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FactCheck dot org. Nitpicked in parentheses. Follow the link for the full analysis:
- He said “we import more oil today than ever before.” That’s untrue. Imports peaked in 2005 and are substantially lower today. (Because unemployed persons don’t drive far–ed.)
- He claimed his mortgage aid plan would help “responsible” buyers but not those who borrowed beyond their means. But even prominent defenders of the program including Fed Chairman Bernanke and FDIC chief Bair concede foolish borrowers will be aided, too. (Bair and Bernanke were both appointed by Republicans–ed.)
- He said the high cost of health care “causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds.” That’s at least double the true figure. (That’s over half a million bankruptcies a year, rather than over a million a year. Significant.–ed.)
- He flubbed two facts about American history. The U.S. did not invent the automobile, and the transcontinental railroad was not completed until years after the Civil War, not during it. (The Transcontinental Railroad was funded in 1862, the second year of the war, and completed in 1869. I think FactCheck blew this one–ed.)
- He claimed that his stimulus plan “prevented the layoffs” of 57 police officers in Minneapolis. In fact, it’s far more complicated than that, and other factors are also helping to save police jobs.
The president also repeated some strained claims we’ve critiqued before.
