It’s that time of year again when we look back — perhaps not so fondly — on the most noteworthy nonsense from the past 12 months.
Whoppers of 2013
Person: Rand Paul
Rand Paul, Obama & Black Unemployment
Sen. Rand Paul says “black unemployment in America is double white unemployment” and “hasn’t budged” under President Obama. Actually, the black unemployment rate is lower now than when Obama took office, and the gap between the races is below the historical average.
Will Medicaid Expansion ‘Bankrupt’ Kentucky Hospitals?
Sen. Rand Paul says the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion may “bankrupt” rural hospitals in Kentucky. But state health care leaders say its hospitals stand to benefit.
Defining Default
President Obama says failing to raise the debt limit will “force the United States to default on its obligations.” Sen. Rand Paul contends “there’s no reason for us to default.” Who’s right?
Cruz-a-thon, Part II
We are still reviewing the 21-hour, overnight talk-a-thon by Sen. Ted Cruz, and we found some more claims about Obamacare that are false.
Christie vs. Paul and the Facts
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie conflated statistics when he claimed Sen. Rand Paul’s “pork-barrel spending” is the reason Kentucky receives more federal funds than New Jersey for every tax dollar it sends to Washington.
Republican Overreach on IRS
While there has been plenty to find fault with in the revelation that the IRS targeted some tea party groups seeking tax exempt status, some of the Republican rhetoric has been an overreach.
9/11 Hijackers and Student Visas
Lawmakers on both sides of the immigration debate have falsely claimed that “some” or “all” of the 9/11 hijackers were in the U.S. on student visas. Only one of the 19 hijackers came to the U.S. on a student visa. The rest arrived here on tourist or business visas.
Rand Paul Exaggerates His Filibuster ‘Victory’
Sen. Rand Paul says it “took 13 hours of filibuster” to finally force the Obama administration “to say, no, we won’t kill noncombatants in America.” In fact, Attorney General Eric Holder said “no” at a Senate hearing shortly before Paul began his filibuster.
“After much gymnastics I am very glad to hear that it is the opinion of the Department of Justice that it would be unconstitutional to kill a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil if that individual did not pose an imminent threat,”
Cruz, Paul: A Menagerie of Misinformation
Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul got laughs at the federal government’s expense at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference, but the facts don’t jibe with the jokes.
Cruz accused the EPA of “trying to use a lizard to shut down oil and gas production” in West Texas to set up a one-liner about lizard boots. But the jab — an old campaign joke — no longer has any basis in fact. The federal government decided against listing the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard as “endangered”