 10 times last night in 90-minutes.

Baloney! It IS the same thing. What's he think talk means? Calling up on a Friday night "Yo, what up, my Iranian cuz?" No, talks mean sit down press covered big deal face to faces between so and so. Obama said and meant he as president would personally talk, sit down, ham it up, whatever, with foreign leaders [enemy] without preconditions, which is dangerous and reckless, and that's what both McCain and Kissinger were opposed to. Low level meetings with dips, secs etc, fine, but the Pres should not legitimize the insane leaders of Iran or N. Korea with a Pres to Pres sit down talk without preconditions.

Keep up the good work, Jake. The liberals are spinning in their caves.

to no

Biden is 65y/o McCain 72y/o
Strange the entire time I've been working I never met a working 72y/o person why is that where are they.
And graduated 6th from the bottom of his class. Great old and stupid. As long as he doesn't drive to work.

Obama grad tops in his class. Its what I would want for my kids.

Troopergate abuse of power.

Goes right along with the Scandal of the Justice dept. and dept. of the Interior (sex, money and drugs for oil)

Iraq blood for oil.

Jake:

As with each candidate last night, your fact analysis takes with it a casualty of facts. The clip you included of Barack did NOT have him saying he would "sit down" with Iran's president. Rather, he said that leaders TALK with enemy leaders. That is NOT the same as SITTING DOWN WITH those enemy leaders. Thus, Biden's rebuttal of Palin's charge is TRUE rather than false.

So, too bad that the facts were a casualty in your own fact analysis.

Obama has had an association with Rev Wright, A church Pastor who has offended some people. An association with Ayres, I guess an ex radical of the sixties but never charged, and Tony Rezko a slum lord and overall cheater.

McCain has had ties to Charles Keating and Phil Gram. S&L scandal and Housing crisis scandal (Enron loop hole).

The American people are amused at Obama's silly friends.

The American people has bailed out McCain and his friends twice now for a trillion dollars. He's now experienced at that. McCain and his friends effect the well being of our future.
You Put $30,000 debt on my daughters heads?.

We shoot people who steal from us.

JA: Biden never lied about voting for the war. We all know he voted for the war. What he was explaining last night during the debate was the reason he voted. What LIES where told to him, at that point he was still against it, told them it would not be a 3 days war that it would last longer. And yes, he was right on that.

Most of you have selected hearing. It is frightening.

Just came from fact check. Seems like Sarah was FALSE 10 times out of 15 questions. uhmmm imagine that.

I was shocked Biden tried to act as if he didn't vote for authorization of the Iraq War.

The man is a complete liar.

It seems to me Palin's statements that weren't factual were the result of bad research and lack of memorization of issues. Not done intentionally.

Biden just flat out LIED.

Wow, what a surprise, since Biden is known liar, but who cares! He's a democrat! He's for change!