NHGOP RELEASE: Statement from NHGOP Chairman on Joe Biden's Visit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:                October 13, 2008

Contact:           Fergus Cullen, Chairman, New Hampshire Republican Party

                        603-225-9341 office, 603-520-5450 cell

CONCORD – New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen released the following statement on Sen. Joe Biden’s visit to New Hampshire today:

“To be charitable, New Hampshire voters responded to Joe Biden with indifference both times he ran for president here; Biden dropped out before the New Hampshire primary in both 1988 and 2008 due to lack of support.  But this time New Hampshire voters are interested in learning more about Joe Biden, specifically about why the Obama campaign won’t release Biden’s earmark requests and why Biden believes that it is ‘patriotic’ to pay more in taxes.”

BACKGROUND

Joe Biden’s Lies in the Vice Presidential Debate

·         LIE #1: Joe Biden Said It's "Simply Not True" That Barack Obama Wants To Meet With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Despite Barack Obama's Answer During A Debate That He Would. "It's 'simply not true' that Barack Obama said he'd meet Iran's president without preconditions, Biden insisted. Yet when Obama was asked if he would in a debate during the primaries, he said yes - a position Biden back then termed 'naive.'" (Editorial, "The Lies Biden Told," New York Post, 10/4/08)

·         LIE #2: Joe Biden "Exaggerated" When He Claimed The U.S. Spends More In Three Weeks In Iraq Than It Has For The Entire War In Afghanistan. "Mr. Biden said that 'we spend more money in three weeks on combat in Iraq than we spent on the entirety of the last seven years that we have been in Afghanistan building that country.' This appears to be exaggerated, although it is not exactly clear what Mr. Biden was including under 'building that country.'" ("Check Point: The Vice-Presidential Debate," The New York Times' "The Caucus" Blog, http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com, Posted 10/2/08)

·         LIE #3: Joe Biden Wrongly Said That The United States And France "Kicked Hezbollah Out Of Lebanon." "Then there was what might have been the biggest head-scratcher of the night. Said Biden of the Bush administration's supposed Middle East follies: 'When . . . along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, 'Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't, Hezbollah will control it.' Huh? Assuming that Biden was referring to when, in 2005, American and French pressure helped the Lebanese people kick Syrian troops out of Lebanon, who ever thought NATO occupation of that deeply divided country was a good idea? As if America's NATO allies would have gone in the first place. But hey, as long as it makes Biden sound presidential." (Editorial, "The Lies Biden Told," New York Post, 10/4/08)

·         LIE #4: Joe Biden Incorrectly Stated That Article One Of The Constitution Deals With The Executive Branch. "Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. also made statements about the vice presidency that have drawn notice in the wake of the debate. He incorrectly stated, for instance, that Article I of the Constitution governs the vice president's executive branch functions — actually Article I deals with the legislative branch — and he restricted those duties to breaking a tie vote in the Senate, not mentioning the constitutional mandate that the vice president 'shall be President of the Senate.'" (Larry Rohter, Michael Luo And Andrew C. Revkin, "90 Minutes To Exchange Views Or, At Home, To Occasionally Scratch Heads," The New York Times, 10/4/08)

·         LIE #5: FactCheck.org: Joe Biden "Wrongly Claimed" That John McCain Voted To Raise Taxes On People Making $42,000 A Year Just Like Barack Obama. "Biden wrongly claimed that McCain 'voted the exact same way' as Obama on the budget bill that contained an increase on singles making as little as $42,000 a year. McCain voted against it. Biden was referring to an amendment that didn't address taxes at that income level." ("FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate," FacCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 10/3/08)

·         LIE #6: Joe Biden Referenced A Restaurant In Delaware That Does Not Exist Anymore. "In an attempt to burnish his Main Street credentials, Biden invited voters to walk with him down Union Street in Wilmington, and visit "Katie's restaurant." According to Wilmington food guru Patricia Talorico, the much-loved Wilmington institution shuttered its doors in the 1980s and has now been replaced by a chain." (Michael Dobbs, "VP Debate Part II," The Washington Post's "Fact Checker," http://blog.washingtonpost.com, Posted 10/3/08)

·         LIE #7: Joe Biden Claimed That Gen. McKiernan Said A Surge Would Not Work In Afghanistan Although Gen. McKiernan Is "Is Asking For Almost The Same Number Of Troops For Afghanistan And Many Of The Same Capabilities." "Biden said that the commanding general in Afghanistan said this week that a surge would not work in Afghanistan. The truth: General David McKiernan said he needs more troops in Afghanistan 'as quickly as possible.'  He has asked for 4 additional combat brigades and a small contingent of support forces (one brigade will deploy in January).  McKiernan said that the programs associated with the surge in Iraq would not work in Afghanistan, specifically something like the Sunni Awakening in Anbar would not apply to Afghanistan (because of a different and more complex tribal system in Afghanistan) and a program like the Sons of Iraq would not apply to Afghanistan. McKiernan declined to use the word 'surge,' but ultimately he is asking for almost the same number of troops for Afghanistan and many of the same capabilities." (Courtney Kube, "Foreign Policy Stretches," MSNBC, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com, Posted 10/2/08)   

