The Fact-Checker, by Michael Dobbs

Hey, I pointed out Giuliani's "mixed record" comment yesterday. Is The Fact Checker listening to me?

Giuliani made the "mixed" comment because he got pushback on his attacks of Romney, the pushback coming from many places including The Fact Checker.

If Giuliani is listening to The Fact Checker, and The Fact Checker is listening to me, does that mean I'm partially running the Giuliani campaign???!???

Hmmmm....let's check it out.

Giuliani should, as president:
- eliminate the Department of Education
- take the FICA excess "Trust Fund" payments and invest them in Thrift Savings Plan C for future Social Security beneficiaries
- repeal the Medicare prescription drug program
- repeal the federal law prohibiting health insurance from being sold across state lines

There. We'll see if that takes.

So many of them, and the public keeps the faith.

In almost every appearance as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination, Rudolph W. Giuliani cites a fusillade of statistics and facts to make his arguments about his successes in running New York City and the merits of his views.

Discussing his crime-fighting success as mayor, Mr. Giuliani told a television interviewer that New York was "the only city in America that has reduced crime every single year since 1994."

Do you check the statistics cited by candidates, or do you take their claims at face value?

http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=1143

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Mr. Dobbs, through the noise of your column's many unprofessional drawbacks (e.g., your thin-skinnedness in punishing candidates for their pointed responses to your inquiries, getting defensive at the criticisms by readers here, and taking a childlike glee sometimes in making a mountain of a molehill), I am actually detecting some substance in your writing. There are many facts to uncover in the course of evaluating candidates' statements, and you are doing a decent job (at times) of finding them and simply presenting them.

One thing is very clearly needed, however. You need to dispense with the Pinnocchios. You have demonstrated no facility, it seems, in dishing them out in any coherent and predictable manner. For instance, Obama gets FOUR BIG LOUD WHOOHOO CAUGHT-IM-IN-A-WHOPPPPPER-SALLY-SUE-BOB!!!! Pinnochios for saying that Bush doubled the debt when in reality the factor by which Bush increased the debt... indeed rounds to two (1.65 I think it was). And in fact, I'm not sure that Romney's statement deserves more than one here. The Pinochios are just sadly random here. You could have yourself a halfway-useful column if you just, you know, checked the facts, and left the theater for others. What do you think?

wow mark - you are "detecting substance in the writing" of the fact checker? What WOULD we ever do without you?

Former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis On illegal immigration and specifically Mitt Romney
http://www.youtube.com/v/u8fJCI9IR7M&rel=1

Romney asked GUiliani if he expected him to go out and ask them for their papers because they had funny accents. He said that doing that was un-American, blah blah blah.

Guiliani had no response to that. Because they both took the low road, I find them both to be morons.

Guiliani SHOULD HAVE replied by saying that if Romney was so concerned about illegal immigrants, he didn't need to ask each of them about their status - all he needed to do was ask the management of the company he hired about their hiring practices. "Do you use undocumented workers? Yes? Well, I'll find someone who doesn't."

That's the response Guiliani should have given.

Mr. Dobbs, YOU get so many of those Pinochio's, You can soon lay on your back, and redirect Satelites!

I cannot recall the exact days, when I saw with my own two eyes, and heard with my own two Ears, Giuliani PUBLICALLY declare, that Illegal Immigrants after 911 are allowed Sanctuary in New York City! That THEY are Valuable assets that have nothing to fear in the Sanctuary City. I remember it Plainly, because it was one of the FIRST times I became aware of such a Proclamation!

THEN, to label Mitt Romney a Liar, because when Your Office contacted people in his Office about "Proof", THEY were more concerned about Running a Campaign, than backing up "Common Knowledge", and somehow twist the Fact, HE DID NOT EMPLOY ILLEGALS, is over the top!

Turkey-HE is NOT a Federally Authorized Agent Legally able to Check Employment Verification! THAT, is the Problem! The DAMNED Feds, are NOT doing THEIR DAMNED JOBS!

Maybe, THAT's why HE wants to be THE PRESIDENT! Then, HE WILL BE THE FED!

But of the slimeiest, lowest stunt you pulled, Giuliani ONCE AGAIN deserved 4 Pinochios! But, you Pardoned HIM?

