AP Finds Missing Facts in Obama’s Claims That GOP Would Cut Education Funds
- Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:01am by
Scott Baker
- Print »
- Email »
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says almost every chance he gets that Republicans would cut education spending by 20 percent if their party wins control of Congress in the Nov. 2 elections. He also says they would repeal a new college tuition tax credit.
But as Obama makes these assertions to draw contrasts between the parties and give voters a reason to keep Democrats in power on Capitol Hill, he’s leaving out some important facts.
Take his claims about the Republican campaign plan, the Pledge to America.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE — An occasional look at assertions by public officials and how well they adhere to the facts.
___
Obama says Republicans would pay to keep a set of expiring tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans by cutting spending on education, an area where he’s investing billions of dollars from kindergarten through college.
“And when you ask them, well, how would you pay for some of this stuff, they don’t really have good answers,” Obama said Sept. 28 in Albuquerque, N.M., shortly after Republicans released the plan. “But one way they would pay for it is to cut back our education spending by 20 percent and eliminate about 200,000 Head Start programs, and reduce student aid to go to college for about 8 million students.”
He’s argued the point almost daily since then, from discussions on the economy in voters’ back yards to statements in the sunny White House Rose Garden.
But the GOP plan doesn’t say that. A search of the document doesn’t find the word “education” anywhere in its 48 pages.
The White House says the claim is based on an analysis by the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities of the Republicans plan’s proposal to return federal spending to 2008 levels. A White House spokeswoman says the administration also crunched the numbers.
The think tank says such a reversal would require immediate cuts of 21 percent, or $101 billion, in spending on programs unrelated to national security or veterans. The center chose education as an example and said a cut that size would trim more than $8 billion from K-12 funding, on top of cuts by state and local governments.
Brendan Buck, a spokesman for the House Republican leadership, said the analysis is faulty. While the pledge calls for deep spending cuts, it doesn’t specify where they should be made, he said.
At a campaign event Tuesday night in Washington, Obama said the tuition tax credit “could be repealed if Republicans take over. They’ve already proposed to cut education spending by 20 percent.”
The American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth $2,500 a year, was included in the $814 billion economic stimulus bill Obama signed into law last year. The tax credit is available for the 2009 and 2010 tax years, but is scheduled to expire at the end of this year because of how the law is written. Obama on Wednesday called on Congress to make the credit permanent.
So how does a law that is expiring in just over two months get repealed by a party that’s not in power?
The White House says it would be repealed if Republicans make good on a promise to end the stimulus.
Liz Oxhorn, a spokeswoman for the stimulus program, said that if Republicans get their way they’d have to immediately freeze stimulus spending. Oxhorn said that if all stimulus spending were halted “today,” there would be no money to pay the tax credit next year when students and families who are now spending on tuition and other college costs would claim the credit on their 2010 income tax returns.
But it’s not that simple. Republicans don’t have enough votes now to freeze the stimulus; if they did, they could have ended the program already.
To end the stimulus, Republicans first must win control of the House and Senate on Nov. 2, then wait until a new Congress convenes in January before taking steps to fulfill any of the Pledge of America promises.
___
Online:
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities: http://www.cbpp.org
Republican Pledge to America: http://pledge.gop.gov
Popular Stories
MSNBC Host Snaps in Heated Segment: ‘What in the World Is Riskier Than Being a Poor Person in America?’ 684 Comments
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 647 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 523 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 361 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 314 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 175 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 211 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 146 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Scathing New Ad Capitalizes on Rep. Ryan‘s ’Fading Obama Posters’ Remark 124 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 175 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (109)
Deda1
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:18pmclaim is based on an analysis by the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
That is like asking Barney Frank and the Democratic group NAMBLA to advise on child molestors.
Report Post »Bob
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:13pmThat is lie # 16,562 ,and yes, I keep track.
Report Post »bigbro
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:05pmWhy don’t anyone ever talk about cutting foreign aid and give aways?
Report Post »M31Sailor
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 4:54pmYou are welcome to do some research , Honest research , and post it here W/relavant stories.
Report Post »PhilaMike
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:02pmEliminate entirely the Department of Education. They have 10,000 people doing what One person can do….Salary, Pensions & Benefits for life X 10,000 = WHAT ?
Report Post »jwood
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 8:53pmJust thought I would throw this in the mix for the fun of it. If you do some research on the D O E you can see right off the bat that the average salery plus benifits is 70,500.00. Now, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that we are talking big bucks.Thats nearly 800 million a year that could be put back into the economy. The truth is, no one, and that includes the Ruplicans, have the balls to do anything about it.People in this Country need to wake up and smell the roses. If we are fortunet enough to take back control of our Goverment and we fail to make things right with the American people then we deserve what we get.I am thinking of the old song right now that has the phase in it that says “praise the Lord, and pass the bullits’.
Report Post »Larry Sheldon
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:00pmI have not read all of the comments, maybe somebody has already covered this: as the governor of New Jersey has shown repeatedly, “education funds” that do NOTHING toward educating anybody can and should be cut.
So I fault the Republicans for failing to mention that.
