GOP Truthiness

The next debate may have to carry fact-check subtitles but, to get the flavor of this one, the Caucus blog parses some of the more flagrant examples of Truthiness.

My favorite is Newt Gingrich’s inversion of an advisory on prostate tests for men from a policy that could save lives and needless suffering into an example of Sarah Palin’s death panels, which was named “The Lie of the Year” in 2009 by an award-winning fact check site.

But how to choose? Practically everything out of Michele Bachmann’s mouth was so goofily untrue that there could have been a running translation: “If it rains frogs tomorrow, it’s Obama’s fault, and I voted against it.” She even bragged about refusing to raise the debt ceiling, which could have brought down the government, but we did learn that she is a tax lawyer with a lot of foster children.

When a reporter suggested that actual numbers showed that his 999 plan wouldn’t work, Herman Cain breezily told her the figures were wrong. He wouldn’t name his secret economic advisers, but his sly smile suggested that he might be working on an 888 special for the primary season.

Rick Perry continued to look like one of those old Polaroid pictures from which the developing strip has been removed too soon, answering every question with a reference to an energy plan he will be unveiling some time or other and fading away before our eyes.

By contrast, Mitt Romney looked presidential, sort of, but created a sound bite for an Obama commercial by damning the Detroit bailout, which could lose him Michigan, where he grew up.

This long-running GOP game show may have finally jumped the shark, but at least last night’s installment was carried by a channel that all but the most dedicated viewers couldn’t find.