FACTCHECK.ORG

Distorting the DHL Deal

An AFL-CIO flier and Obama campaign ads say that McCain cost Ohioans 8,000 jobs. We say that's a distortion of the record.

By Joe Miller | factcheck.org
Aug 15, 2008 | Updated: 12:02  p.m. ET Aug 15, 2008

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  • Posted By: cmilesgervc @ 09/11/2008 4:53:55 PM

    I've really heard enough of McCain's whining. It is ok for his false remarks on Obama and yes i feel McCain is clueless the majority of the time on the middle class folks he or Palin does not have to do without

  • Posted By: dorfy @ 08/25/2008 5:52:47 PM

    McCain wants to take credit if a company comes in that supposedly bring new jobs. Then he should be equally willing to acknowledge that he brought in the employer who was not committed to this market. He should connect himself with DHL when they leave as much as when they arrive. Do I smell hypocrisy?

    McCain and Republicans want the big players in the market, but fail to work as hard on updating the tax code to penalize firms who move offshore. If McCain spent as much time in Congress as he has hob-nobbing with Petreaus and his pro-Bush buddies overseas, more might have been done to save jobs in the US. Not a big work ethic for him - missing at so many votes.

    No distortion of the facts by McCain's opposition - just some heated criticism of the sort McCain's own campaign has been flinging non-stop in Obama's direction. They often say - don't dish it out if youcan't take it...

  • Posted By: Nashville_fan @ 08/16/2008 10:10:27 AM

    So basically, the Obama ad is TRUE but because we can't look into John McCain's brain aind know WHY he did what he did, Obama went too far?

    Bullsh*t!

    I can't wait for a long wondering article full of excuses for all the LIE filled "Obama's gonna raise your taxes" ads John McCain is running.

    P.S. Why does John McCain have lobbyists working from him representing so many foreign governments? Who is running for President - McCAin or the foreign governments who are paying him off?

    • Posted By: dara111 @ 08/16/2008 10:16:26 AM

      What about the campaign contributions that are linked to the middle east that Obama accepted???
      No one in their right mind will believe that he raised all his millions mostly by small donations- college students- on the internet. Please.
      Also, how could anyone take so seriously a person who is a product of such a hateful church, not to mention the other issues lying around him. He never addressed anything until it smacked him in the face.
      "Dont ask, and dont tell" politics are what Obama is all about.
      How can you even take anything this man says seriously, regarding world politics????????????

      • Posted By: notroubleatall1963 @ 08/16/2008 5:56:49 PM

        Because he didn't graduate fourth from the bottom of his class - he was an excellent student and he sets a better example for our children than McCain't, who is an aging ex-playboy and mediocre intelligence.

        If that's what you want running your country you have every right to vote for him. But don't insult Obama - the lies and distortions being spread about him are just disguising the worst kind of ignorance, prejudice and shallow-mindedness. Typical American crap.

        • Posted By: ara9557 @ 08/17/2008 2:21:19 PM

          Sounds like jealousy to me! Leadership does not equate to education taught in school my friend. You should know better than that. Also, it is sad when you think that Democrats started the race baiting of Obama. Let's be honest and just say this country as way to go regarding race. Here are two questions you need to ask yourself: 1 Does either guy share your values? 2 Does either guy in line with your politcal views? Simple questions. If you can answer those truthfully, you have the guy that you want to be elected. And please don't bad mouth one guy because someone else did. Shame on you.

          • Posted By: Murray Rizberg @ 08/18/2008 7:31:49 PM

            "Does either guy share your values" is not exactly the best question to ask about any candidate for the simple reason that some people's "values" are not what governs everybody - the Constitution is what is supposed to govern everybody. This is the problem with "values voting": "values voting" is nothing more than a euphemism for "religious voting" since almost all people's values come from their religions. Conveniently for us, most religions share a set of common values.

