Sunday, August 19, 2012

The 210 Most Ridiculous Political Lies (from the 2008 campaign up to 2012.)


Pants on Fire!

Pants on Fire – The statement is not accurate and makes a ridiculous claim.

Of these fact-checked statements, (see links for supportive evidence,)  

Lie Category Number of Lies % of Total
Attack Obama's Policies (biggest was Healthcare) 58 27.62%
Attack Democrat Policies 48 22.86%
Directly Attack Barack Obama or Michelle 41 19.52%
Attack another specific Democrat 12 5.71%
Attack U.S. Foreign Policy 3 1.43%
TOTAL LIES INTENDED TO WEAKEN DEMOCRATS 162 77.14%
     
Attack Republicans 16 7.62%
Attack Republican Policies 9 4.29%
TOTAL LIES INTENDED TO WEAKEN REPUBLICANS 25 11.90%
     
Positively distort a Republican's record 7 3.33%
Positively Distort a Republican Policy 4 1.90%
Republican Backpedal 2 0.95%
TOTAL LIES INTENDED TO STRENGTHEN REPUBLICANS 13 6.19%
     
Positively Distort a Democrat's Record 5 2.38%
Democrat Backpedal 1 0.48%
TOTAL LIES INTENDED TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRATS 6 2.86%
     
LIES ABOUT A RANDOM TOPIC ONE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT 4 1.90%
(BREWER, BIDEN, LIMBAUGH)    
     



