Bob McCarty Writes

Many on the left want to compare Barack Obama to Ronald Reagan (a.k.a., “The Great Communicator).  In reality,  this year’s Democratic Party presidential nominee is making a name for himself as “The Great Exaggerator.”

Newsweek reports that, during the last presidential debate, Obama exaggerated the angry outbursts again him at McCain-Palin campaign rallies, citing reports the Secret Service had told his campaign were uncorroborated:

• Obama cited “all public reports,” saying one attendant of a McCain-Palin rally yelled “Kill him” at the mention of Obama’s name. “During a heated moment in his final presidential debate with Sen. John McCain, Sen. Barack Obama noted the anger of some supporters at rallies for McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. ‘All the public reports suggested,’ Obama said, that people shouted ‘things like ‘terrorist’ and ‘kill him.’” (Mark Hosenball, The Death-Threat Debate, Newsweek, 10/27/08)

• However, the Secret Service had investigated the matter and told media outlets and the Obama campaign that the report was uncorroborated. “[E]ven before Obama cited ‘reports’ of the threats at the debate, the U.S. Secret Service had told media outlets, including Newsweek, that it was unable to corroborate accounts of the ‘kill him’ remarks — and according to a law-enforcement official, who asked for anonymity when discussing a political matter, the Obama campaign knew as much.”(Mark Hosenball, The Death-Threat Debate, Newsweek, 10/27/08)

• “Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren says his agency examined videotape from that event and an earlier Palin event In Clearwater, Fla., at which a similar threat was supposedly made, and concluded that the voice could’ve been saying ‘Tell Him’ Or ‘Tell Them.’” (Mark Hosenball, The Death-Threat Debate, Newsweek, 10/27/08)

• “Now some officials are disgruntled that Obama gave added credence to the threat by mentioning it in front Of 60 million viewers. At this point In the campaign, said one, candidates will ’say anything to make a particular point.’” (Mark Hosenball, The Death-Threat Debate, Newsweek, 10/27/08)

Obama exaggerated the cool reception he received when he told Detroit automakers to raise fuel efficiency standards:

• “We are going to do what I did when I went to Detroit, and told the automakers that they are going to have to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars. We can make more efficient cars right here in the United States, there’s no way that they have to be made in Japan. But it requires that Detroit changes its ways. And I have to say that when I delivered that speech, nobody clapped. The room was really quiet.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Jefferson Jackson Dinner, Indianapolis, IN, 5/4/08)

• “To hear Sen. Barack Obama tell it, his speech to the Detroit Economic Club last May pitching tougher fuel-economy standards was a Daniel-in-thee-lion’s-den moment, one that he has replayed for Crowds from Oregon to North Carolina.” That he has replayed for crowds from Oregon to North Carolina.”  (Justin Hyde, Obama Talks Tough On Detroit, Detroit Free Press, 5/14/08)

• But Obama Received At Least Two Standing Ovations. “Appearing before a luncheon held by the Detroit Economic Club, Mr. Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate, received a standing ovation when he was introduced by Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, and again at the close of his remarks, which were broadcast live by local television stations. Mr. Obama, making his first campaign visit to Michigan, said he wanted to be blunt with Detroit auto companies on their home turf.” (Micheline Maynard, Obama Criticizes Automakers On Fuel Economy, The New York Times, 5/8/ 07)

• The “diverse audience interrupted him 10 times for applause.” “Despite Mr. Obama’s sometimes harsh words Monday, the diverse audience interrupted him 10 times for applause.”(Micheline Maynard, Obama Criticizes Automakers On Fuel Economy, The New York Times, 5/8/07)

• NOTE: “Chief executives of the auto companies were not In attendance.” (Micheline Maynard, Obama Criticizes Automakers On Fuel Economy, The New York Times, 5/8/07)

Obama exaggerated his achievement in compelling nuclear energy companies to disclose low-level leaks:

• While campaigning for the presidency, Obama has boasted about “nuclear legislation that I’ve passed has been to make sure that the nuclear industry has to disclose whatever they emit anything that might be considered radioactive.” Obama: “So the only nuclear legislation that I’ve passed has been to make sure that the nuclear industry has to disclose whatever they emit anything that might be considered radioactive and share that with local and state communities. I just did that last year.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Town Hall In Newton, IA, 12/30/07)

• But the bill did not pass in the Senate. “Those revisions propelled the bill through a crucial committee. But, contrary to Mr. Obama’s comments in Iowa, it ultimately died amid parliamentary wrangling in the full Senate.” (Mike McIntire, Nuclear Leaks And Response Tested Obama In Senate, The New York Times, 2/3/08)

• Obama’s campaign did not directly address questions about why Obama falsely told voters that the legislation had passed. “Asked why Mr. Obama had cited it as an accomplishment while campaigning for president, the campaign noted that after the senator introduced his bill, nuclear plants started making such reports on a voluntary basis. The campaign did not directly address the question of why Mr. Obama had told Iowa voters that the legislation had passed.”(Mike McIntire, Nuclear Leaks And Response Tested Obama In Senate, The New York Times, 2/3/08)

• The final version of Obama’s bill gave the Nuclear Regulatory Commission two years to devise regulations and “shall consider — not require — immediate public notification.” “In place of the straightforward reporting requirements was new language giving the nuclear commission two years to come up with its own regulations. The bill said that the commission ’shall consider’ — not require — immediate public notification, and also take into account the findings of a task force it set up to study the tritium leaks. By then, the task force had already concluded that ‘existing reporting requirements for abnormal spills and leaks are at a level that is risk-informed and appropriate.’”(Mike McIntire, Nuclear Leaks And Response Tested Obama In Senate, The New York Times, 2/3/08)

Obama exaggerated his role in passing legislation out of a committee he doesn’t sit on it:

Click image to view video.

• Obama took credit for passage of a bill calling for divestment from Iran, citing its passage from “my committee,” the U.S. Banking Committee. Obama: “Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don’t obtain a nuclear weapon.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Press Conference, Sderot, Israel, 7/23/08)

• Watch the video (above right) showing Obama say the Banking Committee is “my committee.”

• Obama is not a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. (U.S. Senate Committee On Banking, Housing, And Urban Affairs Website,www. banking.senate.gov, Accessed 7/23/08)

Cartoon courtesy:  Political Graffiti