PolitiFact Defends Its 'Lie Of The Year'

PolitiFact :

At a Republican campaign rally a few years ago, I asked one of the attendees how he got his news.

Read the whole story: PolitiFact

Comments

[dantanna]

01:38 PM on 12/28/2011

for what I recall, democrats said republicans voted to end medicare as we know it. and after reading reports of what the rebublicans' plan wanted to do, I still believe that anyone who sided with republicans wanted to end medicare as we know it.

[BobfromGR]

09:32 AM on 12/28/2011

The issue is not whether or not PolitiFact is correct in their assessment that "Republicans voted to end Medicare" is the biggest lie of the year. The problem is that it is a matter of opinion, not a matter of fact. So why are they assessing it at all? I thought they were a fact checking organization. When John Kyle said abortion is 97% of what Planned Parenthood does he got a fact wrong. When someone says Rebublicans voted to end Medicare the truth of the statement depends on a person's opinion of what Medicare is and whether or not the Ryan proposal maintains the program as defined. Some will agree and some will disagree exactly because it is an opinion, not a fact.

[PollyTics]

03:13 AM on 12/28/2011

Defend away Politifact, your credibility has waned to an all time low level. BTW, defending this position and castigating your readers is hardly the way to their hearts and minds.

[WhoIsNoOne]

11:22 PM on 12/27/2011

Politifact is a decent site, and I like it. This was an obvious
calculated move, to move away from the liberal stigma (not my opinion, but
it is there) that it has received.
I think it was a bad move, but we'll have to wait and see.
The problem of seeming liberal will never go away for a site
like Politifact because facts have a liberal bias...

[Eric Boyer]

02:42 PM on 12/27/2011

Politifact has rendered itself beyond useless, apparently they were tired of being beaten to death by right wingers who didn't like the fact that "Facts" don't usually go their way. Hey guys, if you make a "Hotdog" out of worm meat and call it a hotdog, is it REALLY a hot dog, or just a disgusting hot dog shaped thing that no one wants to eat? If you hand Medicare over to an Objectivist Ayn Randroid, ruin it and call it Medicare is it still Medicare?

[somearelost]

01:46 PM on 12/27/2011

Fact: Liberals hate facts.

[kareemachan]

02:37 PM on 12/27/2011

Fact: TP/NOPers don't recognize a fact when it bites them on the tush.

[Intelligenti Pauca]

11:03 AM on 12/28/2011

I see you fall into the group from which your name is taken.....

[manofmystique]

12:46 PM on 12/27/2011

Pure propaganda could be the only way to explain such a falsehood. The folks who believe this lie are the same people who will follow the deceiver over a cliff. This lie is so obvious, saying otherwise, defies logic and common sense. Paul Ryan doesn't deserve any credit for what he is trying to do to senior citizens.

[miketothad]

12:04 PM on 12/27/2011

Politi-False-Equivalence

[Jeff Bunting]

05:08 PM on 12/26/2011

"At a Republican campaign rally a few years ago, I asked one of the attendees how he got his news."

So much for being 'independent.' For one what is he as an independent doing in a republican campaign rally in the first place? I don't buy that he's just going to these places to do fact checking as it sounds like he went their to collect money for his organization.

[Intelligenti Pauca]

11:04 AM on 12/28/2011

Wow, way to read into the article what you want to believe.

[blinkthink]

05:04 PM on 12/26/2011

Politifact knows little of Medicare vs. the privatization of Medicare by outsourcing it to the corporate world. What do they have to make this judgement of a "big lie"?

Yet it doesn't take an expert to see how the cost of insurance rises, how adding the costs of health care for profit added to the cost of the entire program could have negatory effects to the program.

But cost containment experts tell us the cost containment lost due to privatization would be huge. The increases spread over the sheer number of Medicare enrollees would be devastating to the program. No one wants to pay taxes now, let alone pay more for premium support.

The privatization of the Medicare insurance will price the care out of the reach of most elderly, pure and simple.

Wouldn't Politifact then call a program that is supposed to assist seniors pay for premiums on insurance they can't afford to use a complete destruction of the program?

