According to the nonpartisan researchers at Factcheck.org (a
NEWSWEEK partner), "McCain and Obama contradicted each other repeatedly
during their
first debate, and each volunteered some factual misstatements as well."
Here's how the cookie crumbled:
- Obama said McCain adviser Henry Kissinger backs talks with Iran
"without preconditions," but McCain disputed that. In fact, Kissinger
did recently call for "high level" talks with Iran starting at the
secretary of state level and said, "I do not believe that we can make
conditions." After the debate the McCain campaign issued a statement
quoting Kissinger as saying he didn't favor presidential talks with
Iran.
- Obama denied voting for a bill that called
for increased taxes on "people" making as little as $42,000 a year, as
McCain accused him of doing. McCain was right, though only for single
taxpayers. A married couple would have had to make $83,000 to be
affected by the vote, and anyway no such increase is in Obama's tax
plan.
- McCain and Obama contradicted each other
on what Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen said about
troop withdrawals. Mullen said a time line for withdrawal could be
"very dangerous" but was not talking specifically about "Obama's plan,"
as McCain maintained.
- McCain tripped up on one
of his signature issues - special appropriation "earmarks." He said
they had "tripled in the last five years," when in fact they have
decreased sharply.
Obama claimed Iraq "has" a $79 billion surplus. It once was projected to be as high as that. It's now down to less than $60 billion.
- McCain
repeated his overstated claim that the U.S. pays $700 billion a year
for oil to hostile nations. Imports are running at about $536 billion
this year, and a third of it comes from Canada, Mexico and the U.K.
- Obama
said 95 percent of "the American people" would see a tax cut under his
proposal. The actual figure is 81 percent of households.
- Obama
mischaracterized an aspect of McCain's health care plan, saying
"employers" would be taxed on the value of health benefits provided to
workers. Employers wouldn't, but the workers would. McCain also would
grant workers up to a $5,000 tax credit per family to cover health
insurance.
- McCain misrepresented Obama's plan by claiming he'd be "handing the
health care system over to the federal government." Obama would expand
some government programs but would allow people to keep their current
plans or chose from private ones, as well.
- McCain
claimed Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had drafted a letter of resignation
from the Army to be sent in case the 1944 D-Day landing at Normandy
turned out to be a failure. Ike prepared a letter taking
responsibility, but he didn't mention resigning.
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