FACT CHECK: McCain persists in exaggerations

[UpInArms]

Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A week from the presidential election, Republican John McCain is persisting in exaggerating and misrepresenting rival Barack Obama's tax and health-care plans.

In his latest campaign stump speech, McCain portrays himself as a time-tested warrior who will fight passionately for the middle class as president. "These are hard times," he proclaims, promising to enact policies that will create new jobs, help people stay in their homes, and protect their retirement accounts.

The well-crafted speech, with stirring references to McCain's five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and his plans for the nation, goes off track when it comes to Obama's policies.

"I'm not going to spend $700 billion of your money just bailing out the Wall Street bankers and brokers who got us into this mess," McCain says. "I'm going to make sure we take care of the people who were devastated by the excesses of Wall Street and Washington. I'm going to spend a lot of that money to bring relief to you."

Both McCain and Obama voted for the sweeping financial rescue deal, passed 74-25 by the Senate, that directs the U.S. Treasury to spend $700 billion to buy up distressed mortgages and other bad debt from banks.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5huxFz9UzzIQM5OrgZXnhWONwMp6wD94322H80

[truthisfreedom]

1. Forked-tongue express. AP nonetheless... I'm amazed.

I guess the right-wing filter inside AP didn't gain control over the release of this piece.

[Cairycat]

2. WTF does McCain know about hard times? About being

middle class? And he's starting awfully damned late in the campaign to care about the middle class. Dude seems to be perennially slow on the uptake.

[OhioChick]

3. How the hell would he know what "hard times" are?

:grr:

[LaPera]

4. These are planned lies by McCain to smear & distort not some "exaggerations"

[crossroads]

8. I agree - bald faced lies! k&r

[sniffa]

5. Damn, I shoulda posted this in LBN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7626540&mesg_id=7626540

[UpInArms]

6. yes, you were much earlier in the day than I was

:yourock:

:hi:

[sniffa]

7. Thanks

:hi:

[Bandit]

9. I'm going to spend a lot of that money to bring relief to you."

IOW Spread the Wealth around.....

[Poseidan]

10. when you can't win legitimately

They talk about Obama's 'associations' because they can't find anything on him as himself.

[underpants]

11. Um John, you voted FOR the bailout

I know that Obama did too but you can't possibly say that you are "not going to spend $700 billion of your money"...oh wait yes you can, you can say just about anything.

[Winterblues]

12. "I'm going to make sure we take care of the people

Socialism,,socialism, Spread the Wealth, Socialism......

[Laelth]

13. Exaggerating? Why won't the AP say McCain is LYING?

:shrug:

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth