Clint Eastwood entertained but stretched the truth

Actor Clint Eastwood speaks to an empty chair while addressing delegates during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Aug. 30, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

(CBS News) As actor Clint Eastwood ad-libbed through his 10-minute speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, he -- intentionally or not -- took some liberties with the truth. Here's a look at some of the misleading or inaccurate statements Eastwood made as he pretended to berate President Obama on stage.

Romney wants to bring home troops from Afghanistan tomorrow

What Eastwood said (pretending to address Mr. Obama):

You thought the war in Afghanistan was OK. You know, I mean -- you thought that was something worth doing. We didn't check with the Russians to see how did it -- they did there for 10 years. But we did it, and it is something to be thought about, and I think that, when we get to maybe -- I think you've mentioned something about having a target date for bringing everybody home. You gave that target date, and I think Mr. Romney asked the only sensible question, you know, he says, "Why are you giving the date out now? Why don't you just bring them home tomorrow morning?"

President Obama has defended the Afghanistan war as "fundamental to the defense of our people," but he didn't start the war, as Eastwood may have been suggesting -- the conflict started in 2001.

At the end of 2011, the Obama administration pulled 100,000 troops out of Afghanistan, and the U.S. is now committed to keeping combat troops there through 2014 -- and leaving troops on the ground after that to assist Afghan forces. Under Mr. Obama, 23,000 more troops are slated to come home from Afghanistan in September, but Marine Gen. John Allen has said he won't make his recommendation on the pace of further reductions until the end of the year.

War in Afghanistan disappears from campaign discourse

Romney has, as Eastwood suggested, called Mr. Obama naive for agreeing with NATO to end its combat role in Afghanistan by 2014, and he said in July that he opposes the plans to withdraw 23,000 more troops this year.

Still, Romney is far from saying about the troops, "Why don't you just bring them home tomorrow morning?" Romney's campaign website says, "Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan under a Romney administration will be based on conditions on the ground as assessed by our military commanders."

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[mitch2012]

Poor ole'Romney.He's doing alot more flopping around,but cannot keep the same plan to go forward.It's the same old mess he's been given, put me in and I'll tell you my ''plan '' later .Paul Ryan what a joke, or maybe I mean jerk.

[CarolusAvis]

I honestly do not see any inaccuracies by Clint reported in this story. And he said lots that is not even referenced in this story. So, four halos to Clint for honesty rarely seen in politics. Hopefully, Obama will resign in time for the Dems to find a better candidate.

[iamproteus]

"I honestly do not see any inaccuracies by Clint reported in this story."
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Perhaps if you actually read THIS story.......

[jflynn5110]

Narcissists don't resign. They are delusional.

[sjc_1]

I think Clint may have done this on purpose, for all the stink the GOP made about his Chrysler commercial during the Super Bowl. He told them, NO script. He would do 10 minutes off the cuff with nothing approved in writing first. They got taken by one of the best :)

[ForestWalk]

Thank you Clint. You helped point out one of the most glaring problems of Romney and his henchmen. Be sure that Romney's senior staff - who he will take into the Whitehouse (shudder) with him - were working the convention. And they lost control - they were surprised. They were not prepared. These are three things that we cannot have in the Whitehouse - people who don't plan for any eventuality - people who are surprised when someone does something unexpected. I don't want this crowd handling foreign policy. They will be surprised on a daily basis. If they can't plan for the small things how can the understand the big things.

[Tibigon]

Please talk about what Obama has done to get us jobs. I am sure Eastwood is laughing all the way to the bank at your negative comments. If Romney wins he will be rich and if Romney loses he will still be rich. Romney will surround himself with the best minds around to help him run the country.

[mjvwsr]

When was the last time cBS fact checked obozo?

[VeggieVal]

Mark Twain wrote about the folly of arguing with people who buy ink by the barrel, but there isn't enough ink in the world to fairly fact-check the Obama administration.

[infantryman1968]

(CBS News) As actor Clint Eastwood ad-libbed through his 10-minute speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, he -- intentionally or not -- took some liberties with the truth

LOL!

Only in Obama's America is telling the truth a liberty.

[nancy_naive]

Lying is becoming a copyrighted Republican trademark.

[lesstraveledroad]

Imagine if the Dems had allowed a black man, who was a know adulterer, who'd had 7 children by 5 different women and was only married to two of them, speak at their convention. What would the GOP say about that? Yet, except for the race, that's exactly who the 'family values' GOP cheered for on Thursday night.

[Xbeing]

Yeah guess he refused to back Obama a second time... more proof their are some people that are attentively paying attention.. now just to get the rest of the Demosheep to pay attention.

[VET03]

Does CBS vet the crap Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon say, with such vigor?

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

I hope so. Are you against vetting and fact-checking?

[Xbeing]

Not sure about Vet, but I am not, just against the partial spin. Real poor journalism if they lack impartiality and unfair assessment of facts they are reporting.

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

by alanrobisch September 1, 2012 10:01 PM EDT
marcie I see you are liberal and do not care the fate of this country

by alanrobisch September 1, 2012 10:05 PM EDT
ben jordon you apparently able to see the mote in their eyes

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Oh, the irony! Nice job, alanhypocrite!

[Repubs_R_Fiscal_Liberals]

What's even funnier is that just earlier you were whining about my calling you a partisan drone, yet you have no problem says that others "do not care [about] the fate of this country".

Your double standards ARE amusing!