Talk about a Partisan Stunt! Better get on you Back, in some outdoor Location FAST!

Before you poke somebody's eye out with that thing!

Am I the only person in the country who thinks this is a stupid debate? If we really want to do something about illegals, we would go after the employers, not the immigrants. They come here for jobs, not the warm welcome, so sanctioning those who hire them would get results quickly. A few CEO perp-walk photos would make cheap labor seem like less of a bargain.

But I think this is just cheap grandstanding by the candidates. They won't take on the business interests who do the hiring, so they act tough against powerless immigrants. These people are cowards.

Illegal immigration has become our plight
With ever increasing numbers it is now a blight
Law abiding Americans should now start to fight
Because our politicians really bite
Our congress people and senators need to go fly a kite
And get the heck out of our sight
Send the illegals into flight
They will leave when we show our might

Romney and Guliani are the trojan horse people - do not fall for it because those who do will have the future of our country's demise in their hands. Hillary and Obama are just as dangerous and dishonest.

RAT-The said: "Turkey-HE is NOT a Federally Authorized Agent Legally able to Check Employment Verification! THAT, is the Problem! The DAMNED Feds, are NOT doing THEIR DAMNED JOBS!"

Sure, but no. If Romney was so danged concerned about illegal immigrants, all he needed to do was ask the landscaping company "Do you only hire legal workers?"

If they didn't say yes, then find one that did.

The reality is, he didn't care to find out. Why? Because he didn't care about who did the work, only that they did it cheapest.

And if Guiliani had half a brain, he would have hammered Romney using this point - there's nothing stopping you insisting the guys who come to work at your mansion have been hired legally.

When Rudy and Hilary were campaigning for the Senate race in NY, my wife and I sent Rudy a check for $1K because we read Hilary's running was to position herself for a future presidential run; and with the Clinton's record of "China Gate, Lincoln bedroom escapades, and Pardon Gate (to name a few)," we did not want her to win.

Less than two weeks later, Rudy feigned health problems and withdrew from the race. I immediately wrote Rudy a personal letter and requested he hand over our donation to Rick Lazzio who, at the last moment, took over for him.

Rudy ignored our letter and, as far we know, did not transfer the money, but kept it to subsidize his mistress. In his Presidential campaign, things are dribbling out to describe his true character--"don't TRUST him!"

"But a search of the Nexis-Lexis database shows that the term was not in widespread use prior to 2001."

Mr. Dobbs, I believe you mean the Lexis-Nexis database. Minor problem in an otherwise outstanding blog. Kudos for providing a non-partisan (despite what others here may say) interpretation of the war of words between Rudy and Mitt.

Thanks Jack, for your comment. You are right about Lexis-Nexis. I will correct it.

Mr Fact-Checker, I need your help.
I'm a republican, and I hate illegal aliens. The problem is, I can't afford health insurance, so when my kids were born, I had them registered as Canadian citizens so they could get the free medical care and access to top notch hockey camps year round.
I know that's illegal but it's saved me a ton of money and after all, I told you I was republican right out of the box(so if you're surprised, that's your fault).
Here's my problem. Turns out my kids are illegal aliens.
I was going to take them down to the INS myself, but the wife said no. I told her we need to put them out of the house before we get in trouble for harboring the little fugitives and running a "sanctuary trailer" but again, the dang woman says "no".
I have to do something, them little varmints are like a pack of ticking time bombs. One wrong word up at the school and the next thing you know the Board of Education is going to hand me a bill for their schoolin'. ME, a life-long Republican, PAYING for public school! I hate public schools, they only teach communism and abortion. If they weren't free, I'd a never sent them little heathens up there. We got a perfectly good primitive fundamentalist school/hair dressers right up the street, but they was gonna charge me.
I mean they look like Americans, they even sound like Americans, except the little one keeps calling his older sister a "hoser", but mostly they can pass.
You have all the facts, whatever can I do?

again with the bizarre pinocchios. you are giving giuliani a pass because he's rated badly in the past? what? if anything, the fact that he's racking up such a consistent record of fact-mutilation seems to warrant harsher treatment.

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