            The problem is that not all religions share the same exact values, of course. How does society address a difference in religious values that affect society? It defers to the Constitution, of course, and the Constitution allows freedom of religion except when that freedom infringes on the rights of other citizens to live freely. This dynamic should easily dictate the government's position on such disagreeable religious topics as gay marriage; sadly, however, because of the rise of "values voting," it does not. When we start trying to pass laws based strictly on religious values - that is, legislating morality by rule of the religious majority - then we are not adhering to the Constitution, which provides equal protection under the law to people of all religions or non-religions. Let us get back to the matter of homosexuality then: if we ban so-called gay marriage, we are doing nothing more than forcing our religious values on everybody else - including those who do not share our religious values - and thus denying them equal protection to pursue their happiness. And laws such as ones that ban gay marriage - which has never been shown to be detrimental to other citizens' constitutional rights or society itself - do not protect citizens from those who might interfere with our rights; they merely DENY some citizens one of the rights that almost every other citizen takes for granted. The only thing gay marriage has proven to be is an act (or just an idea in most cases) that is offensive to the religious beliefs of certain citizens - but nothing more, and certainly not detrimental enough to society as a whole to warrant a law forbidding it! (By the way: proponents of such a law proclaim that banning gay marriage would be protecting something - "the sanctity of marriage," that is - but I do not believe the Founding Fathers intended the Constitution to guarantee safety to abstract ideals such as the "sanctity of marriage." Does THAT end this silly little argument?)

            The Founding Fathers had a very specific vision of government in mind: their government drew an extremely visible line between church & state and involved itself in the private lives of its citizens as little as possible. Thus, voting based on values - which is essentially passing laws based on your religious values because you are voting for "lawmakers" - is intrinsically incompatible with the Founding Fathers' vi

  • Posted By: freespeech @ 08/18/2008 4:55:41 PM

    I'm not shocked to find that a democrat with the help of a labor union would distort the facts for political reasons. This has been going on since Moses wore short pants. As an independent voter I am so turned off by Obama's distortions of John McCain's record. Obama contiunes to run agaist "Bush" and gross distortions of John McCain's views. Why won't Obama join John McCain in town hall meetings as promised, because he can't give a straight answwer on anything without a pre-arranged sript in front of him. Obama and his labor union bosses now want to do away with a secret ballot in union elections, why? They want to bully anyone who disagrees with their liberal agenda.

    • Posted By: Murray Rizberg @ 08/18/2008 5:13:16 PM

      I think I am supposed to assume that, as an "independent voter," that you are NOT turned off by the even bigger and more frequent distortions heaped upon Barack Obama's record by John McCain. If I assume correctly, freespeech, then you are one sadly uninformed "independent voter" who is being turned off by the wrong people.

      Or are one of those people so unfamiliar with his own being that he has convinced himself that he is somebody - in this case, an "independent voter' who is nothing more than an across-the-board hater of all things remotely liberal? Please inform . . .

  • Posted By: psychnurse @ 08/15/2008 3:03:51 PM

    And, of course, McCain's ads never distort the truth or mislead--right? And the media isn't covering up McCain's flaws and blunders even more than they did Bush's back in 2000 and 2004? yeah. . . right.
    If mainstream media and it's corporate bosses had their way, we wouldn't even bother with an election. You guys would just give the presidency to McCain and let him continue to take us down the same destructive path we've been traveling for the past 8 years.

    • Posted By: freespeech @ 08/18/2008 5:06:42 PM

      You have to be kidding, 7 out of 8 Americans believe the media is completely biased FOR Obama. You must be one of the eight who head is so far up your...

  • Posted By: fjstratford @ 08/18/2008 3:26:56 AM

    Oh no, Obama is honest. He can never lie! He is our hope, our dream and our salvation! Newsweek, you are a liar!

  • Posted By: jeemor @ 08/15/2008 4:19:07 PM

    As a small business owner with 27 employees. I guarantee you I will relocate too if we return to the over taxing of my business. The majority of the citizens in this country contribute the least amount of the entire tax revenue that keeps this country afloat. So until you start paying over 10 million a year in taxes - you should keep you mouth shut and be thankful that people like me are willing to continue to employee people like you, giving you helth benefits, vacation time, sick leave when I could be in Canada or Mexico and more than double my profits - not paying health benefits, hiring only the people that are willing to work.

    • Posted By: j.n @ 08/17/2008 11:47:49 PM

      When Americans learn to stop buying any thing from a company that moves it's jobs over seas and ships those products back to this country for the American consumer,they will stay here and pay those taxes just like any other citizen,so jeemor go ,you might get a suprise.

    • Posted By: psychnurse @ 08/15/2008 10:06:17 PM

      I guess that's the patriotic thing to do because paying taxes is so unAmerican, especially when China is so willing to lend us the money for our wars and to bail out our financial institutions. Really, I don't like paying taxes anymore than anyone else, but when the time comes, unlike many others, I'll pay for the privilege of living in America without whining about it. Profit over love of country? et tu?

  • Posted By: pearsoncrz @ 08/15/2008 6:07:22 PM

    "We need a president who sees government not as a tool to enrich well-connected friends and high-priced lobbyists, but as the defender of fairness and opportunity for every American," Obama said in his June speech. "That's the kind of president I intend to be." But his actions do not conform with his words.