[ProgressivesWin]

02:31 PM on 12/26/2011

I wonder if Politifact understands that when a formerly-trusted fact-checking site starts doubling down on provable mis-statements, their website traffic will be cut roughly in HALF.

[silvercreeklady]

01:49 PM on 12/26/2011

My own Leftest father bragged recently that SSI was intended for widows...and that he was proud he out lived the intention of the fund. He admitted full well that at the time most men did not live beyond 70years old. At 82 he has nearly collected for 20 years from when he applied. When asked how it should be paid for and should his current great grandchildren be picking up his tab , their parents ( my generation) and theirs too..he fell silent.........

[ProgressivesWin]

02:36 PM on 12/26/2011

Would you have been able to support him without the fact that our country had the good sense to start self-insuring it's citizen's retirement? Because all SS is is an insurance policy that we pay into, made NECESSARY by the malfeasance of robberbarons and economic depressions caused by manipulative corporations and the like. Until then, many poor or economically excluded citizens died in abject poverty.

Or are you one of the people who were, along with BushCo in 2007/8, beating drums to have SS disbanded and all retirements "privately" funded, JUST BEFORE THE ENTIRE STOCK MARKET CRASHED? That would've worked out well, huh?

[silvercreeklady]

04:33 PM on 12/26/2011

If SSi was truly like an insurance plan the Premiums would have been increased substantially years ago to cover the losses. Some people might have been better off with a disability policy instead. So you blame corporations for what?...employing people to pay into the fund?

My own mutual funds lost in the stock market but had gained again just in time for me to cash them out to live during Obama's recover that never happened. Now they are gone, along with any equity or down payment I had on real estate that was suppose to be my home when I reached retirement in 8 years. Now will be lucky to get half of the contributions ( premiumss) I have paid into SSI for the last 44 years... but my father is taken care of and could live another 10 years. Suppose he will enjoy it when we move in with him since he is the ONLY person with a regular paycheck?

[silvercreeklady]

01:43 PM on 12/26/2011

They exposed the "lie" and now some are shooting the messenger. You should be angry at your representatives who have been lying in their talking points all along! Seems alot have bought it ..hook line and sinker without even looking at the FACTS.

Call it what you want Medicare cannot sustain it'self in it's it current form,...it has to be modified in some way. Ryan at least offered up a suggestion as to how it can work. What have the LEFT offered other than more of the same with someone ( other than themselves) funding it?

[ProgressivesWin]

02:39 PM on 12/26/2011

Hilarious.
All Ryan did was try to throw even more money at the private sector while paying for it with OUR tax money. Typical corporate operation - offload all costs onto the backs of citizens, upload all profits into the bank accounts of the elite.

No thanks. MEDICARE FOR ALL.

[silvercreeklady]

05:03 PM on 12/26/2011

Bankrupt Medicare for all? Look at the Post Office..how well has that worked out for us?
So how would you make it sustain itself? ..other than tax those that already pay for everything that will never likely draw from it?

[blinkthink]

05:27 PM on 12/26/2011

"Ryan at least offered up a suggestion as to how it can work."

No, Ryan wanted privatization of insurance. He just off-loaded the costs to the elderly who will not be able to afford the cost of health care for profit along with little cost containment in private insurance. He should have called it "Ryan's D-Panels."

If someone robs the elderly of their money, do you give the robber credit for initiative?

[lvogt]

11:37 AM on 12/26/2011

Politifact's rebuttal is pathetic and without substance. It basically says "It is so!" without a logical argument on the merits. They even refer to Ryan's "privatized approach to be Medicare". That is not anything like the same program. To call it Medicare at that point is deceptive at best. They have made themselves even worse in my eyes since they not only do not admit the error but defend it so poorly.

[Elyriaohio]

08:26 AM on 12/26/2011

This lie-of-the-year is very underwhelming for a savvy outfit like Politifact. Sadly, it gives Big Insurance a talking point, and probably more cash for lobbyists. Can't wait for my next insurance increase instead of a raise.