Fact Checking Obama: 10 Lies At Third Debate And Counting

Obama Spends The Final Debate Stretching The Truth And Spinning His Record

LIE #1: OBAMA'S FAILED STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT THE CLAIM: Obama Tried To Deny That He Proposed A Status Of Forces Agreement That Would Have Left Thousands Of Troops In Iraq.  (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) "Obama Suggested That Mr. Romney Was Mistaken In Seeking To Keep 10,000 American Troops In Iraq. But The Obama Administration Initially Sought To Do Just That."  (Michael Gordon and Scott Shane, "Fact Check: A Status Of Forces Agreement?" The New York Times, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Obama Sought To Negotiate A Status Of Forces Agreement That Would Have Allowed United States Troops To Stay In Iraq After 2011." "Mr. Obama sought to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement that would have allowed United States troops to stay in Iraq after 2011. Initially, the Obama administration was prepared to keep up to 10,000 troops in Iraq. Later, the Obama administration lowered the figure to about 5,000 troops - some 3,500 of which would be continuously based in the country while the remainder would periodically be rotated through. The role of the American forces would be to train Iraqi troops, patrol Iraq's skies and help Iraqi commandos fight Al Qaeda." (Michael Gordon and Scott Shane, "Fact Check: A Status Of Forces Agreement?" The New York Times, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "The Obama Administration Says That It Was Willing To Keep Some Troops In Iraq, But The Iraqis, Reflecting Their Concerns Over Sovereignty, Failed To Agree To The Necessary Immunities.  (Michael Gordon and Scott Shane, "Fact Check: A Status Of Forces Agreement?" The New York Times, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Obama Wanted To Leave Several Thousand Troops In Iraq."  (Josh Smith, Sophie Quinton, and Olga Belogolova, "Debate Fact Check: The Third Presidential Debate Between Barack Obama And Mitt Romney," National Journal, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Obama Also Wanted To Leave Several Thousand U.S. Troops In Iraq."  (Brooks Jackson, "Homestretch Fact-Stretchers," FactCheck.Org, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Romney's Right-Obama Did Try To Get A Status Of Forces Agreement, But Could Not Get An Agreement With The Government Of Iraq." "  (Glenn Kessler, "Fact Check: Debate Over Iraq Withdrawal," The Washington Post, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Mitt Romney Claimed President Obama Was Looking To Keep Some Troops There As Well. … Our Verdict From What Mitt Romney Says Is Mostly True."  (CNN's "Reality Check," 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Actually, The Obama Administration Tried For Many Months To Win Iraqi Agreement To Keeping Several Thousand American Troops There Beyond 2011 To Continue Training And Advising The Iraqi Armed Forces." (Calvin Woodward, "FACT CHECK: Missteps In Final Presidential Debate," The Associated Press, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: NBC's Andrea Mitchell: "So Governor Romney is right, that the administration has tried and failed to get an agreement called Status of Forces Agreement that, in fact, would have allowed a small force of troops to remain for several years in Iraq." (NBC, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: Fox News' Chris Wallace: "I Think You Have To Give The Points To Mitt Romney On That… Romney Was Right, Obama Was Wrong. Obama Wanted And Failed To Get A Status Of Forces Agreement."  (Fox News, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: NBC's Richard Haass: " Even The Administration I Think Has Kept Open The Possibility Of A So Called Residual Force There."  (NBC's " 2012 Presidential Debate," 10/22/12) LIE #2: OBAMA CLAIMED HE DID NOT PROPOSE THE SEQUESTER THE CLAIM: Obama Claimed That The Sequester Was Not Something That He Proposed. OBAMA: "First of all, the sequester is not something I proposed, it's something that Congress proposed. It will not happen." (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "In Fact, The Idea May Have Come In Part From Obama's Current Chief Of Staff, Jack Lew."  (Josh Gerstein and Darren Samuelsohn, "Fact-Checking The Third Presidential Debate," Politico, 10/22/12) LIE #3: OBAMA MISCHARACTERIZED HIS POSITION ON CHINA THE CLAIM: "President Barack Obama Called China An 'Adversary' Of The United States For The First Time During Tonight's Debate, Changing His Own Administration's Messaging On The U.S.-China Relationship And Contradicting His Own Secretary Of State."  (Josh Rogin, "Obama Contradicts Clinton, Calls China An 'Adversary,'" Foreign Policy's The Cable, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton Appears To Agree With Romney, Not Her Boss. She's Said On Several Occasions That China Is Not An Adversary And Doesn't Have To Become One." (Josh Rogin, "Obama Contradicts Clinton, Calls China An 'Adversary,'" Foreign Policy's The Cable, 10/22/12) LIE #4: OBAMA MISREPRESENTED ROMNEY'S RECORD ON THE AUTO BAILOUT THE CLAIM: Obama Claimed That Romney Would Not "Provide Government Assistance To The U.S. Auto Industry." (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Romney Is Correct In That He Called For A 'Managed Bankruptcy.'" "Although 'bankrupt' often conjures up images of liquidation, Romney is correct in that he called for a 'managed bankruptcy.' This is a process in which the company uses the bankruptcy code to discharge its debts, but emerges from the process a leaner, less leveraged company. Ultimately, along with getting nearly $80 billion in loans and other assistance from the Bush and Obama administrations, GM and Chrysler did go through a managed bankruptcy." (Glenn Kessler, "Fact Check: The Auto Industry Bailout," The Washington Post, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: Time's Michael Scherer: "Obama is wrong. Romney supported guarantees in bankruptcy. 