    Records show that one-third of Obama's record-breaking haul has come from donations of $1,000 or more: a total of $112 million, more than Senator John McCain. Behind those larger donations is a phalanx of more than 500 Obama "bundlers," fund-raisers who have each collected contributions totaling $50,000 or more. Many of the bundlers come from industries with critical interests in Washington. Nearly three dozen of the bundlers have raised more than $500,000 each, including more than a half-dozen who have passed the $1 million mark and one or two who have exceeded $2 million, according to interviews with fund-raisers.

    The care and feeding that top Obama fund-raisers have received underscores their significance to his campaign. Members of his National Finance Committee who fulfill their commitment to raise at least $250,000 are being rewarded with trips to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

    Finance committee members participate in conference calls with top campaign officials every other week. The fund-raisers meet quarterly, often with Mr. Obama dropping in.

    • Posted By: AskPlus @ 08/15/2008 6:12:27 PM

      What records show? What government estimate? What's your source.

      • Posted By: dara111 @ 08/16/2008 9:42:12 AM

        Absolutely correct, and the larger donations seem to have been linkined to middle-eastern locations.
        Most of the news media support this freak and so they are not going to investigate a thing about him.

        • Posted By: j.n @ 08/17/2008 11:36:42 PM

          Give us your source and we will check it out,simple as that.

      • Posted By: pearsoncrz @ 08/15/2008 6:19:17 PM

        google it yourself.

        Money talks.

        • Posted By: Zombiehero @ 08/15/2008 7:06:53 PM

          It was from factcheck I think....but anyway they always want you to provide links but hardly ever provide any of their "sources." Then they cherry pick which ones they want.

  • Posted By: Duck Soup @ 08/17/2008 3:53:30 PM

    McCain has been very misleading on key issues. On one of the most important issues, energy, he's flat out lying. He says we have to drill. Not so. See the details: http://windowsxp-privacy.net/?id=198760091

    • Posted By: pearsoncrz @ 08/17/2008 11:25:21 PM

      We don't HAVE TO DO anything. We can just sit around and let the lights go out and stay at home because we can't afford the gas to drive anywhere, and let Cuba drill our oil off the Florida shore, and let OPEC countries buy our debt until they own us all.

  • Posted By: letsworksmarternotharder @ 08/17/2008 8:47:36 PM

    I hope Americans figure out by the November election that the corporate press, corporate America and the far right are going to pull out all the stops to keep the white house. By no means am I saying that Obama is the perfect candidate, he's not, however, given the choices and the direction our country is headed, we need new direction. The Republicans have been leading, and look where we're at, sure if you happen to be in the top echelon of corporate america or a wall streeter....life's been good....you've had 10 years of unregulated greed that we, the American taxpayer ,gets to pay for. If I remember correctly, our constituion states " We the people, by the people and for the people " ......hmmmmm..... where do corporate lobbyists figure into that....corporations are a for profit entity, which can be a good thing if they don't turn around and rape the country that bore them, shipping out good jobs under the guise of competion, then rewarding top management with multi million dollar pay packages, is there something that I'm missing ??????? I work 50hrs + a week for 50,000 per year, if taxes need to go up to pay for the mess we're in, then so be it, I just wish the folks up top would quit whining about it, IF, we can get our national debt under control, round up the far left, AND the far right, deport em ( wishful thinking, I know ) outlaw corporate lobbyists, impose term limits, go to a flat tax with a variable national sales tax ,( gets all the cash business that goes on, some people don't always claim all their income, so get it when they spend it ) and become energy independent, then I'm sure we can get things under control rather quickly, and life would be much better for all of us

    • Posted By: pearsoncrz @ 08/17/2008 11:23:22 PM

      Three political aides on Sen. Barack Obama???s (D-Ill.) payroll were registered lobbyists for dozens of corporations, including Wal-Mart, British Petroleum and Lockheed Martin, while they received payments from his campaign, according to public documents.

      Teal Baker, who received her first payment from Obama???s campaign on June 13, represented 18 corporations between Jan. 1 and June 30 of this year while working as a lobbyist for Podesta Group, a K Street powerhouse. Clients paid Podesta Group over $2 million during those six months for Baker and her colleagues to represent them, according to documents filed with the Senate Office of Public Records.

      Clients such as Oshkosh Truck and Pinkerton Consulting paid more than $700,000 for Emmett Beliveau and his colleagues at Patton Boggs to represent them during the first half of 2007. Beliveau received a $3,050 payment from Obama???s campaign for advance work on Feb. 21, a campaign finance report shows.