Biggest Sources of Misinformation
Chain email    Chain email (48)
  1. Accuses President Barack Obama of making contradictory claims about efforts to kill Osama bin Laden in 2008 and 2011.  E-mail is based on six fabricated quotes  
  2. Next year, "you will be mandated by federal law to get rid of your existing light bulbs."   No light bulb police 
  3. Foreign Trade Zones allow U.S. "land to be inhabited by Chinese communists -- communists straight from China! They are to set up little towns and live here."  No, the communists won't be living in foreign trade zones
  4. Members of Congress and their families and staff are exempt from repaying student loans.  A new twist on an old favorite
  5. Says a quote at the top of the redesigned website for the Department of Justice comes from a socialist who wanted to impose global common law.  Misinformed outrage over DOJ website
  6. Says that President Obama said, "Nobody made these guys go to war. ... Now they whine about bearing the costs of their choice?"   Chain e-mail lies to vets
  7. Barack Obama is the "First President to terminate America’s ability to put a man in space."  Nixon was, possibly with Ford's help
  8. Medicare monthly premiums will go up to $104.20 in 2012 and $247.00 in 2014 due to "provisions incorporated in the Obamacare legislation, purposely delayed so as not to 'confuse' the 2012 re-election campaigns."  Making up numbers 
  9. The health care law includes "a 3.8% sales tax" on "all real estate transactions."  Put a stake through the heart of this chain email
  10. Says "a lip-reading instructor at the River School, a Washington, D.C., school for the deaf" has determined that during 9/11 ceremonies, Michelle Obama said, "All this for a damn flag."    Read our lips: No truth in this one
  11. Says Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie made a late-night visit to Kinko’s to forge President Barack Obama’s birth certificate two days before Obama unveiled it to the media.   Gullible people forwarded it after "satire" label got dropped
  12. "Why was there no news coverage of this raid on the Arizona border? … Seizure was just five days ago. Right on the Arizona border!"  Not five days ago, not near Arizona 
  13. Says that in a hearing, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords suggested to Gen. David Petraeus that the Army "put more emphasis on less environmentally damaging methods, like stabbing or clubbing enemy forces in order to minimize the carbon output."  Claim stems from satire, not fact
  14. Under the new health care law, "all real estate transactions will be subject to a 3.8% Sales Tax"  Chain e-mailers just won't quit
  15. When Obama went to Pakistan in 1981, he could not have been traveling as a U.S. citizen.   No facts were harmed in the writing of this e-mail
  16. A transcript released by Occidental College proves that Barack Obama was an Indonesian citizen.  No such story, no released transcript
  17. Justice Antonin Scalia agreed for the Supreme Court to hear a case about whether Barack Obama is eligible to be President.   Fake story, wrong court procedure, bogus outcome
  18. Starting in 2011, "you will be required to pay taxes" on "the value of whatever health insurance you are given by the company."  Private insurance will not be taxed next year
  19. "In 20 years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the president by themselves."  Laws of biology and immigration say a resounding "no"
  20. Obama said troops "whine about bearing the costs" of going to war.  Satire takes on twisted viral life
  21. A data-storing microchip "would be implanted in the majority of people who opt to become covered by the public health care option."  No, and the health insurance exchanges won't turn you into a zombie, either
  22. Under the cap-and-trade bill, homes would have to be retrofitted to meet energy and water efficiency standards before they could be sold.  There's no such provision in the bill
  23. Maj. Nidal Hasan, the man accused of the Fort Hood shootings, "was an ADVISOR to the Obama Administration."  Once upon a time, he attended a conference. End of story.
  24. You must list all your guns on your 2010 tax return.  Blaming Obama for an idea that died nine years ago
  25. The Obama White House is renaming Christmas trees "holiday trees."  No such letter — and White House still calls them Christmas trees
  26. "For the first time in history, the Democratic Congress will not allow an increase in the social security COLA (cost of living adjustment)."  Blame Nixon, not Democratic Congress
  27. "All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free health care services."  No free health care for everyone
  28. In the health care bill, "The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None."  Bill says you pick your plan
  29. "The Senate voted this week to allow illegal aliens access to Social Security benefits."  You can clean out your inbox. This chain email couldn't be more wrong.
  30. "The ACLU has filed a suit to have all military cross-shaped headstones removed."  ACLU has other things to do
  31. The Free Flow of Information Act of 2009 "would guarantee Barack Obama will never be held accountable for producing forged birth documents."    Would protect journalists from revealing confidential sources
  32. Obama used $20 million in federal money "to emmigrate (sic) Hamas Refugees to the USA."  Sen. Kyl among those who give credence to bogus e-mail
  33. "AIG insures the pension trust of the United States Congress!"  Not AIG — taxpayers
  34. "The Obama Administration wants to have soldiers and officers pledge a loyalty oath directly to the office of the President, and no longer to the Constitution."   Bloggers fall for satire - again
  35. "Nancy Pelosi wants a Windfall Tax on Retirement Income."   Pelosi burned by e-mailer's flaming pants
  36. Michelle Obama ordered $400 worth of lobster and caviar at a New York hotel.    Official-looking receipt is a fake
  37. Says Obama wants to redesign the American flag "to better offer our enemies hope and love."  The Coke theme song and more ridiculous allegations
  38. "The Books Sarah Palin tried to have banned."  Let's ban this list
  39. From Obama's book: "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race."  Obama didn't write that
  40. Obama's wife wrote a paper in college that said America was a nation founded on "crime and hatred" and that whites in America are "ineradicably racist."   Her senior thesis doesn't say that
  41. "Obama ... gave almost a million dollars to the (Kenya) opposition campaign who just happened to be his cousin, Raila Odinga."  'Not a cent' from unrelated Obama
  42. "His true name is Barak Hussein Muhammed Obama."  No Muhammed or Mohammed in Obama's name
  43. Obama thinks the national anthem should be "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."  Obama e-mail: It's not The Real Thing
  44. "According to The Book of Revelations the anti-christ ... will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent ... is it OBAMA??" Complete distortion of the Bible
  45. Barack Obama's middle name is Mohammed and he's a "covert" Muslim.  Not a Muslim; not Mohammed
  46. When Obama was sworn into office, "he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Kuran (Their equivalency to our Bible, but very different beliefs)."  Obama sworn in on his Bible
  47. "Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world."  Obama attended an Indonesian public school
  48. An anonymous e-mail says that Hillary Clinton advocates communism.  Hillary's no red menace
Michele Bachmann   Michele Bachmann  (12)

  1. "After the debate that we had last week, PolitiFact came out and said that everything I said was true."   Uh, except for that Pants on Fire...
  2. "Under Barack Obama's watch, we have expended $805 billion to liberate the people of Iraq and, more importantly, 4,400 American lives."  Most of that was under Bush, not Obama
  3. "President Obama has the lowest public approval ratings of any president in modern times."  Obama's lows are higher than most presidents' lows
  4. Says Mitt Romney, as governor of Massachusetts, "put into place socialized medicine."  Nearly the opposite
  5. President Barack Obama "has virtually no one in his cabinet with private-sector experience."  Wrong in 2009, and wrong today
  6. "One. That's the number of new drilling permits under the Obama administration since they came into office."  One wrong statement
  7. Small businesses that have "$250,000 in gross sales for the business. They're the ones that are looking at massive tax increases."  It's after writing off all your business expenses.
  8. "Speaker Pelosi ... has been busy sticking the taxpayer with her $100,000 bar tab for alcohol on the military jets that she's flying."  A small fraction of that amount was for alcohol
  9. Page 92 of the House health care bill "says specifically that people can't purchase private health insurance after a date certain."    She should read the other 1,989 pages
  10. ACORN will be a paid partner with the Census Bureau and "they will be in charge of going door-to-door and collecting data from the American public."  ACORN not getting money, not collecting data
  11. Says the Constitution only requires her to tell the census "how many people are in our home."  Bachmann's claim wrong, and illegal
  12. In the 1970s, "the swine flu broke out . . . under another Democrat, President Jimmy Carter."  Swine flu isn't blue


