Calvin Woodward's Fractured Fact-Check Strikes Again
04/30/2009 by Jim NaureckasAssociated Press reporter Calvin Woodward has a history of straining to catch Barack Obama in factual errors. But today's review of last night's Obama press conference may have hit a new low in absurdity.
In the piece, headlined "Fact Check: Obama Disowns Deficit He Helped Shape," Woodward takes issue with Obama's statement: "Number one, we inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit.... That wasn't me." Woodward's criticism: "It actually was him--and the other Democrats controlling Congress the previous two years--who shaped a budget so out of balance.... Congress controls the purse strings, not the president, and it was under Democratic control for Obama's last two years as Illinois senator."
Well, if an Illinois senator bears more responsibility for the federal budget than the president, than why is Woodward wasting his time covering what President Obama has to say about the budget? Shouldn't he be interviewing Roland Burris instead?
Tags: Associated Press, Barack Obama, Calvin Woodward
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May 1st, 2009 at 11:44 am
Now hold on a minute.
Woodward might be an unprincipled bastard … I guess there's no "might" about it … but isn't he factually correct to some degree here?
Obama and many other Democrats voted for obscene "defense" budgets and corporate bailouts, among other sops to the rich and powerful … didn't they?
And I don't recall these "public servants" ever championing the cause of truly progressive taxation … meaning them's that's got pay their fair share … do you? How much would that reduce the deficit?
Of course, that's in partnership with the Shrubberites … so if he's trying to pin the blame solely on the Demorats (no spelling error), that's where the duplicity enters the picture. And I assume he's not castigating them for their votes on "defense" et al … but rather on programs that actually benefit the public (not nearly enough, but at some level) … is he?
But you seem to be absolving Obama and other Democrats for their role in creating a massive deficit, and that just doesn't seem to be borne out by the facts.
Am I misunderstanding?
October 25th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
The reason your comparison does not work is because the President was REPUBLICAN with a Democrat congress making most of the decisions- now, it is a Democrat congress with a Democrat President, so Obama's pull would have more influence.