Pity the poor politicians and spinmeisters who had to don suits in the middle of a long weekend and populate the talk shows. They were up to their usual tricks, though: One Republican operative wrongly implied a crime by the White House; several guests talked about the debt or deficit in ways that were deceptive; and a House incumbent made the jobs picture under President Obama sound better than it is in reality.
Obama ‘Enemies List’
Person: Ed Gillespie
Sunday Replay
On this week’s political talk shows, we found false and questionable statements about Rand Paul, unemployment and then-Sen. Obama’s impact on immigration legislation.
Paul Didn’t Go That Far
On CBS’ "Face the Nation," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine twisted the words of Rand Paul, the Republican nominee for Senate in Kentucky. Kaine claimed that Paul, a tea party member, "says the Civil Rights Act shouldn’t have been passed." That’s not true.
Paul did kick up a controversy when he told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow that while he personally did not agree with discriminatory practices,
Republican State Leadership Committee
Focused on electing conservative Republicans to state offices.
American Action Network
Founded by a former Republican senator and a former GOP House aide. Leans GOP/Right-center.
American Crossroads
Conservative-leaning group founded with help from Karl Rove and former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie.
RNC’s Gillespie Gets It Wrong on Clark and Iraq
Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie has been saying retired Gen. Wesley Clark was really for war in Iraq — but the record doesn’t bear that out.
Puncturing a Republican Tax Fable
Republican National Chairman Ed Gillespie said “80% of the tax relief for upper income filers goes to small businesses.” That’s untrue – and a classic example of a statistical distortion gone amok.