FactChecking McCain

[The Wicker Man]

September 5, 2008He made some flubs in accepting the nomination.SummaryWe checked the accuracy of McCain’s speech accepting the Republican nomination and noted the following:

* 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.

AnalysisSen. John McCain's acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul on Sept. 4 was couched more in generalities than in specifics, offering fewer factual claims to check than we found in other speeches to the gathering. But we found some instances where the nominee strained the truth.

http://www.factcheck.org/elect....html

[Jimefam]

As I said in the thread about palin getting slimed it happens to all candidates. Mccain slamming obama for things which are untrue are ways of giving talking points to his followers as evidenced by this board but Obama is guilty of the same thing. Pull his fact check thing and i'm sure it will look the same. politicians are biased and spit nothing but bs because we love it and till that changes deal with it.

[smockers83]

^ Very true, which is why I've said its nearly pointless to debate these issues because we have party politics subscribers who will debate their side until they're blue in the face and no one's PoV will change. This is the change America needs--reduce partisan politics in Washington and the rest of America will follow.

[Jimefam]

No america need to get tired of it and then washington will follow. They do whatever they need to do to get elected. If they see people are TRULY tired of the partisian politics they will change but look at this election. We have a candidate such as Ron paul that could give a f*** about partisian politics and where is he back in texas licking his wounds the public in general treats him like a nut for continuing on with his own convention but the man makes sense and is not afraid to admit when he makes a mistake. That is the #1 rule in politics today never admit to anything. Look at bush he is the greatest example of this ever. He completely F***** up EVERY aspect of the presidency but carries on as if its all good and 30% of the people in this country approve of the way he has handle things???????? If that statistic doesn't blow your mind I dont know what will. He and what he represents is the reason I no longer consider myself a republican. Sorry for the bush rant but I hate that man with a passion.