A closer look at claims by the vice presidential candidates
11:18 PM CDT on Thursday, October 2, 2008 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Republican Sarah Palin criticized a version of a Barack Obama health care plan that doesn’t exist and Democrat Joe Biden clung to a misleading charge about Republicans and big oil when the two clashed in the vice presidential debate Thursday.
Some examples of facts cast adrift in the debate:
PALIN: Said of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama: “94 times he voted to increase taxes or not support a tax reduction.”
THE FACTS: The dubious count includes repetitive votes as well as votes to cut taxes for the middle class while raising them on the rich. An analysis by FactCheck.org found that 23 of the votes were for measures that would have produced no tax increase at all, seven were in favor of measures that would have lowered taxes for many, 11 would have increased taxes on only those making more than $1 million a year.
———
BIDEN: Complained about “economic policies of the last eight years” that led to “excessive deregulation.”
THE FACTS: Biden voted for 1999 deregulation that liberal groups are blaming for part of the financial crisis today. The law allowed Wall Street investment banks to create the kind of mortgage-related securities at the core of the problem now. The law was widely backed by Republicans as well as by Democratic President Clinton, who argues it has stopped the crisis today from being worse.
———
PALIN: Criticized Obama’s “plan to mandate health care coverage and have universal government run program” for health care, and added: “I don’t think it’s going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the Feds.”
THE FACTS: Wrong on several counts. Obama’s plan does not provide for universal coverage, only mandates insurance for children and doesn’t turn the system over to the government. Most people would still get private insurance through their work. Obama proposes that the government subsidize the cost of health coverage for millions who have trouble affording it and he’d set up an exchange to negotiate prices and benefits with private insurers — with one option being a government-run plan.
———
BIDEN: Warned that Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s $5,000 tax credit to help families buy health coverage “will go straight to the insurance company.”
THE FACTS: Of course it would, because it’s meant to pay for insurance. That’s like saying money for a car loan will go straight to the car dealer.
———
PALIN: “Two years ago, remember, it was John McCain who pushed so hard with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reform measures. He sounded that warning bell.”
THE FACTS: Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska led an effort in 2005 to tighten regulation on the mortgage underwriters — McCain joined as a co-sponsor a year later. The legislation was never taken up by the full Senate, then under Republican control. BIDEN: Said McCain supports tax breaks for oil companies, and “wants to give them another $4 billion tax cut.”
THE FACTS: Biden is repeating a favorite saw of the Obama campaign, and it’s misleading. McCain supports a cut in income taxes for all corporations, and doesn’t single out any one industry for that benefit.
———
PALIN: Said the United States has reduced its troop level in Iraq to a number below where it was when the troop increase began in early 2007.
THE FACTS: Not correct. The Pentagon says there are currently 152,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, about 17,000 more than there were before the 2007 military buildup began.
———
BIDEN: “As a matter of fact, John recently wrote an article in a major magazine saying that he wants to do for the health care industry — deregulate it and let the free market move — like he did for the banking industry.”
THE FACTS: Biden and Obama have been perpetuating this distortion of what McCain wrote in an article for the American Academy of Actuaries. McCain, laying out his health plan, only referred to deregulation when saying people should be allowed to buy health insurance across state lines. In that context, he wrote: “Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.”
———
PALIN: Said Alaska is “building a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline, which is North America’s largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever to flow those sources of energy into hungry markets.”
THE FACTS: Not quite. Construction is at least six years away. So far the state has only awarded a license to Trans Canada Corp., that comes with $500 million in seed money in exchange for commitments toward a lengthy and costly process to getting a federal certificate. At an August news conference after the state Legislature approved the license, Palin said, “It’s not a done deal.”
———
PALIN: “Barack Obama even supported increasing taxes as late as last year for those families making only $42,000 a year.”
BIDEN: “The charge is absolutely not true. Barack Obama did not vote to raise taxes. The vote she’s referring to, John McCain voted the exact same way.”
THE FACTS: The vote was on a nonbinding budget resolution that assumed that President Bush’s tax cuts would expire, as scheduled, in 2011. If that actually happened, it could mean higher taxes for people making as little as about $42,000. But Obama is proposing tax increases only on the wealthy, and would cut taxes for most others. In the March 14 budget resolution supported by Obama and Biden, McCain actually did not vote.
———
PALIN: Said a McCain-Palin administration “will support Israel,” including “building our embassy ... in Jerusalem.”
THE FACTS: Moving the U.S. Embassy from its present location in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a perennial promise of presidential candidates courting the Jewish-American vote. In fact, moving the embassy is actually required by U.S. law. But successive administrations of both parties, including George W. Bush’s, have made the same pledge only to find that the realities of Middle East peacemaking have forced them to invoke a waiver to delay it. Jerusalem is claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians and Israel’s occupation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. The city’s status is one of the key issues of disagreement in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Personally, I believe that she didn't hold her own ground. She got totally owned by the superior Biden. He clearly won the debate. All Palin was doing was repeating herself and not getting her facts straight. Looks like her studying and not knowing the facts made her very vulnerable for Biden to attack and for the American people to judge.
