documenting some of McCain's lies

McCain lies about lying

Funny.

John McCain told the Des Moines Register this week that he always tells "100 percent absolute truth," even in campaign ads. There's one big problem with that bold statement: it's just not true.

McCain has made a number of statements — in paid ads and on the campaign trail — that simply cannot be described as 100 percent accurate. Some aren't even close.

Barack Obama is guilty, too. He falsely accused McCain of wanting to slice Social Security benefits in half and grossly exaggerated his role in writing this year's economic stimulus plan. He also promised to accept public financing — and then proceeded to opt out when it was clear he could raise more money on his own.

But only McCain made this dare: Prove it, he told the Register. The paper did not — Politico will.

The false equivalency stuff is maddening -- Obama never promised to opt out of public financing. He promised to explore the possibility with the McCain campaign. Those talks fell apart as soon as it was clear that the GOP wasn't interested in reining in their 527s like Obama had done. And McCain wanted people to invest a portion of their social security benefits into the now tanked stock market. But whatever. This is still a story about what a liar McCain is, and they find 10 examples:

1. Claiming Palin didn't take or ask for federal earmarks as governor of Alaska. In her first year, she actually took $256 million worth.

2. Claiming Palin stopped the Bridge to Nowhere, when she didn't until the project would have to be paid for strictly from state funds.

3. Claiming Obama's health care plan would cost jobs, reduce wages, and would force people to abandon their existing coverage.

4. Claiming Obama wants to raise taxes on electricity and home heating oil.

5. Claiming Obama wants to raise taxes on individuals making as little as $42,000 per year.

6. Claiming he would never raise taxes, then admitting that his health care plan would raise taxes.

7. Claiming Rick Davis had left his lobbying firm, and had never received lobbying fees from Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Turns out that Freddie Mac was paying Davis $15,000/month for doing nothing, and he still is a director in his firm.

8. Claiming he had never requested a federal earmark for Arizona, when he has.

9. Accusing Obama of voting to cut off funds for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

10. Accusing Obama of skipping a visit to a military hospital in German because he wasn't able to bring news crews along.

Okay, your turn to add to this list. Remember the standard: "100 percent absolute truth".

(Daily Kos)