Metropolitik: Fact-checking America’s fact creators
For complaints, suggestions and third-party communiques on behalf of an embattled West African monarchy, please e-mail brayden.simms@metro.us.
Aside from hitting the Ronald Reagan trifecta — Romney, Gingrich and Santorum name-dropped the right-wing icon all in their first at-bat to speak — what did the candidates focus on at Monday night’s debate? Well, they lied — not just through their teeth, but via their lips and tongues as well.
“We’re headed to a Greece-type collapse, and [Obama] adds another trillion on top for Obamacare and for his stimulus plan that didn’t create private-sector jobs.” Mitt Romney
This one quote from Romney, as NYMag points out, “fits three lies into a single sentence,” which is impressive for any politician and surely deserves accolades from both sides of the aisle for its contribution to the art of politicking.
“The Iranians are …. actively taunting us … so [Obama] cancels a military exercise with the Israelis so as not to be provocative?” Newt Gingrich
The former Speaker incorrectly sums up the president’s relationship with Iran. Aside from the fact that, according to reports, it was actually Israel who delayed this exercise, Gingrich downplays the president’s toughest-ever sanctions against Iran.
“The biggest issue that … we have to deal with … that’s crushing the economy, will crush it even further and crush freedom … that’s Obamacare.” Rick Santorum
We know that vocal conservatives oppose the Affordable Care Act — and will do and say anything to kill it — but the idea that mandated insurance is bad for the economy is just wrong. A mandate, in this case, benefits insurance companies.
“He keeps hinting about attacking the Fed, and he talks about gold.” Ron Paul
It was difficult to find untruthful remarks from Rep. Ron Paul, who spent much of the debate railing against U.S. military adventurism and our banking system. On that latter point, Paul seems overly optimistic on returning the dollar to the gold standard, about which he lauds Gingrich in the above quote. Economists surveyed by the University of Chicago, however, unanimously oppose the move.
