PolitiFact's partisan posturing is pretzel-like. In this case, Robert Gibbs said something, PolitiFact confirmed he said it, then gave Rand Paul a Half-True for claiming Gibbs said it.
This
so-called fact check illustrates PolitiFacter Louis Jacobson's ability to acknowledge facts, confirm them, then completely ignore them. We've commented that PolitiFact is often an opinion site masquerading as objective fact checkers, but
this rating is the stuff of propaganda.
The dust up comes when Paul says he's offended by Gibbs' comments regarding the death of Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, son of terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki. Both were American citizens, and both are dead. The government has confirmed killing one and is suspected of killing the other. Here's Rand Paul's claim (made during his
marathon filibuster):
"When the president's spokesperson [Gibbs] was asked about al-Awlaki's son, you know what his response was? This I find particularly callous and particularly troubling. The president's response to the killing of al-Awlaki's son -- he said he should have chosen a more responsible father."
PolitiFact confirmed what Paul said about the incident,
quoting Gibbs:
"I would suggest that you should have a far more responsible father if they are truly concerned about the well being of their children."
Most rational people with a functioning auditory system or basic reading comprehension would immediately recognize Paul's assertion as beyond dispute. PolitiFact, on the other hand, defines this as "
some support for his claim."
So what are the dastardly details that made Paul so dishonest? PolitiFact explains:
Gibbs did not go out of his way to make this comment; it was elicited by an activist group...
A-HA! You see, Gibbs didn't say what he said because he said it after someone
asked him a question! (
They always get you that way, don't they?) And the people who asked him had some nefarious motivation behind the question! So, clearly, it's not fair to blame Robert Gibbs for the words that were forcibly extricated from his own mouth. After all, Gibbs is merely a professional spokesman, hand-selected by the president to present Obama's views to the public. How can we expect him to deal with things like "questions"? No True for you, Senator Paul!
PolitiFact goes on to weave a tale of woe for Gibbs, not to mention building a
Strawqua Buddah in Paul's honor:
Gibbs did say essentially that. But Paul’s use of Gibbs’ comment leaves out some important context. It was not a carefully crafted statement of White House policy. Rather, it came at the tail end of a contentious exchange with representatives of an activist group, a line of questioning that Gibbs repeatedly tried to brush off.
When did Paul claim (or even suggest) it was a "carefully crafted statement of White House policy"? He didn't. It's fiction invented by PolitiFact. And since when does answering questions "at the end of a contentious exchange" absolve a speaker of his responses? That's hogwash.
But congrats are in order for at least one thing: PolitiFact's invention of the new standard that a speaker is not responsible for his own words if he "repeatedly tries to brush off" a question. Apparently, politicians or spokesmen are no longer accountable for their responses if they try to avoid the topic in the first place.
This is what PolitiFact calls
"
sorting out the truth"?
The final paragraph takes the cake:
So while Paul is correct to say that Gibbs expressed that sentiment, the senator suggests that it’s more of an expression of White House policy...
Paul is correct, but SQUIRREL!
Paul never suggested it was "White House policy," and PolitiFact is being obscenely dishonest by claiming otherwise.
Additional reading: This isn't the first time PolitiFact has burned Paul on a perfectly accurate claim because of what they
think he was
suggesting. Remember
this beauty?
Bryan adds:
I have some sympathy with PolitiFact drawing a distinction between a statement from Gibbs and a statement from the president. Paul's full statement equivocates a bit on that point, and Paul's concern about Gibbs' statement is expressed as a concern about the administration.
On the other hand, PolitiFact explains the distinction poorly and puts the "Half True" rating right next to a quotation of Paul that is perfectly accurate. It's no excuse for Gibbs if he was hounded by journalists. It isn't truly relevant.
Moreover, if Gibbs gets a break for dealing with hectoring journalists, why doesn't Paul get a break for speaking for hours on end with no prepared script? Apparently PF didn't even care to investigate the conditions of Paul's speech, if we use its reporting as our gauge.
Jeff responds: Bryan and I went back and forth on this. I think he has a reasonable point that Paul didn't fully distinguish between Gibbs and Obama. I'd be more inclined to accept it if not for a few mitigating factors: 1) Gibbs' professional position as Obama's spokesman 2) The context immediately preceding the conflation ("When the president's spokesperson...") and 3) In the past, PolitiFact
has held politicians responsible for
claims made by their spokesmen. Why not now?
Regardless, conflating Gibbs and Obama hardly reaches the level of "suggesting" an "expression of White House policy." That's pure fantasy.