Debunking The Candidates' Debate Claims

CBS Evening News Reality Checks Obama's Budget Plan And McCain's Mortgage "Idea"

(CBS)  The campaign calls it a bold new program aimed directly at homeowners - John McCain's proposal to have the government buy and refinance shaky mortgages, CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports.

He said it was: "to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America and renegotiate at the new value of those homes."

McCain claimed this was his idea, and no one else's.

"And it's my proposal, it's not Sen. Obama's proposal, it's not President Bush's proposal," he said.

That claim is exaggerated. Similar authority was granted in last week's bailout bill. And, Obama proposed the same idea - two weeks ago.

"... we should consider giving the government the authority to purchase mortgages directly instead of simply purchasing mortgage-backed securities," Obama said.

Paying for all those bad loans, though, is a problem - and McCain admitted it.

"Is it expensive? Yes," he said.

So it was hard to square that admission with McCain's promise to put the clamps on federal spending.

"We'll just have to have across-the-board freeze," he said.

Obama also made his own stunning claim on spending: That all of his promises on energy, health care and education are paid for with his budget cuts.

"I'm cutting more than I am spending, so that it will be a net spending cut," Obama said.

The fact is, Obama's promises will increase the deficit. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says Obama hikes the deficit by $281 billion in four years. McCain is also a big spender - $215 billion in the red.

The biggest reality check from the debate Tuesday night is how little the fiscal crisis has changed these candidates. The federal government has just assumed roughly $1 trillion in new liabilities - and neither candidate will admit there's been any real impact on their promises.

[deeroses]

When it comes to character why are there no questions of McCain and Fife Symington, the former Arizona Governor that was convicted...

Sen. John McCain also expressed sympathy for Symington and his family yesterday. ``I am their friend, and I join with their many other friends in praying for the day when their ordeal will be at an end,'''' McCain said in a prepared statement.

[harbinger09]

his is funny-- Within the past 6 weeks--McCain made Republicans embrace a former mistress as potential first lady, illegitimate teen pregnancy, an Airhead for a VP and now they must embrace socialism and helping out the poor with a 300+ billion dollar mortgage bailout--before its over, the Republican party will seem more liberal than the Democrats and the Republicans have to swallow it--because he is all that they have.

Paying for a public bailout,ignoring subpoenas, then supporting airhead females for VP and championing pregger teens indeed--what were those conservative values again? Hypocrites.

[harbinger09]

Obama / Biden are presenting a False image of themselves and McCain / Palin to the American people.

In the end Obama / Biden will be found out.

Posted by stevemccoy7 at 02:47 PM : Oct 09, 2008

[pppssshhh]

What is really bothering me about the McCain Palin rallies is the avoidance of answers. I have watched the last 2 rallies and today''s was a town hall [which I wish Obama would do] this is my version of what I am getting from McCain: the person asks the question, McCain grins and says "my friends, yes I feel it should be that way, yes I know how to do it, and I will do it, I know how, but my friends, let me tell you this, Barack Obama...blahblah" it just turns into a smear on Obama. Not answers to the questions we all have. Then he''ll give Palin the mic and she goes on to drivel about snow machines which, we all call snowmobiles....
It''s just plain insulting that we were given these 2 drones as a choice. and I agree with someone earlier who said that McCain lost the election by letting his party choose Palin.

[starleo146]

I wonder How Cindy feels now to accuse Obama of not supporting her son and voting against a bill that would help him. She stood there and tried with all her might to arouse hatred in a crowd against Obama. When all the time she knew her husband voted against the same bill so why didn''''t she say my husband didn''''t vote for the bill it had a timetable clause in it. I think what Palin and Mc Same are doing is the same thing they did to Bobby Kennedy. He will not be elected and causing some mad man to do there job for them .ENOUGH

Also why didn''t she tell the crowd who is hollering "Get Him" "Do something", that Mc Same voted against the veteran bills that would give them benefits to help them when they got home, No, pure as the driven snow they are.When Jim Webb asked that they get more time off before they go back to Iraq who voted against it, cry when it is convenient Cindy, you have only to look in your own living room to fix the cold chill that ran up back.

[pga39120]

KESAC4650.

Please go to thomas.loc.gov and you can see the bills that Obama has written and co-sponsered. One great thing he did was help to pass a bill for better health care for our veterans. Do your own research and form your own opinion. I was for McCain until I realized he hasn''t done little or nothing for middle class yet he causes a ruckus for his wealthy friends. There is a reason he doesn''t mention the middle class, because he doesn''t care. If you fine a bill or something good he did for the middle class let me know. I was shocked when I read about his dealings in the gambling industry. Is that not related to the Mafia.

[starleo146]

THE FACT THAT THE LIBERAL MEDIA IS IGNORING THIS TRUTH SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THEIR INTENTIONS TO PUSH AMERICAN INTO A SOCIALIST DICTATORSHIP!


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Posted by OneAmerican7 at 12:53 PM : Oct 09, 2008


Who better to know about socialism than your Bush Jr. and Mc Same you are a nut job

[starleo146]

I wonder How Cindy feels now to accuse Obama of not supporting her son and voting against a bill that would help him. She stood there and tried with all her might to arouse hatred in a crowd against Obama. When all the time she knew her husband voted against the same bill so why didn''t she say my husband didn''t vote for the bill it had a timetable clause in it. I think what Palin and Mc Same are doing is the same thing they did to Bobby Kennedy. He will not be elected and causing some mad man to do there job for them .ENOUGH

[liberal4sure]

You people don''t get it. Trying to tear down Barack because of last minute desperation by mccain/palin is only making things worse for your candidate. WHY do you think mccain is doing sooo poorly in the polls against the relative new comer? If he was so great this would not be a real race but he is dishonorable, has not done one thing for the middle class his entire 26 yrs, has consistently voted against GI''s, has lied continuously, has a horrible record against women''s rights and many more marks against him. And his choice of the crushingly unqualified clueless palin was the last straw. Tear Obama down if you must but it will not make your poor choice for a candidate any better.

[liberal4sure]

kesac4650 - what a fantastic liar you are, you couldn''t have searched that much for Obama''s accomplishments. I tried to post them all here and was unable to, ran out of space. Just say you don''t wanna vote for him for whatever reason but don''t be like mccain and palin and lie.