PFB Smackdown: Dylan Otto Krider vs. Jon Cassidy (Updated)

Dylan Otto Krider's orbit around truth-hustler Chris Mooney helped bring him into direct conflict with Ohio Watchdog writer Jon Cassidy this week.  We've featured some of Cassidy's PolitiFact critiques here at PolitiFact Bias, and our review of Cassidy's longer article for Human Events is pending.

Krider, like Mooney, believes that statistics from PolitiFact indicating that Republicans receive harsher ratings than Democrats help show that Republicans simply have a more cavalier attitude toward telling the truth.  Cassidy's Human Events story challenged that interpretation and prompted a story in reply from Krider.

Krider's central point carries partial merit.  He challenges Cassidy's headline with his own:  "Does PolitiFact say Republicans lie nine times more? Really?"

That answer to that question is "no," but Krider used specious reasoning to reach the conclusion.  Examples follow.