“We’ve seen some record cold this winter in DC, but over at the White House there’s been no lack of hot air,” says John Boehner in his latest House update, which he ironically titles 5 Big Whoppers From President Obama.
What results, however, is yet another list of Boehner’s own lies, repeated ad nauseam. Even when accusing President Obama of lying, he cannot help lying.
Here, to throw his own words back in Boehner’s face, are five of this winter’s biggest whoppers from Speaker Boehner:
1. “We are always interested in promoting jobs here in the U.S. I’ll go anywhere and do anything in terms of creating good American jobs” (2/26/15).
The Facts: This outrageous claim came just days after President Obama vetoed a bipartisan bill to approve the broadly popular Keystone XL pipeline. The president’s own State Department says Keystone XL will support at least 42,000 American jobs.
Actual Facts: This from guy who is so focused on fake problems that in six years has yet to create a single job. Here we go again with the lie that the Keystone XL pipeline is a jobs bill, and that it is “broadly popular.” It is neither. It is an enrich the Koch Brothers, John Boehner, and TransCanada Corp bill.
Not to mention the fact that Obama said “good” American jobs, and a few thousand part time jobs and 35 permanent jobs don’t make the cut. As for popular, 61 percent of Americans support Obama, not Boehner. Boehner is also ignoring environmental issues and treaty rights (see Number 5, below).
2. “ISIL is on the defensive…” (2/11/15).
The Facts: This week ISIL “abducted at least 70 Christians, including women and children, after overrunning a string of villages in northeastern Syria,” USA TODAY reports. The terror group is expanding into Libya, attackers recently infiltrated an Iraqi base where U.S. troops are stationed, and even members of the President’s own Party are now talking about “mixed messages,” “a lack of confidence” and the need for the administration to put forward “an effective winning strategy” to defeat these barbaric Islamic extremists.
Actual Facts: You would think only Christians suffer at the hands of the Islamic State. ISIL has been waging unrestricted war against Muslims and Christian casualties are a definite minority. That is not to downplay these tragic events, but even Hitler, when on the overall strategic defensive, was able to put together the Ardennes Offensive, better known to Americans as the Battle of the Bulge, not to mention a counterattack or two against the advancing Soviet armies.
Beohner and his fellow “hawks” will not be satisfied unless America enters into another ruinous war where other people go and fight and die. And why? Lindsey Graham hiding under his bed in fear of ISIL aside, more Americans have been killed in lethal attacks in the United States by right wing terrorists than by jihadists. And it is hardly a coincidence that the Department of Homeland Security says right wing terrorists are an equal or greater threat to Americans than ISIL.
Finally, since Boehner is all about popular support, even when he has to lie about it, 54 percent of Americans have President Obama’s back where ISIL is concerned. How that must rankle with a guy who can’t even pass his own bills in the House of which he is Speaker.
3. “If we were just rewriting the immigration laws, then the other side would have a case. We can’t violate statutes… what we can do is make choices to implement those laws”(2/25/15).
The Facts: President Obama desperately wants to justify his unilateral actions on immigration. Unfortunately for the president, he’s admitted at least 22 times that he didn’t have the authority to do exactly what he eventually did.
Actual Facts: In fact-checking this claim when made by Gregg Abbot, Politifact found that the statement is “mostly true” with some provisos, including the fact that there were only 15 instances, not 22, adding that the claim “needs clarification or additional information.” The fact remains that Obama found a way to address the issue effectively, and that Boehner himself lied when saying Obama lied.
For the record, attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch defended Obama’s immigration actions and called them “a reasonable way to marshal limited resources to deal with the problem” of illegal immigration. And Nancy Pelosi has pointed out that, “The President’s actions fall well within the clear constitutional and legal authority of his office, and the well-established precedent set by every president since Eisenhower.”
4. Healthcare.gov “is working flawlessly” (12/15/14).
The Facts: The ObamaCare train wreck continues to pile up as families struggle with higher costs, fewer options, and a website plagued with problems. The administration now admits it sent 800,000 Americans erroneous tax forms through Healthcare.gov, POLITICO reports the website is “a mess” and “still isn’t properly wired,” and last month the Associated Press learned Healthcare.gov “is quietly sending consumers’ personal data to private companies that specialize in advertising.”
Actual Facts: First of all, as far back as March of 2014 Politifact ruled that the claim that healthcare.gov is working great now is “a fair assessment.” But then Boehner loves himself some fake healthcare.gov horror stories and he was like a kid being forced to eat his vegetables after signing up for his own excellent coverage. This is a man determined not to be happy.
And the information shared is not personal information and AP goes on to say that “outside firms are barred from using the data to further their own business interests.” For the record, there is nothing surprising about data being shared when you visit a website. Boehner is pretending this is a unique occurrence.
Meanwhile, Uninsured rates continue to plummet as people continue to sign up for Obamacare, and the president has reminded Republicans that Obamacare is surpassing all projections, a fact Boehner carefully ignores in his own list of pretend facts. The mainstream media (and Boehner) won’t talk about any of this so they focus on technical issues.
The fact is Gallup showed Obamacare left people happy with their healthcare costs, 64 percent of people want to keep Obamacare subsidies and even Red Staters are jumping at the chance to sign up.
And finally – and embarrassingly – neither Boehner nor McConnell have the slightest idea to give the American people in place of Obamacare, except “just die already.”
5. “I have no more campaigns to run” (1/20/15).
The Facts: For the Obama administration it’s all politics all the time. That’s why he’s pushing “middle-class economics” that don’t actually help the middle class, that’s why he didn’t dare buck the radical left-wing environmentalists who oppose Keystone XL, and that’s why he went down to Miami this week to “blame” “attack” and “ratchet up pressure” on Republicans while doing absolutely nothing to help break Senate Democrats’ filibuster on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
Actual Facts: Hilariously, Boehner can’t get over his lost oil profits, and no doubt, fear that the Kochs will be disappointed in their bought man’s efforts. In fact, Boehner is the one pretending to be pro-middle class. And blaming the Democrats for withholding funding for Homeland Security is just a shade less brazen than his lie that the Keystone bill is a jobs bill.
Boehner not only ignores the EPA’s ruling on the environmental hazards of the Keystone XL pipeline, essentially calling science “radical” and “left-wing,” but he ignores the impact on Native Americans, and they oppose the pipeline, which must cross their sacred lands. Aren’t we finally at the point where we can stop breaking treaties?
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe went so far as to call the House vote an “act of war.” Apparently treaty obligations mean no more to Boehner than his obligations as the Speaker of the House to do more than stuff his own pockets with corporate money.
John Boehner needs to be reminded he works for us, not the Koch Brothers, even if they pay better, and that actually focusing on the issues for once, rather than concocting lies, would be a more fruitful use of his time.
Senate Republicans won the first round of their fight for power with Trump, as the…
Trump is threatening to primary Republican senators with Elon Musk's money if they vote against…
The decision to spin off MSNBC as part of a new company will result in…
The House Ethics Committee did not agree to release the Matt Gaetz ethics report, so…
Senate Democrats are taking advantage of Republicans not showing up for work by blowing through…
Trump's announcement that he has picked Dr. Oz to run Medicaid and Medicare came with…
This website uses cookies.
