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Fact checking the debate
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Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON -- Trying to link Barack Obama to higher taxes, John McCain hit hard at his rival’s voting record and tax proposals in Tuesday’s presidential debate, but made a number of misleading statements in the process.
As he has repeatedly through the campaign, the Arizona Republican overstated Obama’s past support for tax increases and claimed that Obama’s proposed tax plan would mean higher taxes than independent analyses have suggested.
When the debate turned to foreign policy, one of McCain’s strengths, Obama overstated the Iraqi budget deficit as he argued for a reduction in U.S. military involvement in Iraq.
McCain, meanwhile, suggested greater similarities between planned military strategies in Afghanistan and Iraq than the senior commander in the Middle East has indicated.
Tax hikes:
McCain again charged that Obama had voted to raise taxes 94 times, a claim that the nonpartisan group Factcheck.org, which tracks inaccurate claims by the candidates, identified as one of the “whoppers of 2008.”
According to an analysis of the votes by the group, 23 votes were simply against tax cuts. Seven would have raised taxes for some, while lowering taxes on others. Eleven would have increased taxes on those making more than $1 million a year.
Factcheck.org also found that 53 of the 94 votes were on nonbinding budget measures, which would not have resulted in any tax change.
Business taxes:
McCain also claimed that Obama’s proposals “tax increases “will increase taxes on 50 percent of small-business revenue.”
But according to data from the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a joint effort by two Washington think tanks, McCain seems to have gotten his numbers garbled.
According to the center, less than 3 percent of small businesses pay taxes in the top two brackets and could therefore see higher taxes under Obama’s plan. And for most of those small businesses, business revenue represents less than half of their income.
Tax history:
McCain erroneously said that the last president to raise taxes during a recession was Herbert Hoover.
In fact, President George H.W. Bush signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 on Nov. 5, 1990 that increased taxes as part of a budget deal with the Democratic controlled Congress, reneging on his 1988 campaign pledge of “no new taxes.”
The nation was in a recession at the time, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac:
McCain said that government-sponsored mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “were the catalyst the match that started this forest fire” in the economy and that he had “stood up” against them.
The nonpartisan fact-checking group PolitiFact.org said McCain signed on to a Republican bill in 2006 that would overhaul Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after both went through accounting scandals. In a May 26, 2006 news release, McCain said: “If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.”
But PolitiFact.org said those accounting problems of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had nothing to do with the subprime mortgage loans that triggered the current financial crisis. The site said it was “quite a stretch” for McCain to say his remarks in 2006 were a warning about the present-day crisis.
Iraq:
Obama repeated a claim that the Iraqi government had a $79 billion budget surplus, a figure substantially higher than a recent estimate by U.S. government auditors.
According to an August report by the General Accountability Office, the Iraqi government had an approximately $29 billion surplus between 2005 and 2007. The GAO estimated that this year, the budget surplus would end up being between $38.2 billion to $50.3 billion.
Afghanistan:
McCain said that Gen. David H. Petraeus, who will take charge of U.S. Central Command later this month, has developed a new plan for Afghanistan. McCain said Petraeus’ plan would be “the same fundamental strategy that succeeded in Iraq,” with some differences.
Petraeus has publicly endorsed adopting some of the tactics that were successful in Iraq to Afghanistan, like promoting local reconciliation efforts and eliminating insurgent sanctuaries. But Petraeus has said Afghanistan is not Iraq and the military plan will not be the same as Iraq.
“The first lesson, the first caution really, is that every situation like this is truly and absolutely unique, and has its own context and specifics and its own texture,” Petraeus said in an interview in The New York Times published Sept. 30.
Lebanon:
As he did in the first debate, McCain misstated his vote against the deployment of US Marines in Lebanon during the Reagan presidency. He said he voted against deploying them in Beirut.
In fact, the Marines were already in Beirut when McCain entered the House of Representatives in 1983. What he voted against was a measure that would have authorized their deployment for another 18 months. The measure passed 270-161, with opposition coming from McCain and 25 other Republicans, as well as 134 Democrats.
What did you think of the debate? Share your comments below. For more fact checks and local reaction to the debate, see the print edition of Wednesday's Herald and News.
WASHINGTON -- Trying to link Barack Obama to higher taxes, John McCain hit hard at his rival’s voting record and tax proposals in Tuesday’s presidential debate, but made a number of misleading statements in the process.
As he has repeatedly through the campaign, the Arizona Republican overstated Obama’s past support for tax increases and claimed that Obama’s proposed tax plan would mean higher taxes than independent analyses have suggested.
When the debate turned to foreign policy, one of McCain’s strengths, Obama overstated the Iraqi budget deficit as he argued for a reduction in U.S. military involvement in Iraq.
McCain, meanwhile, suggested greater similarities between planned military strategies in Afghanistan and Iraq than the senior commander in the Middle East has indicated.
Tax hikes:
McCain again charged that Obama had voted to raise taxes 94 times, a claim that the nonpartisan group Factcheck.org, which tracks inaccurate claims by the candidates, identified as one of the “whoppers of 2008.”
According to an analysis of the votes by the group, 23 votes were simply against tax cuts. Seven would have raised taxes for some, while lowering taxes on others. Eleven would have increased taxes on those making more than $1 million a year.