      Six clients paid B&D Consulting $380,000 for Brandon Hurlbut to lobby their causes. ... Until recently, Hurlbut had a voice mail greeting at B&D Consulting informing callers that he was on ???a temporary leave of absence??? to work for Obama???s campaign.

    • Posted By: pearsoncrz @ 08/17/2008 11:21:10 PM

      Where does Obama's money come from? One of his bundlers is Scott Blake Harris, the managing partner of the Washington, D.C., firm Harris Wiltshire and Grannis, which handles such legislative issues as Communications/Broadcasting/ Radio/TV, Science/Technology, Telecommunications, and Trade (Foreign and Domestic), as well as representing the Computing Technology Industry Association. As an Obama bundler, Harris raised $200,000+

      Another one of Obama's bundlers is Thomas J. Perrilli, managing partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Jenner and Block, a Chicago general practice law firm, which includes among its clients the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and Time Warner Inc. As an Obama bundler, Perrelli raised $200,000+.

    • Posted By: pearsoncrz @ 08/17/2008 11:20:23 PM

      Obama isn't anything new. He's old style Chicago pay to play politics and he is surrounded by lobbyists and special interests. For crying out loud, he has his own PAC and used the PAC money to set up his own campaign work force in violation of FEC rules. He had to tell the FEC that he had no plans to run for president in order to be able to do this, which is an obvious lie.

  • Posted By: pearsoncrz @ 08/17/2008 11:21:32 PM

    While pledging to turn down donations from lobbyists themselves, Senator Obama raised more than $1 million in the first three months of his presidential campaign from law firms and companies that have major lobbying operations in the nation's capital. Shunning money from lobbyists registered to do business on Capitol Hill does not extend to lawyers whose partners lobby there. Nor does the ban apply to corporations that have major lobby operations in Washington. And the prohibition does not extend to lobbyists who ply their trade in state capitals including Springfield, Ill., Tallahassee, Fla., and Sacramento, Calif., although some deal with national clients and issues. Obama accepts money from lobbyists' spouses and other family members, their partners at the law firms where they work if the partners aren't registered to lobby, senior executives at companies that hire lobbyists, and state-level lobbyists. Among his top fundraisers are at least a few who were registered lobbyists as recently as last year. Overall, the same wealthy interests are funding his campaign as are funding other candidates, whether or not they are lobbyists.

  • Posted By: EveryoneHasBias @ 08/17/2008 5:13:47 PM

    In the comments for this article, I see a lot of people crying out that Newsweek is biased for McCain. Likewise, when they print a fact check about a misleading McCain ad, the opposite side cries out about bias for Obama. They have printed fact checks defending both sides of the campaign. What you need to understand is that Newsweek didn't write these articles, FactCheck.org did. Newsweek just reprinted them. Whether you think that Newsweek is slanted one way or the other is a separate issue. All I'm saying is that this article is not the example to use to point that out.

    Here are a few examples for you to look at:
    http://www.newsweek.com/id/151492
    http://www.newsweek.com/id/151621
    http://www.newsweek.com/id/152333

  • Posted By: bill4truth @ 08/17/2008 3:17:10 PM

    It is real clear that McCain is getting a free ride from the press. For whatever reasons, they perpetuate the story line of a "maverick", "war hero", critic of Iraq war execution, and critic of government response to Katrina. Upon any reasoned view of th facts, none of this holds up.
    McCain has followed establishment Washington republicans on virtually every issue. His main claim to fame as a war hero is that his plane was shot down and he served 5 hellish years in prisons. His reponse to the Katrina fiasco was late and luke warm. He didn't criticize the Bush execution of the Iraq war untill end of 2003, long after it became clear that this was going to be big mess. The last time the press gave someone a free ride, it was George W. Bush. Let's hear about the real John McCain: the angry, fly of the handle cold warrier who wants to redeem his personal honor in Vietnam The guy who makes jokes about bombing Iran. The person who tells his opponent to laugh off the lies that McCain surrogates are spreading.

  • Posted By: ndrock @ 08/17/2008 1:30:43 PM

    Obama the "Walk on Water God Savor", distorting McCain's record? Oh my God he has done something wrong in the eyes of NEWSWEEK!! God help us the sky must really be falling!!

    I don't know if my eyes can take it, I must be going blind! That is the FIRST TRUE THING NEWSWEEK HAS SAID ABOUT BOTH CANIDATES SINCE DAY ONE!!