·         LIE #8: FactCheck.org: Joe Biden "Wrongly Claimed" That John McCain Won't Sit Down With The President Of Spain. "Biden wrongly claimed that McCain had said 'he wouldn't even sit down' with the government of Spain. Actually, McCain didn't reject a meeting, but simply refused to commit himself one way or the other during an interview." ("FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate," FacCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 10/3/08)

·         LIE #9: Joe Biden Claimed That The "Economic Policies Of The Last Eight Years" Are To Blame For The Current Financial Crisis Despite Voting For The 1999 Deregulation That Liberals Blame For The Current Situation. "BIDEN: Complained about 'economic policies of the last eight years' that led to 'excessive deregulation.' THE FACTS: Biden voted for 1999 deregulation that liberal groups are blaming for part of the financial crisis today. The law allowed Wall Street investment banks to create the kind of mortgage-related securities at the core of the problem now. The law was widely backed by Republicans as well as by Democratic President Clinton, who argues it has stopped the crisis today from being worse." (Calvin Woodward, "Some Facts Adrift In Veep Debate," The Associated Press, 10/3/08)

·         LIE #10:FactCheck.org: Joe Biden Took John McCain's "Words Out Of Context" On Deregulating Health Care. "Biden claimed that McCain said in a magazine article that he wanted to deregulate the health care industry as the banking industry had been. That's taking McCain's words out of context. As we've said before, he was talking specifically about his proposal to allow the sale of health insurance across state lines." ("FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate," FacCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 10/3/08)

·         LIE #11: Joe Biden Used The "Misleading" Claim That John McCain Wants To Give Tax Cuts To Oil Companies. "BIDEN: Said McCain supports tax breaks for oil companies, and 'wants to give them another $4 billion tax cut.' THE FACTS: Biden is repeating a favorite saw of the Obama campaign, and it's misleading. McCain supports a cut in income taxes for all corporations, and doesn't single out any one industry for that benefit." (Calvin Woodward, "Some Facts Adrift In Veep Debate," The Associated Press, 10/3/08)

·         LIE #12: FactCheck.org: Joe Biden Used An Incorrect Figure When He Claimed That Iraq Has An "$80 Billion Surplus." "Biden said that Iraq had an '$80 billion surplus.' The country was once projected to have as much as a $79 billion surplus, but no more. The Iraqis have $29 billion in the bank, and could have $47 billion to $59 billion by the end of the year, as we noted when Obama used the incorrect figure. A $21 billion supplemental spending bill, passed by the Iraqi legislature in August, knocked down the old projection." ("FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate," FacCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 10/3/08)

·         LIE #13: FactCheck.org: Joe Biden Incorrectly Claimed John McCain Voted 20 Times Against Funding Alternative Energy. "Biden said four times that McCain had voted 20 times against funding alternative energy. However, in analyzing the Obama campaign's list of votes after the first presidential debate, we found the number was actually 11. In the other instances the Obama-Biden campaign cites, McCain voted not against alternative energy but against mandatory use of alternative energy, or he voted in favor of allowing exemptions from these mandates." ("FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate," FacCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 10/3/08)

·         LIE #14: Joe Biden's Claim That John McCain Will Cut Taxes $300 Billion On Corporations And The Wealthy Is "Based On Suppositions And Projections, Not Fact." "Senator Biden said that Mr. McCain was proposing $300 billion a year in tax cuts for corporations and wealthy individuals. Mr. Obama said the same thing in the presidential debate last Friday. The figure is based on calculations from the Obama campaign and from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. They looked at McCain tax proposals beyond the extension of the tax cuts passed early in the Bush administration, which cost roughly $110 billion a year. The policy center said that it could not put a precise dollar figure on the McCain proposals because his tax plan is not fully detailed and it was impossible to calculate how much of the tax relief would go to middle-class and low-income taxpayers. The Obama campaign has used the $300 billion figure for months, but it is based on suppositions and projections, not fact." ("Check Point: The Vice-Presidential Debate," The New York Times' "The Caucus" Blog, http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com, Posted 10/2/08)

·         LIE #15: Joe Biden Took John McCain's Words Out Of Context When He Claimed John McCain Was "Surprised" By The Subprime Mortgage Crisis. "The claim: Biden said McCain said he was 'surprised' by the subprime mortgage crisis. The facts: McCain's use of the word 'surprised' came in response to a leading question in New Hampshire last December. At the time, he compared it to the dot-com collapse of the late 1990s, adding: 'I was surprised at other times in our history. I don't know if surprised is the word.' Later in the same interview, he said, 'When I say 'surprised,' I'm not surprised when in capitalist systems that there's greed and excess.'" (Ken Dilanian and Richard Wolf, "Fact Check: Context Of Key Debate Claims," USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com, Posted 10/3/08)