Palin did not hold her own in the debate against Joe Biden. Even before the debate started she blew kisses at the audience and asked senator Biden "Can I call you Joe?" This set the tone for the rest of the debate and proved her ignorance to the importance and formality of the event.In addition to this behavior her unfactual responses and unsubtle avoidance of the questions made it hard to take Palin serious during the debate.
I believe that Palin was definatly not able to keep up with Joe Biden in the debate. She repeatedly avoided answering the questions that were asked; such as when she was questioned about the promises she feels that she will not be able to keep, as well as the time she was asked to talk about how the tax plan. Also throughout the debate she continued to use false information which was not true against senator Obama proving that she is not prepared to become the vice president of the United States, let alone win a debate.
I think Palin was able to hold her own in that she didn't have any major gaffs which many people were hoping for. However, Palin's responses seemed very well rehearsed as if she was going to her notes for almost every answer. One thing I did notice was that she tended to avoid the question being asked by bringing up another topic. If I remember correctly a question was asked about taxes and she responded by talking about an energy bill. After the debate I think it is interesting that more people watched the vice-presidential debate than the presidential. I think that shows that after Sarah Palin's blunders in interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric, people were hoping for some sort of screw-up.
Palin did not hold her own ground in the debate. I must admit that she did better than i thought she would but she can't be compared to Biden i mean come on he's Obama's vice president. Palin kept bringing up old topics and even totally avoided the question once and started talking about a totally different topic. In the debate which proves that she is not ready to be the vice-president. If she can't move on off of a topic in a simple debate then why would the world think that she could move on off of old topics in the real world and help us with fresh problems that need to be solved. She obviously had her facts all wrong because she critized Obama of a plan that dosen't even exist which once agains shows that she's not ready. It is stated that she was wrong on several accounts when talking about Obama's Health care plan which she obviously knew nothing about and if im mistaken i would think you're supposed to know something about your opponent well especially when it's the debate for the president and vice president of the U.S. If she can't even hold her ground in a debate why would she be able help an old man run a country and hold her ground then.
7 comments:
A closer look at claims by the vice presidential candidates
11:18 PM CDT on Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Republican Sarah Palin criticized a version of a Barack Obama health care plan that doesn’t exist and Democrat Joe Biden clung to a misleading charge about Republicans and big oil when the two clashed in the vice presidential debate Thursday.
Some examples of facts cast adrift in the debate:
PALIN: Said of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama: “94 times he voted to increase taxes or not support a tax reduction.”
THE FACTS: The dubious count includes repetitive votes as well as votes to cut taxes for the middle class while raising them on the rich. An analysis by FactCheck.org found that 23 of the votes were for measures that would have produced no tax increase at all, seven were in favor of measures that would have lowered taxes for many, 11 would have increased taxes on only those making more than $1 million a year.
———
BIDEN: Complained about “economic policies of the last eight years” that led to “excessive deregulation.”
THE FACTS: Biden voted for 1999 deregulation that liberal groups are blaming for part of the financial crisis today. The law allowed Wall Street investment banks to create the kind of mortgage-related securities at the core of the problem now. The law was widely backed by Republicans as well as by Democratic President Clinton, who argues it has stopped the crisis today from being worse.
———
PALIN: Criticized Obama’s “plan to mandate health care coverage and have universal government run program” for health care, and added: “I don’t think it’s going to be real pleasing for Americans to consider health care being taken over by the Feds.”
THE FACTS: Wrong on several counts. Obama’s plan does not provide for universal coverage, only mandates insurance for children and doesn’t turn the system over to the government. Most people would still get private insurance through their work. Obama proposes that the government subsidize the cost of health coverage for millions who have trouble affording it and he’d set up an exchange to negotiate prices and benefits with private insurers — with one option being a government-run plan.
———
BIDEN: Warned that Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s $5,000 tax credit to help families buy health coverage “will go straight to the insurance company.”
THE FACTS: Of course it would, because it’s meant to pay for insurance. That’s like saying money for a car loan will go straight to the car dealer.
———
PALIN: “Two years ago, remember, it was John McCain who pushed so hard with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reform measures. He sounded that warning bell.”
THE FACTS: Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska led an effort in 2005 to tighten regulation on the mortgage underwriters — McCain joined as a co-sponsor a year later. The legislation was never taken up by the full Senate, then under Republican control. BIDEN: Said McCain supports tax breaks for oil companies, and “wants to give them another $4 billion tax cut.”
