Stretching with Biden

Summary
Biden proved once again that it doesn't take outright falsehoods to create a skewed impression of one's opponent. We found in a Sept. 15 speech that:

Biden used partial quotes to support his charge that McCain wouldn't help "small borrowers" suffering in the mortgage crisis but would "fight for those that lost their ... real estate investments." In fact, McCain's full quote said he would also fight for those who "lost their jobs" and "savings," and he has proposed assistance for homeowners.

He said McCain called Sen. Webb's GI Bill proposal "too generous." McCain never used those words. He did support a less-costly version of the bill.

Biden repeated several other talking points that we've previously critiqued for their spin, including the accusation that McCain would give $4 billion a year in tax cuts to oil companies. 

Analysis
In a Sept. 15 speech, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden attempted to outline the differences between Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain on issues ranging from bank bailouts to Social Security. But he played loose with McCain's words to make some of his points.

Fighting for Investors?
Biden made it appear as if McCain was only going to work on behalf of those with "real estate investments":

Biden: Let me just give you one more example. In the midst of this housing crisis, John McCain said, "I will fight for those that lost their … real estate investments." He went on to say, "It's not the role of government to bail out big banks or small borrowers."…What about the people who don't invest in homes, but live in them? There's an important distinction between the predators and the preyed upon.

There is, but there's also a distinction between a full quote and a partial quote.

McCain took a hard line against government assistance in March but added some cushioning this month as financial crises mounted. Here is his comment from the March 25 sit-down with the Orange County Hispanic Small Business Roundtable: