Fact-checking the second presidential debate

President Obama and Mitt Romney met for a contentious second presidential debate Tuesday night at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. The candidates fielded questions from undecided voters in the audience, answering on topics including the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, domestic energy production, job creation and the auto bailout. Below, CBSNews.com looks at how their assertions hold up.

LIBYA

OBAMA: "The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people in the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also said that we're going to hunt down those who committed this crime.

And then a few days later, I was there greeting the caskets coming into Andrews Air Force Base and grieving with the families.

"And the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the Secretary of State, our U.N. Ambassador, anybody on my team would play politics or mislead when we've lost four of our own, governor, is offensive. That's not what we do. That's not what I do as president, that's not what I do as Commander in Chief."

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ROMNEY: "You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it was an act of terror. It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you're saying?... I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror... The administration indicated this was a reaction to a video and was a spontaneous reaction..."

In Sept. 12 remarks in the White House Rose Garden reacting to the Libya attack, Mr. Obama did refer generally to "acts of terror," though he didn't specifically call the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi an act of terrorism.

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Candy Crowley takes on Romney: Did Obama call Libya attack act of "terror"?

"No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for," Mr. Obama said. "Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done."

It's true that the administration, including U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, maintained for several days that the attack was spontaneous and the result of protests over an inflammatory anti-Muslim video. Meanwhile, CBS News reported on Sept. 12 that the assault appeared to be a planned terrorist attack.

In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 25, Mr. Obama did not give any indication that the attack was an act of terrorism, instead repeatedly referencing the anti-Muslim YouTube video that allegedly spurred spontaneous protests.

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[bdurbin3]

Think what you are saying "at a CAMPAIGN event" Way to take charge Mr. President!!!

[LMillerSr]

Mr BDURBIN3 must be from oouter space when he thinks that Mr. Obama took charge the other night. All I saw was a frustrated non president try to appeal to some folks who were still sitting on the fence because they only listened to what they wanted to hear. On the Lybian issue, Mr. Obamaa alluded to terrorism in a very general way but not specifict enough to say that he believe this was a direct act of Terrorism on the U.S. that didn't come until a week or so later and the Moderator was wrong in her reaction to Mitt Romney's charge a clear indication of where her bias is. We cannot afford another four years like the last four with a do nothing bunch of numskulls muddling things up in this country, on both sides of the aisle. Mr Obama cannot keep a promise such as the one he made when he signed Obamacare, saying that no tax dollars would support abortions. Not true, now he not only support them he supports later term abortions which are murder and cannot be catigorized in any other way. If we keep him or the likes of him in office, we will soon be a country where the minorities take control of everything and we will experience discrimination in reverse.

[clarkcoceo]

i firmly support president obama on all his policies and choices. just less than a decade ago, the bush administration gave out billions in loans..where the money go? americans saw their property values sink to an all time low. job production was scrubbed in favor of big bonuses for executives and super greedy fat cats. i, for one, am not looking back to the past policies that supported the rich getting richer and the poor getting hit a bit more in the pockets. we need a sweeping immigration reform policy that removes the illegal deadwood from an already overburdened federal and local assistance programs, challenge their rights to own property in america. attend schools in america. suck up our resource that would better enable our children to get educational financing and the tools to enter the job force and be productive rather than counter-productive. that 47% encompasses all those who lost a lot under the bush administration,jobs, homes and stability. who wants to relive that all over again?thats why i urge you to vote for Obama. Look how far we have come under his administration. The country is not healed completely and the financial state of the nation is not yet out of crisis, but we are recovering slowly but surely.He gave us "change" and the nation has definitely changed for the better.he needs our support in congress to get our lawmakers to give him the tools he needs to achieve the dream of change. Write to your senator and your congressman, let them know the old ways of opposition must give way to new channels of communication and agreements in the best interest of the people. Greed must give way to compromise. The greasing of the palms must yield to actual concern for the american people.Obama can do it but he needs all of us to help him.

[bdurbin3]

Clarkcoceo I hope your chin strap from your helmet is securely fastened. What about DODD- FRANK that forced banks to make loans to poor people who couldn't afford the houses they were moving into? That also contributed to the decrease in property values whom Your president threatened to sue because the poor couldn't get home loans(because they couldn't afford them in the first place). What about OBAMA's job czar from GE? he closes a plant in Wisconsin and moves it to China. Sounds like he's for the American worker. The poor are getting poorer because they don't want to get their fat ***** off the couch and miss judge Judy to go do something constructive with their life. Why do so many poor people have a pile of garbage in their yards? Must be too busy i guess. Educations problem is the parents, they don't wanna contribute to their child education by putting the time in to work with their child. Obama has screwed the college loans up so bad by his take over that banks are giving the loans 4.5% less than the gov't. I WILL NOT VOTE FOR THE MOST INEFFECTIVE PRESIDENT THAT THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER HAD. He did give us change, hospitals have cut out overtime to workers, we had a stimulus package that who knows where the money went.What about SOLYDRA? Millions that went to his cronies and they filed bankrupt. You must be getting your information off the back of a bathroom stall. Please fact check my statements so your education can be enhanced and learn what you are talking about.

[RollotheNorman]

bdurbin3, you are a moron. Dodd-Frank doesn't have a damn thing to do with mortages. It's about reigning in "too big to fail banks." In fact a lot of banking experts and economists think it should have gone farther: It should have broken up banks like Citi, BoA, Chase, etc., so that aren't any more banks whose failure can put the whole economy in the tank. If you spew is an example of your superior understanding of issues, do your patriotic duty and stay home on election day.

[LMillerSr]

In this whole Preidential race, the media seems intent on trying to make mtt Romney out to be the bad guy who doesn't care about Ameicans as his adds play out th so called 47% video again and again, only with their own little bet of editing and cutting. I recall hearing Mr. Romney saying that 47% of the people who will goe to the polls to vote next month believe they are victims and are living of the government, and further that no matter what he says or does will change the fact that they will vote for not so truthful Obama. I am sorry folks, but when Obamacare was being considered he signed an Executive Order stating that no tax monies would be used to fund abortions, and has gone back on that promise one more time, another example of his untrustworthiness. ot only tht he favors late term abortions of the unborn which means that a heart is beating and pumbing live giving blood through a human being which needs to be killed before it is removed from the mother's body. Let's get it right media. get it RIGHT!!!!!

[1ATL1]

In other words you choose to hear what you want to hear and ignore the actual words being spoken. What happens when you accept the true? Does your head explode? Abortion. Romney is Pro Choice! Obama is Pro Choice. Romney says if, and only if, a bill actually makes it to his desk he would sign a bill over turning Roe vs. Wade. Obama says if and only if the same bill makes to his desk he would veto it. So if you really believe Roe vs. Wade can be over turned without the full support of all three branches of the government it won't happen. Suggesting the President has any real influence, is stupid. This is not a Dictatorship no matter how you wish it was. There is a Republic of Cuba, Not a Republic of America. To many Americans have forgotten we are the United States of America, a Republic based on Democracy as opposed to a Republic based on a dictatorship.

[LMillerSr]

Iwould hopew tht the moderator would come out and publicall announce that she was wrong in what she said on the night of the debate, which showed her bias towards Mr. Obama.

[RollotheNorman]

Why she wasn't, If you think Candy's been a bad girl, wait til you get a load of Larry Monday. LOL. Larry won't mince words at all, he'll tell Willard to sit down and shut up, his time's up.

[Briii]

She did come out and publicly announce she was wrong, the media just isn't showing it.

[allweresayin]

People need to understand that the question isn't when they knew it was a terrorist attack but why they refused to increase security at the consulate even a year after requested by ambassador Stevens because of high terrorist activity. This was the question asked at the debate which was never answered by Obama and shows that he really doesn't care about protecting Americans and our interests overseas. The fact that the arms he sent to the Syrian opposition ended up in the hands of Al-Qaeda shows the level of incompetence and apathy of this administration. Unbelievable.