THE FACTS: Biden is repeating a favorite saw of the Obama campaign, and it’s misleading. McCain supports a cut in income taxes for all corporations, and doesn’t single out any one industry for that benefit.
———
PALIN: Said the United States has reduced its troop level in Iraq to a number below where it was when the troop increase began in early 2007.
THE FACTS: Not correct. The Pentagon says there are currently 152,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, about 17,000 more than there were before the 2007 military buildup began.
———
BIDEN: “As a matter of fact, John recently wrote an article in a major magazine saying that he wants to do for the health care industry — deregulate it and let the free market move — like he did for the banking industry.”
THE FACTS: Biden and Obama have been perpetuating this distortion of what McCain wrote in an article for the American Academy of Actuaries. McCain, laying out his health plan, only referred to deregulation when saying people should be allowed to buy health insurance across state lines. In that context, he wrote: “Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.”
———
PALIN: Said Alaska is “building a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline, which is North America’s largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever to flow those sources of energy into hungry markets.”
THE FACTS: Not quite. Construction is at least six years away. So far the state has only awarded a license to Trans Canada Corp., that comes with $500 million in seed money in exchange for commitments toward a lengthy and costly process to getting a federal certificate. At an August news conference after the state Legislature approved the license, Palin said, “It’s not a done deal.”
———
PALIN: “Barack Obama even supported increasing taxes as late as last year for those families making only $42,000 a year.”
BIDEN: “The charge is absolutely not true. Barack Obama did not vote to raise taxes. The vote she’s referring to, John McCain voted the exact same way.”
THE FACTS: The vote was on a nonbinding budget resolution that assumed that President Bush’s tax cuts would expire, as scheduled, in 2011. If that actually happened, it could mean higher taxes for people making as little as about $42,000. But Obama is proposing tax increases only on the wealthy, and would cut taxes for most others. In the March 14 budget resolution supported by Obama and Biden, McCain actually did not vote.
———
PALIN: Said a McCain-Palin administration “will support Israel,” including “building our embassy ... in Jerusalem.”
THE FACTS: Moving the U.S. Embassy from its present location in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a perennial promise of presidential candidates courting the Jewish-American vote. In fact, moving the embassy is actually required by U.S. law. But successive administrations of both parties, including George W. Bush’s, have made the same pledge only to find that the realities of Middle East peacemaking have forced them to invoke a waiver to delay it. Jerusalem is claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians and Israel’s occupation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. The city’s status is one of the key issues of disagreement in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Personally, I believe that she didn't hold her own ground. She got totally owned by the superior Biden. He clearly won the debate. All Palin was doing was repeating herself and not getting her facts straight. Looks like her studying and not knowing the facts made her very vulnerable for Biden to attack and for the American people to judge.
Palin did not hold her own in the debate against Joe Biden. Even before the debate started she blew kisses at the audience and asked senator Biden "Can I call you Joe?" This set the tone for the rest of the debate and proved her ignorance to the importance and formality of the event.In addition to this behavior her unfactual responses and unsubtle avoidance of the questions made it hard to take Palin serious during the debate.
I believe that Palin was definatly not able to keep up with Joe Biden in the debate. She repeatedly avoided answering the questions that were asked; such as when she was questioned about the promises she feels that she will not be able to keep, as well as the time she was asked to talk about how the tax plan. Also throughout the debate she continued to use false information which was not true against senator Obama proving that she is not prepared to become the vice president of the United States, let alone win a debate.
I think Palin was able to hold her own in that she didn't have any major gaffs which many people were hoping for. However, Palin's responses seemed very well rehearsed as if she was going to her notes for almost every answer. One thing I did notice was that she tended to avoid the question being asked by bringing up another topic. If I remember correctly a question was asked about taxes and she responded by talking about an energy bill. After the debate I think it is interesting that more people watched the vice-presidential debate than the presidential. I think that shows that after Sarah Palin's blunders in interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric, people were hoping for some sort of screw-up.
Palin did not hold her own ground in the debate. I must admit that she did better than i thought she would but she can't be compared to Biden i mean come on he's Obama's vice president. Palin kept bringing up old topics and even totally avoided the question once and started talking about a totally different topic. In the debate which proves that she is not ready to be the vice-president. If she can't move on off of a topic in a simple debate then why would the world think that she could move on off of old topics in the real world and help us with fresh problems that need to be solved. She obviously had her facts all wrong because she critized Obama of a plan that dosen't even exist which once agains shows that she's not ready. It is stated that she was wrong on several accounts when talking about Obama's Health care plan which she obviously knew nothing about and if im mistaken i would think you're supposed to know something about your opponent well especially when it's the debate for the president and vice president of the U.S. If she can't even hold her ground in a debate why would she be able help an old man run a country and hold her ground then.
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