The Devil's in the Details

The shotgun-style charges AP writer Darlene Superville fired at Democratic National Convention speakers Tuesday night weren't necessarily half-truths. But in some instances, they weren't the whole story either.

Some examples of what she wrote — and what she left out:


DARLENE SUPERVILLE: "But McCain wasn't always a staunch Bush backer. In 2005, his support for Bush's position on legislation reached a low of 77 percent; last year, when he launched his latest bid for the GOP presidential nomination, he voted with Bush 95 percent of the time."

THE FACTS: McCain wasn't always the anti-Bush maverick who fought back against Bush a whopping 23% of the time in 2005; nor was he always the pliant suck-up voting against Bush 5% of the time last year. No, there were whole days during these years when John McCain voted against Bush 100% of the time, and other days when he supported Bush 100% of the time.

DARLENE SUPERVILLE: "McCain has received more than $1.5 million in contributions from oil and gas industry employees and their spouses, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Obama has received about $423,000."

THE FACTS: McCain has received more than three times as much money than Obama did. In addition, Superville cites the center's numbers to show that Obama has received $93,000 from certain oil companies, without mentioning that $93,000 is a much smaller number than $1.5 million. Much much smaller. In fact, the League of Biobrain Statisticians calculates that Obama received over $1.4 million less from those certain oil companies than what all oil companies contributed to McCain, and that $1.4 million is a large number.

DARLENE SUPERVILLE: "The $4 billion in tax breaks for oil companies is part of McCain's plan to reduce corporate taxes overall and does not represent an additional tax benefit for these companies."

THE FACTS: The tax breaks for all corporations is part of McCain's plan to reduce taxes on rich people overall and does not represent an additional tax benefit just for corporations. The tax reduction McCain has proposed would apply to all rich people, including the people who own corporations and oil companies.

And so as you can see, it looks like the fact-checker just got her facts checked. Booyah!