Comments on: Another Embarrassing Factcheck From Calvin Woodward http://www.fair.org/blog/2010/01/28/another-embarrassing-factcheck-from-calvin-woodward/ The national media watch group Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:31:47 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Lee Russ http://www.fair.org/blog/2010/01/28/another-embarrassing-factcheck-from-calvin-woodward/comment-page-1/#comment-73170 Lee Russ Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:08:36 +0000 http://www.fair.org/blog/?p=13587#comment-73170 Calvin Woodward appears to have an awfu lot of trouble identifying "facts" and an equally hard time understanding what "true" means. So, of course, he gets the assignment to check the truth of facts in major political speeches. Welcome to the propaganda factory. The most egregious example of Woodward's ideas of fact and truth: OBAMA: "To put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations." THE FACTS: With that comment, Obama missed another chance to embrace the tough medicine proposed by the commission for bringing down the deficit. For example, he ruled out slashing benefits or partially privatizing the program, and made no reference to raising the retirement age. That left listeners to guess how he plans to do anything to salvage the popular retirement program whose trust funds are expected to run out of money in 2037 without changes. If AP leaves this guy in charge of factchecking, and continues to label his articles as fact checks rather than the personal opinion that they are, there's little question that the upper levels of AP are either incompetent at their jobs or completely in the bag for a specific political position. Calvin Woodward appears to have an awfu lot of trouble identifying "facts" and an equally hard time understanding what "true" means. So, of course, he gets the assignment to check the truth of facts in major political speeches. Welcome to the propaganda factory.

The most egregious example of Woodward's ideas of fact and truth:

OBAMA: "To put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations."

THE FACTS: With that comment, Obama missed another chance to embrace the tough medicine proposed by the commission for bringing down the deficit. For example, he ruled out slashing benefits or partially privatizing the program, and made no reference to raising the retirement age. That left listeners to guess how he plans to do anything to salvage the popular retirement program whose trust funds are expected to run out of money in 2037 without changes.

If AP leaves this guy in charge of factchecking, and continues to label his articles as fact checks rather than the personal opinion that they are, there's little question that the upper levels of AP are either incompetent at their jobs or completely in the bag for a specific political position.

]]> By: Duncan Osborne http://www.fair.org/blog/2010/01/28/another-embarrassing-factcheck-from-calvin-woodward/comment-page-1/#comment-11920 Duncan Osborne Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:47:21 +0000 http://www.fair.org/blog/?p=13587#comment-11920 Yes, well, what else would we expect from the AP, or official news agency of the Republican Party. Yes, well, what else would we expect from the AP, or official news agency of the Republican Party.

]]> By: LT http://www.fair.org/blog/2010/01/28/another-embarrassing-factcheck-from-calvin-woodward/comment-page-1/#comment-11790 LT Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:22:35 +0000 http://www.fair.org/blog/?p=13587#comment-11790 This was just as ridiculous as a small article in the Chicago Sun-Times that claimed that Obama moved "back to the center." This was just as ridiculous as a small article in the Chicago Sun-Times that claimed that Obama moved "back to the center."

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