Factcheck.org also found that 53 of the 94 votes were on nonbinding budget measures, which would not have resulted in any tax change.
Business taxes:
McCain also claimed that Obama’s proposals “tax increases “will increase taxes on 50 percent of small-business revenue.”
But according to data from the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a joint effort by two Washington think tanks, McCain seems to have gotten his numbers garbled.
According to the center, less than 3 percent of small businesses pay taxes in the top two brackets and could therefore see higher taxes under Obama’s plan. And for most of those small businesses, business revenue represents less than half of their income.
Tax history:
McCain erroneously said that the last president to raise taxes during a recession was Herbert Hoover.
In fact, President George H.W. Bush signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 on Nov. 5, 1990 that increased taxes as part of a budget deal with the Democratic controlled Congress, reneging on his 1988 campaign pledge of “no new taxes.”
The nation was in a recession at the time, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac:
McCain said that government-sponsored mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “were the catalyst the match that started this forest fire” in the economy and that he had “stood up” against them.
The nonpartisan fact-checking group PolitiFact.org said McCain signed on to a Republican bill in 2006 that would overhaul Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after both went through accounting scandals. In a May 26, 2006 news release, McCain said: “If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.”
But PolitiFact.org said those accounting problems of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had nothing to do with the subprime mortgage loans that triggered the current financial crisis. The site said it was “quite a stretch” for McCain to say his remarks in 2006 were a warning about the present-day crisis.
Iraq:
Obama repeated a claim that the Iraqi government had a $79 billion budget surplus, a figure substantially higher than a recent estimate by U.S. government auditors.
According to an August report by the General Accountability Office, the Iraqi government had an approximately $29 billion surplus between 2005 and 2007. The GAO estimated that this year, the budget surplus would end up being between $38.2 billion to $50.3 billion.
Afghanistan:
McCain said that Gen. David H. Petraeus, who will take charge of U.S. Central Command later this month, has developed a new plan for Afghanistan. McCain said Petraeus’ plan would be “the same fundamental strategy that succeeded in Iraq,” with some differences.
Petraeus has publicly endorsed adopting some of the tactics that were successful in Iraq to Afghanistan, like promoting local reconciliation efforts and eliminating insurgent sanctuaries. But Petraeus has said Afghanistan is not Iraq and the military plan will not be the same as Iraq.
“The first lesson, the first caution really, is that every situation like this is truly and absolutely unique, and has its own context and specifics and its own texture,” Petraeus said in an interview in The New York Times published Sept. 30.
Lebanon:
As he did in the first debate, McCain misstated his vote against the deployment of US Marines in Lebanon during the Reagan presidency. He said he voted against deploying them in Beirut.
In fact, the Marines were already in Beirut when McCain entered the House of Representatives in 1983. What he voted against was a measure that would have authorized their deployment for another 18 months. The measure passed 270-161, with opposition coming from McCain and 25 other Republicans, as well as 134 Democrats.
What did you think of the debate? Share your comments below. For more fact checks and local reaction to the debate, see the print edition of Wednesday's Herald and News.
Reader Comments
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debate watcher wrote on Oct 8, 2008 3:45 PM:
" I saw the debate, I'd have to agree with Postman, it was like watching 3rd graders pointing fingers at eachother. I was disappointed with both candidates to be honest. McCain has done most of the major fingerpointing which is why this article talks mostly about the crap he had to say about Obama. It's sad when you have to resort to smearing your oponent when you start losing your grip on victory. Hopefully, people will wake up and realize how infantile this campaign has gotten. "
Postman wrote on Oct 8, 2008 12:16 PM:
" I watched the debate and thought it was just 3 grade sandbox finger pointing. The question "What should Americians Sacrifice?" was a good question that wasn't answered.
For starters................
If your kids don't have healthcare but you are a chain smoker, beer drinker, and have cable TV you might consider quiting these things so your kids have coverage. Cut up your credit cards. If you don't have 20% to put down on a house you don't need to buy it. You might try using less electricity and gasoline............
Stuff like that "
For starters................
If your kids don't have healthcare but you are a chain smoker, beer drinker, and have cable TV you might consider quiting these things so your kids have coverage. Cut up your credit cards. If you don't have 20% to put down on a house you don't need to buy it. You might try using less electricity and gasoline............
Stuff like that "
DL wrote on Oct 8, 2008 10:27 AM:
" I didn't get to see the debate but it amazes me that this entire article is about what McCain said (though I guess it shouldn't seeing as how it appears it came from the LA Times). Obama was there, right? I can't believe he said everything right. Must be nice to be so perfect. "
RSS
J wrote on Oct 8, 2008 4:45 PM:
tired of the "picking,poking,who did what
way back when,who's name means what" NEITHER did much to "answer"
the questions,let's stop the picking at
each other,SOMEONE figure out WHAT
they are going TO DO to help the Americans out there who are IN NEED of
help. AND I DO NOT mean another big
fat bail out for all the "fat cats" who've
already raped and slaped down the
"regular folks" in our USA! WHO is going
to "care enough to make a difference?"
It's not so much "what"should Americans
sacrifice as HOW MUCH do we all have
to sacrifice?
Ok,off the soapbox here...... "