Originally Posted By skinnerbox Definitely worth a read at the original site, for access to the charts, graphs, videos, and referenced links used to fact-check all speakers' comments: <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/08/29/770001/rnc-wednesday/" target="_blank">http://thinkprogress.org/polit...dnesday/</a>
Originally Posted By utahjosh Fact-checking the Fact-checkers: <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/fact-checking-the-fact-checkers-heres-a-break-down-of-the-claims-bashing-paul-ryans-speech/" target="_blank">http://www.theblaze.com/storie...-speech/</a>
Originally Posted By skinnerbox I take it by posting this link, Josh, that you found Ryan's speech to be mostly truthful and accurate?
Originally Posted By Dabob2 In the first portion here, John Oliver of the Daily Show shows that Wednesday's theme "We can change it" actually deals with, well, changing inconvenient little facts. Hilarious, and on the money. <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/thu-august-30-2012-michael-steele" target="_blank">http://www.thedailyshow.com/fu...l-steele</a> The second segment, a mock Romney bio film (which, ironically, got bumped last night so they could have Clint Eastwood!) is also very funny. And Josh, don't rely on that right-wing source to "fact-check the fact checkers." It's one of the most convoluted and weak apologies for lying I've ever seen. Not that you should rely on the left-wing criticism they attempt to refute, either. But here's the generally reliable politifact's take on Ryan's speech: <a href="http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/article/2012/aug/30/gop-convention-fact-checking-ryan-speech/" target="_blank">http://www.politifact.com/wisc...-speech/</a> The claim about the WI GM plant was rated "False" (their second-worst designation, just short of "pants on fire.") His claim on the Simpson-Bowles Commission was, like an earlier similar claim by Jon Huntsman, rated "False." 2 for 2 for your boy Paul. His claim on Obama "funneling" money out of Medicare was rated "mostly false." On debt increase under Obama: "half true." (Numbers are correct, context is deliberately omitted.) And his claim on Romney's record in MA rated "half true." So of the 5 areas they looked at, two were half true, one was mostly false, and two were flat out false (i.e. lies). You must be so proud.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox +1 for Dabob's post And for those keeping score at home... Ryan sat on the Simpson-Bowles Commission, and voted AGAINST their recommendations. Where does Ryan come off criticizing Obama for rejecting a plan that he rejected himself? And those cuts of Obama's to Medicare Advantage providers? The Ryan budget has the exact same cuts. Difference? The $700 billion being saved is not going back to Medicare recipients in the form of free wellness care and a closed donut hole in the drug plan. Those benefits came about because of the AHCA, which Romney/Ryan have promised to repeal.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Ryan sat on the Simpson-Bowles Commission, and voted AGAINST their recommendations. Where does Ryan come off criticizing Obama for rejecting a plan that he rejected himself?> Exactly. And the reason Obama couldn't implement Simpson-Bowles if he wanted to? The rejection by its Republican members - which Ryan spearheaded by all accounts (!) - guaranteed it would be dead on arrival in the House. And then Ryan has the sack to accuse Obama of doing nothing with Simpson-Bowles? Unbelievable. The man is, well, a lying sack.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox On a related note... <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/31/eric-cantor-paul-ryan-medicare_n_1846693.html" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...693.html</a> <> Eric Cantor 'Probably Can't Speak' To Why Paul Ryan Included Obama Medicare Cuts In His Budget The Huffington Post | By Luke Johnson Posted: 08/31/2012 12:24 pm House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) couldn't address why vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) attacked a $716 billion Medicare reduction from the Affordable Care Act during his acceptance speech after Ryan included the cuts in his own budget. In an interview with Fortune magazine published Thursday, Cantor was asked about Ryan proposing his own budget to turn Medicare into a quasi-voucher system, using the same cuts he called a cold "power play" by Democrats during his Republican National Convention speech on Wednesday. "The assumption was that, um, the, the, ah, again — I probably can't speak to that in an exact way so I better just not," he said. Cantor also attacked President Barack Obama for the cuts during the Fortune interview, saying he's engaging in "scare tactics." "At the same time, he is the one who is taking massive amounts of cash out of very popular programs like Medicare Advantage and the prescription drug program," Cantor said. "This directly impacts seniors." The Obama health care law will reduce Medicare spending over 10 years by cutting subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans and payments to hospitals and other providers -- not to beneficiaries. According to Medicare actuaries, the cuts extend the life of the program's trust fund from 2016 to 2024. Contrary to Cantor's description, the Affordable Care Act actually enhances Medicare prescription drug coverage, closing the infamous "donut hole" for enrollees with coverage. While Cantor couldn't explain why Ryan included the reduction and subsequently attacked it, Ryan has said that he added the cuts because Obama included them first. "He put those cuts there," he said while eating a hot dog at a recent campaign stop after he was announced as the nominee. "We would never have done it in the first place." <> Way to stay classy, Eric. Slamming Obama for making the same cuts that Ryan is proposing in his budget. If there's any justice, Eric, you'll get voted off the island by Wayne Powell, your Democrat challenger in November. Powell is a retired Army Colonel, lawyer, and businessman. He isn't this phony arrogant teabagger who only cares about the rich like Cantor exemplifies. I wish Powell all the best. Cantor needs to go.
Originally Posted By SuperDry << If there's any justice, Eric, you'll get voted off the island by Wayne Powell, your Democrat challenger in November. >> Donation just made to Powell campaign.
Originally Posted By ecdc I've noticed this is a new theme among conservatives and Republicans - "fact-checking the fact-checkers." How Orwellian is that, facts are apparently fluid and malleable. While I suppose there's some room for interpretation (Democrats relabeled their charge that the Ryan plan kills Medicare "as we know it), this gets the the heart of our political problem: One side can't even agree on basic facts. If they read something from a non-partisan group they don't like, hey just retreat to right-wing sources that reassure them that all is well, they have different, newer facts that will put their mind at ease!