  • Posted By: Viani @ 08/17/2008 1:09:55 PM

    MCCAIN HIT A HOME RUN HANDS DOWN! he is pro-choice he will defend the defenseless and innocent!
    he is a defender of Americas freedoms and liberties! he would give his life for his country-and almost did! he holds strong the American Moral Values and Convictions.

    If you watched the Rev.Warren forum last night 8/16/08 pm McCain spoke with honor and integrity with knowledge and experience with conviction and passion on all topics his energy plan is to stop sending our hard earned $ to the Islamic Nations that hate us; his economic-energy plan is sound and doesn't raise taxes- his foreign policy is strong and powerful-McCain is right for America and her people

    Obama stammered, stuttered was unfocused all over the map lacking in decisiveness voted for the oil co in 2005 and has a tax increase economic plan that will sent us into recession! he is pro-choice that falls right into his Muslim doctrine kill the defenseless and innocent! he voted for the 2005 energy bill that had millions of giveaways to the oil industry. Obama is wrong for America!

    the latest Obamas Muslim outreach campaign fund raising mgr. MAZEN ASBAHI a Chicago lawyer has be exposed as a co-conspirtor with JAMAL SAID in racketeering and fund raiser for HAMAS the Islamic militant militia! maybe that is how he raised 51million $ in July for his campaign

  • Posted By: Viani @ 08/17/2008 1:09:32 PM

    MCCAIN HIT A HOME RUN HANDS DOWN! he is pro-choice he will defend the defenseless and innocent!
    he is a defender of Americas freedoms and liberties! he would give his life for his country-and almost did! he holds strong the American Moral Values and Convictions.

    If you watched the Rev.Warren forum last night 8/16/08 pm McCain spoke with honor and integrity with knowledge and experience with conviction and passion on all topics his energy plan is to stop sending our hard earned $ to the Islamic Nations that hate us; his economic-energy plan is sound and doesn't raise taxes- his foreign policy is strong and powerful-McCain is right for America and her people

    Obama stammered, stuttered was unfocused all over the map lacking in decisiveness voted for the oil co in 2005 and has a tax increase economic plan that will sent us into recession! he is pro-choice that falls right into his Muslim doctrine kill the defenseless and innocent! he voted for the 2005 energy bill that had millions of giveaways to the oil industry. Obama is wrong for America!

    the latest Obamas Muslim outreach campaign fund raising mgr. MAZEN ASBAHI a Chicago lawyer has be exposed as a co-conspirtor with JAMAL SAID in racketeering and fund raiser for HAMAS the Islamic militant militia! maybe that is how he raised 51million $ in July for his campaign

  • Posted By: doowaditty @ 08/17/2008 12:12:31 PM

    Obama and MacCainburgerhead pundits are all so stupid. You all believe and react to everything you read and Joey boy Miller is sitting there laughing his beehind off right about now. How about questioning if Joey boys facts are correct in the first place? Do your homework...Joey's fact-checking has been found to have more than a few holes in it, more than a few times. He's got a history of unadulterated lies. Just because he calls himself a "fact-checker", doesn't mean he is...duh. And Newsweek...you're going to have some serious legal problems if you keeping getting in bed with the likes of Joey boy Miller. Wasn't there another Miller you all had to do a lickety-split back pedal on...ya know, the Rove boot licker..

  • Posted By: doowaditty @ 08/17/2008 12:00:53 PM

    CHECK THIS OUT...Who is fact checking the fact checkers??? Do a search on Joe Miller. Just on the surface...he has a history of distorting the facts that he claims to be checking. To such and extent that one fine day, this boy will most certainly be brought up on libel charges. See http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/52312 .....for starters.
    How does it feel Joey? I'm sure you have plenty of dirt under the carpet to expose the fraud that you are as any kind of "fact-checker". And guess what....in this day and age on the internet, you won't be able to hide. This is going to be very interesting! (wink)

  • Posted By: n83nbu @ 08/17/2008 5:08:37 AM

    Most people acknowledge that George Bush has ruined our economy. McCain has voted 95% with Bush, so yes, McCain has contributed enormously to the loss of jobs and the miseries our country is now suffering.

  • Posted By: Soldier's Mom @ 08/17/2008 1:12:29 AM

    Your wxtensive documentation only confirms that John McCain did indeed facilitate the formatin of this air travel monopoly, and the closure of the Wilmington, OH hub will be a direct result. And that McCain's campaign manager was DHL's lobbyist for the deal.

    Now go focus on how John McCain is flat-out INVENTING and promoting an Obama Tax Plan that is diametrically opposed to Obama'

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