State of the Union Accuracy

People generally hear what they want to hear at State of the Union addresses and this one was likely no different.

Politifact’s truth-o-meter checked out some of the Presidents statements as well as Marco Rubio Republican response.

Obama’s claim that his administration made progress by putting more “boots on the ground” on the southern boarder than ever and we had the lowest illegal crossings in 40 years, they find half true. We have 18,516 agents on the SW border so that is true. He is also right about numbers but they question his interpretation that it was due just by his efforts. Money also had part to do with it as it is more expensive to sneak across now than in the past.

Rubio saying sequester was Obama’s idea was rated as half true. Seems like a lot of spinning going on; they rate it as half true.

The President claimed an “overwhelming” majority supports gun legislation like background check is rated as mostly true. I’ve checked those sources as well and they are as he claim. He sited the 92% approval of background checks. Other sources placed it at 80%. My research also showed the majority of NRA members, 70% also support this.

If you go to FactCheck.org they say he basically told the truth with a little puffing up of his record. Don’t we all.

What I heard was basically the same old two ways of creating jobs and getting the economy moving and helping the middle class. The Democrats led by the President go with demand side economics that has worked for us in the past and is beginning to work again. From the Republicans we hear the same old “trickle down”/supply side economics they have advocated since Reagan which has not worked; at least not worked for the middle class, the very rich like it a lot.

It seems as the country is not as mislead by supply side rhetoric as it has been in the past. Impossible claims are impossible claims no matter how you dress them up.

I was also glad to hear about an emphasis on building the infrastructure, which is a mess as I talked about in a previous article.

We can only hope that the president’s call for bipartisan work on our issues will take place and that congress quits it “do nothing” work of past years. May the civility shown at the SOTU, at least my most, continue. Though you had to compare and contrast Joe Biden and Boehner sitting and standing (Biden doing most of the standing) behind the President. Joe was good ol happy Joe, while Boehner seemed civil and shook hands nicely he also appeared to have trouble with hemorrhoids; but then he looks that way a good deal of the time. I think he has the worst job in congress and pity the poor fella.

On a personal note they SOTU address always remind me of the annual report to the congregation that takes place in churches about this time of year. They just take place with a lot less hoopla and are generally more civil.