According to the nonpartisan researchers at Factcheck.org (a
NEWSWEEK partner), Biden and Palin "were not 100 percent accurate [in St. Louis last night]--to say the least." Here's how the cookie crumbled:
- Palin mistakenly claimed that troop levels in Iraq
had returned to "pre-surge" levels. Levels are gradually coming down
but current plans would have levels higher than pre-surge numbers
through early next year, at least.
- Biden incorrectly said "John McCain voted the exact same way" as Obama on a controversial troop funding bill. The two were actually on opposite sides.
- Palin repeated a false claim that Obama once voted in favor of higher taxes
on "families" making as little as $42,000 a year. He did not. The
budget bill in question called for an increase only on singles making
that amount, but a family of four would not have been affected unless
they made at least $90,000 a year.
- Biden wrongly
claimed that McCain "voted the exact same way" as Obama on the budget
bill that contained an increase on singles making as little as $42,000
a year. McCain voted against it. Biden was referring to an amendment
that didn't address taxes at that income level.
- Palin
claimed McCain's health care plan would be "budget neutral," costing
the government nothing. Independent budget experts estimate McCain's
plan would cost tens of billions each year, though details are too
fuzzy to allow for exact estimates.
- Biden wrongly
claimed that McCain had said "he wouldn't even sit down" with the
government of Spain. Actually, McCain didn't reject a meeting, but
simply refused to commit himself one way or the other during an
interview.
- Palin wrongly claimed that "millions of
small businesses" would see tax increases under Obama's tax proposals.
At most, several hundred thousand business owners would see increases.
For
full details on these misstatements--and on additional factual disputes
and dubious claims--click here.
