Fact checking the mendacity of ‘Mittens’

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Time once again for Steve Benen's weekly fact check of the pathological liar, Willard "Mittens" Romney. Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity, Vol. XVIII:

Back in February, Paul Krugman argued that Mitt Romney is "running a campaign of almost pathological dishonesty." Was this an intemperate analysis? Perhaps. Three months later, does it seem fair? Put it this way: take a look at the 18th installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt's mendacity.

1. Romney promised in a speech this week, "I will lead us out of this debt and spending inferno."

Given that his stated agenda would add trillions to the debt, and Romney refuses to say how he'd pay for his tax cuts and increased Defense spending, the claim seems pretty misleading.

2. Romney claimed in the same speech that Obama has "bailed out the public-sector."

I really wish that were true. It's not.

3. Romney also argued that Obama has "added almost as much debt as all the prior presidents combined."

That's not even close to being true.

4. Romney insisted that the national debt is responsible for "the most tepid recovery in modern history."

That's ridiculously false. If the debt were holding back the economy, we'd have high interest rates and high inflation. We have the opposite.

5. Romney also said the national debt is the reason "half of the kids graduating from college can't find a job that uses their skills."

There is no universe in which this is true (or really, even coherent).

6. On the Recovery Act, Romney said, "President Obama started out with a near trillion-dollar stimulus package — the biggest, most careless one-time expenditure by the federal government in history. And remember this: the stimulus wasn't just wasted — it was borrowed and wasted."

The Recovery Act rescued the economy. Romney doesn't have to like it, but he shouldn't lie about it.

7. Romney added, equating the debt with a prairie fire, Obama "fed the fire. He has spent more and borrowed more."

That's false, too.

Continue reading Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity, Vol. XVIII.

Previous editions of Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity: Vol. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII,XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII

BONUS: The Washington Post's fact checker Glenn Kessler destroys Romney's "job creator" claims today with a definitive piece that does a total demolition job on Romney’s entire argument.

BONUS II: Bloomberg News fact checks Mittens' job creation numbers and calls bullshit. Fact-Checking Romney's Job Stats.

Almost forgot: Romney on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright smear campaign: “I’m not familiar precisely with exactly what I said, but I stand by what I said whatever it was.” This guy changes what he says so often, does he even have a clue what it is he is standing by?