George Will Calls Out Washington Post Fact-Checker

NewsBusters.org ^ | September 3, 2012 | Noel Sheppard

[Kaslin]

Since Wednesday, the Obama-loving media have been working overtime trying to disprove a number of statements made by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan during their respective speeches at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

On ABC's This Week Sunday, George Will called out Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler for claiming Ryan had mislead Americans about a GM plant closing in Janesville, Wisconsin (video follows with transcript and commentary):

George Will Calls Out Washington Post Fact-Checker

MATTHEW DOWD, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: From my perspective, what happened at this convention is that nobody is calling on it, or maybe a few people are calling on it. Paul Ryan, what he did in his speech, I think, so stretched the truth, and I like Paul Ryan, I have a lot of great respect for Paul Ryan, but the (INAUDIBLE) that he said about closing the GM plant, which closed before Barack Obama took president, about the Simpson-Bowles bill which -- Simpson-Bowles, which he opposed, and then all of a sudden you see faults Barack Obama for, at some point the truth should matter.

GEORGE WILL: At every particular and what he said about the GM plant was right. He did not say it closed before Obama became president. The one who said that was the so-called fact checker at The Washington Post who got it wrong. He said it was closed in December 2008. In fact it was making trucks in April 2009.

DOWD: George, the way he -- when anybody that is watching that that didn't know the facts of it, anybody watching that speech, whether they -- as I say, just like the welfare thing, anybody coming away from that believes one thing.

And you're saying the fact may be right, he was trying to convey that Barack Obama was responsible for the closing of the GM plant, and that isn't true.

WILL: He said, "especially in Janesville, where we were about to lose a major factory" - entirely true.

Indeed. Here's the relevant portion of Ryan's speech:

President Barack Obama came to office during an economic crisis, as he has reminded us a time or two. Those were very tough days, and any fair measure of his record has to take that into account. My home state voted for President Obama. When he talked about change, many people liked the sound of it, especially in Janesville, where we were about to lose a major factory.

A lot of guys I went to high school with worked at that GM plant. Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: “I believe that if our government is there to support you … this plant will be here for another hundred years.” That’s what he said in 2008.

Well, as it turned out, that plant didn’t last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day. And that’s how it is in so many towns today, where the recovery that was promised is nowhere in sight.

[WOSG]

Matthew Dowd, potted plant house conservative the liberals use to show ‘balance’ who in fact, like David Brooks, kicks conservatives to the curb.

Glad to see George Will went Newt-lear on Dowd’s repeating a media lie.

[WOSG]

Just like the theme of “our rights come from God and nature”... I heard one dem say that NO they DON’T come from God and nature. Well, well..... I’ll bet the farm that when both R and R are touting that statement in several speeches it’s a total TRICK statement for the dems.”

reciting the declaration of independence is a trap for the Democrats. LOL

You are correct that Ryan has precision in what he says, its something sloppy candidates lack (like Biden).
The media will call what he says ‘lies’ only by stretching the truth themselves.

[lentulusgracchus]

Matthew Dowd (parrot-droppings be upon him) is about as much a "Republican strategist" as I am a Phalangist generalissimo.

Or a secret Hesychasmist conspirator.

Or a Brazilian gemstone cutter.

Et cetera (roll your own).

[lentulusgracchus]

Only Sarah and Newt seem to have the ability to do that.

Mittens had better go to both of them, on his knees, and grasp their ankles with offerings of peace and patronage -- BIG patronage (like Ronnie gave Poppy Bush in 1980; turn about is fair play!) -- in return for serious help as surrogates in battling the 'RatMedia/RatRoots Slime Machine (David Axelgrease, Manager).

[WOSG]

Ryan never blamed Obama for shutting the plant, that’s a media lie.

Ryan showed up Obama for making promises he never kept.

The plant is still shut.

[TomasUSMC]

Obama says he wants to keep a factory open
Factory closes
Obama becomes Prez
Factory still closed

nuff said

[Lancey Howard]

Matthew Dowd is a liar and a fraud. He is certainly no “Republican strategist” unless he’s the kind who shares a hot tub with David Brock, David Brooks, and David Stockman. (Matthew Dowd should change his name to David.)

[Ann Archy]

I think Matthew Dowd is GAY and he’s gone over to the Democrat side a LONG time ago.

[AdaGray]

What George Will and the folks at WAPO don’t realize is that most people don’t pay any attention to them anymore.

[Alas Babylon!]

I see it a little differently.

The Wash Post and the media DO NOT CARE if people don’t pay attention to them or not. Getting the meme out there that Ryan lied is what they want.

In other words, THEY lied about Ryan lying about Obama. This gives cover to Obama’s liberal supporters to cite these fact-checker media web sites so that they can win arguments and appear to be accurate in their talking points and debates with others. The truth has nothing to do with it.

Try this out:

Liberal: Ryan’s a liar. Even the XYZ.factchecker.org says so !

You: Wait just a minute: He said Candidate Obama said the plant was going to stay open 100 years if he could help it. He became president, the plant closed, and it’s still closed!

Liberal: Well don’t argue that with me; argue with xyz.factcheker.org. I think I’ll trust them over YOUR opinion. Besides, that plant stopped making cars when BUSH was still in office!

You: It’s not my opinion; it’s the truth. Besides, the plant didn’t close when Bush was president, because they still made pickups until 2009.

Liberal: That’s not what xyz.factchecker.org says!

[Alas Babylon!]

Oh, and one other thing... The liberal I used above often isn’t just some guy at the office or off the streets, but is a local democrat politician, a media type: reporter, newscaster, editor, or other journ-O-list, so they’ll keep spreading the lies, bias, etc.

The best thing we can do is create fact checkers ourselves and counter charge the left with “Obama lied, abc, xyz, etc.” The difference would be abc and xyz would accurate!

[wildbill]

Unfortunately, the defense of the “fact checkers” by Matthew Dowd, a Republican, was probably more effective in the debate than George Will’s statements.

[AdaGray]

Points well taken. But I also believe that, thanks to internet, there is a growing audience of Americans who need only see an establishment moniker (be it WAPO, NYT, NBC or George Will) and know instantly to turn away and not delve further.

[Alas Babylon!]

Exactly. They have tarnished themselves, their good names and their reputations by being whores to certain politics.

I live for the day when their establishments are bankrupt and no one will hire them because they’re not reporters but rather lying hacks.

[uncommonsense]

I have to disagree that the "Republican" made a strong case defending the "fact checkers":

DOWD: George, the way he -- when anybody that is watching that that didn't know the facts of it, anybody watching that speech, whether they -- as I say, just like the welfare thing, anybody coming away from that believes one thing."

Sounds like ObaMao when he's off-prompter :-)