[allweresayin]

People need to understand that the question isn't when they knew it was a terrorist attack but why they refused to increase security at the consulate even a year after requested by ambassador Stevens because of high terrorist activity. This was the question asked at the debate which was never answered by Obama and shows that he really doesn't care about protecting Americans and our interests overseas. The fact that the arms he sent to the Syrian opposition ended up in the hands of Al-Qaeda compounds the level of incompetence and apathy of this administration. Unbelievable.

[RollotheNorman]

I believe the relevant question is who is the "they" that refused to increase security, if in fact the assertion is true and not Willard's fantasy. Any of those Fox Fanatics got an answer?

[Briii]

Actually Hillary Clinton has admitted to refusing to increase security, and she was appointed by Obama, making it Obama's responsibility.

[TimeToEvolve]

This election comes down to whether we want a strong middle class with good jobs and education for our children to compete in the world (Obama).

Or do we want an oligarchy where a few rich corporate executives decide what freedoms we have, where we can work and live and if we have good food and water (Romney). And the corporations start more wars for oil and everyone is on their own no matter what happens.

[bdurbin3]

Seriously are you still going to use the "war for oil" excuse???? Wait I forget could you please tell me what the price of gas per gallon is right now? Oh wait its Bush's fault!!!

[IVoteMyConscience]

Who told the truth in the second 2012 Presidential debate? Who lied?

Milt Shook has compiled a list with citations here:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/10/second-debate-romney-lies-debunked.html

Who told the truth in the first 2012 Presidential debate? Who lied?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWHLgMCDuOs&feature=youtu.be

And Milt Shook has compiled a list with citations here:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/10/a-small-sampling-of-romney-lies-at-last-nights-debate.html

"I don't want to cost jobs," Romney has said. "My priority is jobs." If you'd like to see Romney's record on jobs, it's on video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZMndjLIQUFw

If you're a moderate voter, Milt Shook compares Obama and Romney with citations here:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/10/if-youre-a-moderate-voter-thinking-of-voting-gop-read-this-first-please.html

If you'd like to see Obama's record as President, Shook has compiled a list with citations here:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009.html

If you'd like to see Republican and Democratic records on creating jobs for Americans--the model that Romney advocates and uses himself--Shook has compiled a list with citations here:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/06/the-stark-difference-between-democrats-republicans-issue-1-jobs.html

"I don't care about 47%" of American voters."--Romney. Did he really say that?

http://www.motherjones.com/transition/inter.php?dest=http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/secret-video-romney-private-fundraiser

Please--investigate. Don't be bought by the hype.

Make an informed, educated decision for yourself about what's best for you and for America.

[LMillerSr]

It surely wasn't non-president Obama as far as I am concerned. I wonder if someone could find out how much money he made beyond his salary as president and how much in actual dollars he paid in taxes. On top of that what were the exemptions that he took since he has lived off the people in the White House. Mitt Romney paid 14% of his income which if one takes time to check it out, it comes to almost 2 million dollars, and it has been made known that he didn't not take all of his deductions that he was allowed to take by law. Romney didn't say 47% of Americans, he said 47% of those who would go to the polls and vote believe they were victims and would not vote for him no matter what. Get your fact straight folks, the media doesn't

[seethelight]

On September 12, the day after the Benghazi attack President told the American people, "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done."


On September 13, at a campaign event in Las Vegas, Obama vowed to bring the killers to justice. He then added, "No act of terror will dim the light of the values that we proudly shine on the rest of the world, and no act of violence will shake the resolve of the United States of America."



For more truthful information concerning this matter, Search: "CLEARING THE RECORD ABOUT BENGHAZI"

[emmy0734]

CBS, read a full transcript. He was referring to the WTC in 2001 when he said that. Anyone interested in the truth, look it up. Context is everything

[bandolphs_mom]

actornaught-

Explain why the Obama admin. pushed this phony story about the youtube video as the reason for the attack. You can't, can you?