Lots of things have been said against Barack Obama and for Sarah Palin over the last few nights at the Republican National Convention.
For those who have followed the proceedings, it is clear to see that the Republicans have become experts at insulting their opposition while lying as they do it. They can't even support their VP choice without lying.
What's the best way to debunk these lies? With the facts, of course!
"Mittens" Romney said: "We need change, all right change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
Facts: George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. The mess this country is in is due to Republican negligence and abuse! Only since January 2007 have "liberal" Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate, resisted at every turn by conservative Republican obstructionists . We need change all right - we need to throw out the conservative Republicans in Washington!
Mike Huckabee said: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
Facts: Huckabee's nose must have just grown 10 feet!. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Electoral History of Sarah Palin - Wikipedia Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 79,754 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries. Source: The Green Papers 2008 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions
McCain said of Palin: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities".
Facts: A governor's authority over their state's National Guard units ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. Guard units that are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Governors lose in power struggle over National Guard
McCain also said of Palin: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America".
Facts: McCain is clearly exaggerating and attempting to mislead. When it comes to population, Alaska is the 47th largest state. List of U.S. states by population - Wikipedia It is only the largest state in America if you are talking about geographical size. Geography of Alaska The population of Alaska is smaller than that of most major American cities.
Palin said: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
FACTS: Obama's plan would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.
He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise. FactCheck.org and BarackObama.com - tax relief
Palin said: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere.
Facts: While Palin says that she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere". She also ended up accepting those Federal monies. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. FactCheck.org
Palin said: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform _ not even in the state senate."
Facts: Obama has authored several pieces of legislation.
1. Obama cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act
2. Obama introduced two initiatives bearing his name: "Lugar–Obama," which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons,
and
3. the "Coburn–Obama Transparency Act," which authorized the establishment of www.USAspending.gov, a web search engine.
4. Obama sponsored legislation requiring nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks.
5. In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the "Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act," marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.
6. In January 2007, Obama co-sponsored the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.
7. He introduced S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections.
8. Obama also introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007.
9. Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges.
10. He sponsored the "Iran Sanctions Enabling Act" supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.
11. Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries. Wikipedia - Barack Obama Legislation and Library of Congress
The Republicans are resorting to lies and insults because they cannot run on their record (a record of destroying this country for the last 8 years).
Palin and McCain are for more of the same - and that's insane!