Obama's Whopper

[Chickadee]

The Wasington Post / The Fact Checker:

Glenn Kessler

 

(JASON REED/REUTERS)

 

“We said working folks deserved a break, so within one month of me taking office, we signed into law the biggest middle-class tax cut in history, putting more money into your pockets.” — President Obama, Sept. 5, 2011

 

 

 

The president’s Labor Day speech in Detroit featured an assertion that contained a number of warning signs that it might be an errant fact: “biggest middle-class tax cut in history.”

 

First of all, anytime a politician claims he or she has done something historic, watch your pockets. That’s usually a dubious claim.

 

Then, “biggest” can mean all sorts of things. If we are talking about dollars, then are they inflation-adjusted or measured against the overall economy? Raw dollar figures are essentially meaningless without that context.

 

Finally, the “middle-class” modifier. What’s the definition of “middle-class”? There are many ways one could slice and dice that classification.

 

Clearly the president wants to demonstrate he’s a tax-cutter. And certainly White House officials have been frustrated that the $116 billion Making Work Pay tax cut was largely unnoticed by Americans.

 

We decided to put the president’s claim to the test.

 

Four Pinocchios

 

[Geee]

WowChickadee! The Washington Post none the less