Checking The Facts

No one really wants to believe that their presidential pick is misconstruing facts or stretching truths - to put it lightly. I can whole-heartedly understand that. We want to believe that those whom we have entrusted to take us into the coming days, months, and years are righteous and truthful. But, the real truth of the matter is that we as Americans have to do our own homework, crunch our own numbers, and draw our own conclusions.

Sometimes we are both consciously and unconsciously biased. Conservatives may check their conservative sources who may generally be in favor of the notion which one hopes to hold true. The same goes for liberals who want their trusted sources to be as liberal as they are. It is for these reasons that I like and trust http://www.factcheck.org/. This organization is a "nonpartisan, nonprofit 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics," according to their mission statement. Here are just some of lies that have come undone...

GOP Continues False Claims About Obama's Tax Plan

"Republicans are misrepresenting Obama's tax proposals right down to the bitter end. New radio ads from the McCain campaign and a TV spot from the pro-Republican group Let Freedom Ring are targeting voters nationwide with some of the same tax deceptions we've been hearing all fall, rolled in a bundle and flung through the airwaves. One of the radio ads features Hank Williams Jr., the other Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. But new packaging doesn't make the charges any less false."

Obama and Biden Misrepresent McCain's Social Security Plan

"An Obama-Biden TV ad once again twists McCain's position on Social Security. It claims he backed a "plan to risk your Social Security in the stock market." In fact, the plan McCain endorsed in 2005 would have been voluntary, and workers could have put only one-third of their Social Security pension fund taxes into private accounts. "


NRA Claims Obama Voted To Deny Self-Protection
"The National Rifle Association's misleading attacks on Obama continue. A new ad shows a terrified woman grabbing a gun after an intruder smashes his way into her home. It accuses Obama of voting repeatedly for a measure that would "make you the criminal" in such cases, and voting to 'deny citizens the right of self-protection.'"

The key to fact checking is being unbiased, which is often difficult to do.