·         LIE #16: Joe Biden Did Not Give An Accurate Picture Of An Analysis Of John McCain's Heath Care Plans. "'You're going to have to replace a $12,000 [health-care plan] with a $5,000 [tax-credit] check you've just given to the insurance company. I call that the ultimate bridge to nowhere.'-- Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., vice presidential debate … Joe Biden gave the impression that most Americans would be worse off financially as a result of Sen. John McCain's health-care proposals. He drew on a study by the journal Health Affairs to suggest that 20 million people would lose their company-provided health insurance under the McCain plan. He failed to note that the same journal calculated that another 21 million people would be able to afford health insurance for the first time because of tax credits offered under the McCain plan." (Michael Dobbs, "Biden Focuses Only on Negatives Of McCain's Health-Coverage Plan," The Washington Post's "Fact Checker," http://www.washingtonpost.com, Posted 10/3/08) 

·         LIE #17: PolitiFact: Joe Biden's Claim That John McCain Would Not Provide Tax Relief For The Middle Class Is "Barely True." "Biden picked up a refrain hammered by his running mate, Sen. Barack Obama, saying that Obama's plan would provide more relief for the middle class. Biden would have been on solid footing had he stopped there, but he went one step further, claiming Sen. John McCain's plan has nothing for the middle class. … The analysis backs up Obama's broad contention that McCain's tax policy is weighted to give the largest benefit to higher-income taxpayers. However, it's wrong to say McCain's plan would provide no relief to middle-class Americans. Its more generous exemption for dependents and lower tax rates would cut across income levels and reduce or eliminate many taxpayers' AMT exposure. For this reason, we rule the Biden's comment Barely True." ("McCain's Tax Plan Doesn't Ignore Middle Class," St. Petersburg Times/CQ's "PolitiFact", http://www.politifact.com, Accessed 10/4/08)

·         LIE #18: Joe Biden Said He We Have To Drill Despite Being Against More Drilling. " Biden said we have to drill for more of our own oil, easily leading viewers to conclude he and Obama are in favor of more domestic drilling, but as the American Thinker blog's Rick Moran noted in a list of 'Biden's Big Lies,' 'Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to "raping" the Outer Continental Shelf.'" (Editorial, "Truthless Joe," Investor's Business Daily, 10/4/08)

·         LIE #19: Joe Biden Said John McCain Opposed Troop Funding When John McCain Was Actually Opposing A Withdrawal From Iraq. "And Biden was wrong when he claimed that both McCain and Obama opposed troop funding; McCain simply opposed legislation with a withdrawal deadline." (Editorial, "Truthless Joe," Investor's Business Daily, 10/4/08)

·         LIE #20: Joe Biden Exaggerated Barack Obama's Warnings On Palestinian Elections. "Biden claimed that Obama warned against the administration's decision to push for Hamas participating in Palestinian legislative elections in early 2005. Obama had only been a senator for a few days when the election took place, but if he made such statements they did not appear in news reports or transcripts that are contained in the Nexis or Factiva news databases." (Glenn Kessler, "Hamas," The Washington Post's "Fact Checker," http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/, Posted 10/2/08)

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Joe Biden: "It's Time To Be Patriotic" And Pay Higher Taxes. JOE BIDEN: "We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people." ABC'S KATE SNOW: "Anybody making over $250,000…" BIDEN: "Is gonna pay more." SNOW: "Is going to pay more." BIDEN: "You got it. It's time to be patriotic, Kate. Time to jump in. Time to be part of the deal. Time to help get America out of the rut." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 9/18/08)

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From NBC’s in-depth report:

LISA MYERS: This year while running for president, Obama stopped requesting earmarks. He has disclosed previous earmarks and advocates greater transparency.

SEN. OBAMA: That's one of the hallmarks of my previous work in the state legislature, in the United States Senate, making sure that Americans know where our money is going, what earmarks are out there.

MYERS: But when we asked the Obama campaign to disclose what earmarks his running mate Joe Biden has requested during 35 years in the senate, the campaign declined. Biden did disclose a few months ago that he requested $342 million in earmarks this year alone. Like many other lawmakers, Biden steered some of that public money to private companies.

STEVE ELLIS: We are concerned generally when we see this because there's a greater potential for abuse.

MYERS: the kind of earmark that raises questions? A Delaware software company, Quantum Leap Innovations, received $24 million through Biden earmarks over four years. the CEO and his wife have contributed $13,700 to the senator.  … As for John McCain, he has made opposition to earmarks a crusade.

ELLIS: He was an earmark reformer before earmark reform was cool.

MYERS: And on this issue experts say McCain's words pretty much match his deeds. He has not asked for an earmark in his 26-year career.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH NBC FULL REPORT: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#27105890