Mitt Romney   Mitt Romney (11) 

  1. "Under Obama’s plan (for welfare), you wouldn’t have to work and wouldn’t have to train for a job. They just send you your welfare check."   Inflaming old resentments
  2.  President Barack Obama is "ending Medicare as we know it."  The evidence is not even close
  3. Ronald Reagan’s philosophy of "peace through strength" is why "the Iranians released the hostages on the same day and at the same hour that Reagan was sworn in."  Reagan did many things; this wasn't one of them
  4. Says in the 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama "didn't even mention the deficit or debt."  No mentions? Try six.
  5. "We're only inches away from no longer being a free economy." Pants on Fire once, Pants on Fire twice ... ,  Pants on Fire in June, Pants on fire now,   Marx wouldn't be happy with the U.S., circa 2011
  6. The U.S. military is at risk of losing its "military superiority" because "our Navy is smaller than it's been since 1917. Our Air Force is smaller and older than any time since 1947."  Our horse cavalry ain't what it used to be, either
  7. Says Barack Obama said, "If we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose."  Words taken way out of context
  8. President Obama "went around the world and apologized for America."  Repeating false charge doesn't make it true,   Wrong before, and even more wrong now,  
  9. The Massachusetts health care plan "dealt with 8 percent of our population," far less than the "100 percent of American people" affected by President Barack Obama’s health care law.  Comparing apples and oranges
  10. President Obama’s health care law "represents a government takeover of health care."  The claim lives on
  11. "I don't describe your plan as amnesty in my ad. I don't call it amnesty."  Amnesty, amnesty, amnesty, amnesty!
John McCain   John McCain  (8)
  1. "I never considered myself a maverick."   Except for all those times he called himself a maverick
  2. "(Bill) Ayers and Obama ran a radical education foundation together."   Not a radical group, and Ayers didn't run it
  3. Obama's one education accomplishment was "legislation to teach 'comprehensive sex education' to kindergartners."   An absurd claim about a bill that never passed
  4. Says Obama called Sarah Palin a pig.   If there's lipstick on a pig, it's this McCain ad
  5. Obama wants to increase the size of government by 23 percent.   McCain's math is not even close
  6. Says Obama opposes innovation, the electric car and "clean, safe, nuclear energy."   This 007 claim is out of ammo
  7. McCain says the price of a gas tax "holiday" would be about the same as "a Bridge to Nowhere (or) another pork barrel project."   Holiday much more costly than McCain suggests
  8. Obama "suggested bombing Pakistan."   A distortion of what Obama said

Newt Gingrich  Newt Gingrich (7)

  1. Newt Gingrich says electric co-ops and credit unions are "government-sponsored enterprises" like Freddie Mac.  Freddie's a GSE, credit union's not
  2. "No federal official at any level is currently allowed to say ‘Merry Christmas.’"  Big Brother doesn't nix Father Christmas
  3. Says Freddie Mac, electric co-ops and credit unions are all "government sponsored" enterprises.  No. Not really
  4. Says the congressional ethics investigation against him was conducted by "a very partisan political committee" in a way that "related more to the politics of the Democratic Party than to ethics."  A historian rewrites history
  5. People can use food stamps "for anything," including "to go to Hawaii," and even millionaires can qualify.  Wrong in so many ways  
  6. A recent Obama executive order could "lead to a number of investigations by Interpol in the United States, potentially aimed at American officials."  Interpol just doesn't work that way
  7. Inside the stimulus package "is anti-Christian legislation that will stop churches from using public schools for meeting on Sundays, as well as Boy Scouts and student Bible study groups."   Sunday schools may proceed as usual
Bloggers   Bloggers (7)

  1. New food safety legislation will regulate backyard gardening.   Backyard gardens remain your own bit of paradise.
  2. Barack Obama appeared in the video for 'Whoomp! (There it is!)'   Is that Obama shaking his derriere?
  3. Barack Obama wrote a thesis at Columbia University in which he criticized "plutocratic thugs" and said the Constitution gave Americans "the shackles of hypocrisy."  Ready, fire, aim
  4. Photo of "tea party" protests shows crowd sprawling from Capitol to Washington Monument  A picture tells a thousand lies
  5. "Clinton's former pastor convicted of child molestation."   Oops! Wrong Clinton!
  6. Obama says America is great, but let's "try to change it."  A made-up quote goes global
  7. "Barack Obama loves Che Guevara."   Flag was there, but Obama wasn't waving it

Barack Obama   Barack Obama  (6)

