More Fact-Checking of Obama’s Speech

The president gets facts wrong about oil imports, mortgage aid and the transcontinental railroad, and more.

FactCheck.org

President Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress was stuffed with signals about the new direction his budget will take and meant-to-be reassuring words about the economy. But it was also peppered with exaggerations and factual misstatements.

He said “we import more oil today than ever before.” That’s untrue. Imports peaked in 2005 and are substantially lower today.

He claimed his mortgage aid plan would help “responsible” buyers but not those who borrowed beyond their means. But even prominent defenders of the program including Fed Chairman Bernanke and FDIC chief Bair concede foolish borrowers will be aided, too.

He said the high cost of health care “causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds.” That’s at least double the true figure.

He flubbed two facts about American history. The U.S. did not invent the automobile, and the transcontinental railroad was not completed until years after the Civil War, not during it.

He claimed that his stimulus plan “prevented the layoffs” of 57 police officers in Minneapolis. In fact, it’s far more complicated than that, and other factors are also helping to save police jobs.

The president also repeated some strained claims we’ve critiqued before …

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Related News: FACT CHECK: Obama’s Words on Home Aid Ring Hollow

Obama to Address the Nation Tuesday Night

By Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — As President Barack Obama prepares to address Congress and the American people Tuesday night in what’s effectively his first State of the Union address, he faces three key questions about how he’ll use the moment.

First, will he reach out to the Republicans who’ve felt free to scorn him, or match his popularity against theirs and try to slap them back?

Second, how specific will he be about his plans for the coming days? Will he propose nationalizing troubled banks or lay the groundwork for such a dramatic action? Will he use his first proposed budget next week to advance a campaign to overhaul the nation’s health-care system?

Third, will he continue the dire warnings he’s used so far to prod Congress to follow his lead on rescuing the economy, or will he employ a more upbeat voice and say that help is on the way?

Now a month into his presidency, Obama will have a huge audience when he addresses the joint session of Congress , televised live at 9 p.m. EST Tuesday . It’s likely to be his biggest since roughly 59 million people watched his inauguration last month …

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