'The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing'" (Michael Scherer, Twitter Feed, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: Romney Argued "The Federal Government Should Provide Guarantees For Post-Bankruptcy Financing And Assure Car Buyers That Their Warranties Are Not At Risk. So At Least On That Point, Again, Romney Seems To Have Had The Record Straight."  (Fox News, 10/22/12) The Facts: Original Romney Opinion Piece "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" A managed bankruptcy may be the only path to the fundamental restructuring the industry needs.(New York Times Nov. 2008) Added by be THE FACTS: FactCheck.org: "Obama says Romney wouldn't have provide any gov't assistance for automakers. But Romney did propose loan guarantees." (FactCheck.org, Twitter Feed, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: CNBC's Scott Cohn: "Mitt Romney Did Not Write In That 2008 Op-Ed That He Wanted To Liquidate The Auto Industry. He Did Say He Wanted It Restructured Through Bankruptcy." (CNBC, 10/22/12) LIE #5: OBAMA CLAIMED IT COST LESS TO LIBERATE LIBYA THAN AMOUNT SPENT FOR TWO WEEKS IN IRAQ THE CLAIM: Obama: It Cost Less To Liberate Libya Than What The U.S. Spent In Two Weeks In Iraq. OBAMA: (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: CNN's John Berman: "Our Verdict Here Is False On The Math." BERMAN: "So, what are the facts here? The total cost for the first five years of the war in Iraq was 646 Billion. Which breaks down to about 700 Million for two weeks which is less than the 896 million the U.S. spent on military intervention in Libya. Our verdict here is false on the math. Obama was right that Libya is cheap compared to Iraq overall, but he exaggerated by about 200 million dollars when he compared it to two weeks in Iraq." (CNN, 10/22/12) LIE #6: OBAMA CLAIMED ROMNEY'S JOBS PLAN WOULD CREAT JOBS OVERSEAS THE CLAIM: Obama Claimed Gov. Romney's Plan Will Create 800,000 Jobs Overseas. OBAMA: "If we take your advice with respect to how we change our tax codes so that companies that are in profits overseas don't pay U.S. taxes compared to companies here that are paying taxes, now, that's estimated to create 800,000 jobs. The problem is they won't be here; they'll be in places like China." (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: FactCheck.org: "Obama says Romney's plan would create 800 k jobs overseas. But study says foreign jobs could grow without costing US jobs…" (FactCheck.org, Twitter Feed, 10/22/12) LIE #7: OBAMA CLAIMED ROMNEY SAID RUSSIA WAS AMERICA'S GREATEST GEOPOLITICAL THREAT THE CLAIM: Obama Claimed Gov. Romney Has Said That Russia Was The U.S.' Greatest Geopolitical Threat.  (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: "Romney Has Never Called Russia The No. 1 'Enemy' Or 'Threat' To The United States, Despite Obama's Claims On Multiple Occasions, Including Monday's Debate." (Josh Gerstein and Darren Samuelsohn, "Fact-Checking The Third Presidential Debate," Politico, 10/22/12) LIE #8: OBAMA LIED ABOUT ROMNEY'S EDUATION RECORD THE CLAIM: Obama Claimed That The Massachusetts Scholarship Program Happened Before Romney Became Governor Of Massachusetts. OBAMA: "That happened - that happened before you came into office." (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: Obama Was "Incorrect." "Also, Obama was incorrect when he said the Adams scholarships predated Romney." (Josh Smith, Sophie Quinton, and Olga Belogolova, "Debate Fact Check: The Third Presidential Debate Between Barack Obama And Mitt Romney," National Journal, 10/22/12) LIE #9: OBAMA WAS WRONG ABOUT EGYPTIANS' OPINIONS ABOUT AMERICA THE CLAIM: Obama Claimed Opinions About The U.S. Have Improved In Egypt Under His Presidency. OBAMA: "In Egypt we stood on the side of democracy. In Libya we stood on the side of the people. And as a consequence there is no doubt that attitudes about Americans have changed." (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: FactCheck.org: "Obama said attitudes of US have changed, mentioning Egypt. In Egypt, only 19% view U.S. favorably, down 3 pts since 08." (FactCheck.org, Twitter Feed, 10/22/12) LIE #10: OBAMA CLAIMED THE MILITARY DOESN'T USE BAYONETS THE CLAIM: Obama: "Governor, We Also Have Fewer Horses And Bayonets Because The Nature Of Our Military Has Changed." OBAMA: "I think Governor Romney maybe hasn't spent enough time looking at how our military works. You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916 well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military has changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers where planes land on them. We have the ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines." (President Barack Obama, 2012 Presidential Debate, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, 10/22/12) THE FACTS: Fox News' Chris Wallace: " The Marines Still Use Bayonets, So It May Not Be Clear Who Doesn't Understand What The Military Currently Uses." FOX NEWS' CHRIS WALLACE: "Well, as it turns out, in the middle of the debate, after he heard this, a marine tweeted Fox News and said: the Marines still use bayonets, so it may not be clear who doesn't understand what the Military currently uses." (Fox News, 10/22/12)