  1. Says Mitt Romney "backed a bill that outlaws all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest."  He said just the opposite
  2. "If you actually took the number of Muslims [sic] Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world."   America is one of the largest Muslim countries? Not so much
  3. "Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, and Newt Gingrich all say they would cut foreign aid to Israel — and every other country — to zero."  None of them said they wanted zero aid for Israel  
  4. "And 100 percent, John, of your ads . . . 100 percent of them have been negative."    No, McCain's ads haven't all been negative  
  5. Obama ad contends that John McCain endorses Rush Limbaugh's comments about immigration.  Limbaugh's not a McCain spokesman
  6. "What I have done -- and this is unprecedented ... is I've said to each agency ... 'look at regulations that are already on the books and if they don't make sense, let's get rid of them.'"  Not unprecedented at all

Rush Limbaugh   Rush Limbaugh (5)  

  1. Says it's not "accidental" that the villain in the Batman movie is named Bane.  'Ridiculous,' Bane creator says
  2. "Obamacare is . . . the largest tax increase in the history of the world."  Not even biggest in U.S. history
  3. People "can't go fishing anymore because of Obama."   Obama isn't confiscating rods and reels
  4. There are "high administrative costs" when you donate to Haiti relief through the White House Web site.  No, there's no Pay Pal on White House site
  5. "President Obama . . . wants to mandate circumcision."  No one's mandating circumcision, including Obama

Sarah Palin   Sarah Palin  (5)

  1. "We're going to be looking at $8 billion a day that we're going to be pouring into foreign countries in order to import that make-up fuel that we're going to need to take the place of what we could have gotten out of the gulf."  Math doesn't add up
  2. "Democrats are poised now to cause this largest tax increase in U.S. history."  Reagan raised taxes higher than the real Dem plan
  3. Seniors and the disabled "will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care."  Sci-fi scenario not based in reality
  4. Obama would "experiment with socialism."  The McCain campaign experiments with dishonesty
  5. "The truth was revealed there in that report that showed there was no unlawful or unethical activity on my part."  Report finds Palin violated ethics laws


Rick Perry   Rick Perry  (4)

  1. Says President Barack Obama "is a socialist."  Ridiculous distortion
  2. "The federal government has not engaged in (border security) at all."  More U.S. agents than ever patrol the border
  3. "The first round of stimulus ... it created zero jobs."  A ridiculous claim no matter who says it
  4. Says President Barack Obama delivered $2 billion to Brazil to help with offshore drilling projects.  Not $2 billion and not from Obama

Facebook posts  Facebook posts  (4)

  1. "Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties in U.S. are illegals."  A tiny fraction of that
  2. "More than 43 percent of all food stamps are given to illegals."   Mathematically impossible
  3. "Bank of America could create 878,300 jobs with benefits if they spent their 2010 bonuses on job creation." Calculation is based on all compensation for every employee, not just bonuses
  4. Congressional Republicans have introduced dozens of bills on social issues and other topics, but "zero on job creation."  Claim is based on a statistical quirk

Glenn Beck   Glenn Beck (4)

  1. Says Michelle Obama has 43 people on her staff; Nancy Reagan had just 3.  Misinformed outrage
  2. "The government is trying to now close the Lincoln Memorial for any kind of large gatherings."   Lincoln Memorial is open for biz - and rallies 
  3. "In the health care bill, we're now offering insurance for dogs."   No public option for Bo
  4. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, "has proposed forcing abortions and putting sterilants in the drinking water to control population."   Holdren never endorsed these ideas

Rick Santorum  Rick Santorum (3)

  1. President Barack Obama’s policies have forced "many parts of the country to experience rolling blackouts."   About as many planned outages as blackouts caused by squirrels
  2. Says in the last 20 years, the French have not "stood by" the United States on foreign policy.  They have -- time and again  
  3. "Any child born prematurely, according to the president, in his own words, can be killed."  Disagreement on abortion taken to an extreme
Donald Trump    Donald Trump  (3)
  1. After the U.S.-led military alliance ejected Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait in 1991, the Kuwaitis "never paid us."   Kuwait paid $16 billion in war costs, U.S. paid $7 billion
  2. "CNN did a poll recently where Obama and I are statistically tied."  One poll (misidentified) conducted before he delved into birth certificate issue
  3. "The people that went to school with (Barack Obama), they never saw him, they don't know who he is."   Plenty of classmates remember Obama

Joe Biden   Joe Biden (3)

  1. "When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft."   A couple of rows, maybe.
  2. Rudy Giuliani is "probably the most underqualified man since George Bush to seek the presidency."   Rudy has run the nation's largest city
  3. "The president is brain-dead."  Irresponsible claim (and wrong medical diagnosis)
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)