Report Post »charliego
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:52amSooooo—-just how nervous are these guys? Nothing new, obvious really, from past rhetoric. There would be plenty for education to my way of thinking if they cutout the Dept of ED, encourage private enterprise to invest in education and schools—children. Facts appear ,also, that many first year college students drop out and do not complete their courses (which entering another point that encourages education to be presented in a critical thinking mode versus propaganda mode from liberal professors). And why are school buildings built like education palaces? How much money of that could be used to promote broad educational formats and improve on teaching the basics. Wipe out No Child Left Behind-that promotes teachers’ innovation and creativity to be wasted on teaching to the test. Teachers, however, must be held to account–as well as parents. Called return to discipline of our children And, I digress, but create a simple ‘flat tax’ program that provides a fair tax input and allows people to hold more of their hard earned bucks–that can pay for education as well. Soooo-the President does prevaricate, but I hope the GOP isn’t spinning their pre-election wheels and will make defined efforts to ‘legislate’ policies that return the gov’t to its appropriate place in society. They must be held to account for their actions ,as well. Oh well——-forgive my meandering in effort to see day light (truth) for our nation once again.
Report Post »Alan
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:48amMaybe it’s just me, but hasn’t public education gotten worse since the feds got involved? And where have the Democrats made public education better by throwing more money at it? At least in the old days when teachers barely had the money to get by they were doing a decent job of educating kids. Put public education back in the hands of the state and local governments where it belongs. We may not have highly enriched teachers, or self righteous politicians, when we throw less money at education, but we’d be back on top in education in international rankings.
Report Post »Texas woman56
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:41amWashington can cut lots of money from the budget and education will be the same. Cut out all the jobs that do not see children daily and you will be down to the bare bones where education needs to be. Now, leave the teachers to teach, get those extra people off the campus and out of education and student will be learning will be at the top again.
Report Post »BGR38
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:38amAdd your comments
Report Post »thebitterapp
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:34amWhat would you change about Congress (think term limits)? Submit your comments on the Bitter Blog at http://www.thebitterapp.com/blog/ Bitter App from the iTunes New & Noteworthy list is a FREE & FUN political news App – vote early… on the Rage Map and show D.C. how you feel! http://ow.ly/2TrbX
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:33amLying SOB.
Report Post »capitalismrocks
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:32amCouple of VERY important things:
1. Any real change should be scheduled in some kind of timeline without pie in the sky promises, this is Obamas fault, he promised everything under the sun and never had a conservative real timeframe to execute things.
2. Everyone stay very vigilant because from day 1 the liberal lies machines will be in full force to berate and discredit the GOP run house and hopefully senate. Watch for the truth and facts, post the facts up onto a site and every lie you see, post the link to the truth. The liberals hate the truth because it ruins that efforts to lie their way to get their way. This has to be a strong concerted effort by all of us, we all must work together to counter not with opinion, but with pure facts and nothing else, shut the liberals don’t on news sites, Facebook, Twitter, mailing lists and message boards. If you see something in your local paper, counter with facts and a web link. Getting back the Congrss is only part 1, then reinforcing the efforts to begin cutting costs and entitlements will be a hard battle so we must counter the liberal lies 24/7
Report Post »CITIZENUSA
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:29amIf this clown is still in The White House after 2012 we get everything we deserve.
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:38amIf he’s in the WH after 2012, I predict war.
Report Post »tobywil2
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:29amFor the last 18 months, there has been absolutely no correlation between what Obama says and what he does! That fact makes Obama’s rhetoric irrelevant.
People keep talking about boycotts; let’s start a boycott that doesn’t punish the innocent.
Let’s boycott Obama.
How do we do boycott Obama? Just hold the Remote while watching TV and whenever Obama is flashed on the screen (news or commercial), change stations!
One click provides a great feeling of accomplishment and power!
TRY IT YOU WILL LIKE IT!!!!!!!
http://commonsense21c.com/
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 8:38pmAnd if you don’t want to change the channel………….just hit MUTE. That has worked great for me ever since I watched the first debate he was in!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t figure out why I should have to listen to lies and deception.
Report Post »Citizen7154
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:27amIs anyone really surprised by Obama’s complete disregard for the facts. He can just boil it down to something that resembles the truth and that makes it okay, even though the details show that his sound bite lacks any accuracy.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 1:14pmonce America realized obama is a liar, we can spot one of his lies a mile away.
Report Post »hamrs_62
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:27amare his lips moving again
Report Post »richierich
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:11pmGood one.
Report Post »wingedwolf
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:23amOne of these days this idiot is going to get caught telling the truth, then what?
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 8:43pmThen he’ll be thrown out of the PARTY OF LIARS!
Report Post »lesliejo
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:20am“High crimes and misdemeanors” – Isn’t lying one of the things included in the “misdemeanors” part? His lies bypass campaign rhetoric and go straight into out-and-out deception.
Report Post »Jimmers46
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:20amPeople who don’t believe in God will believe anything Democrats tell them!
Report Post »Okpulot Taha
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:22pmJIMMERS 46 comments, “People who don’t believe in God will believe anything Democrats tell them!”
People who do believe in God will believe anything Republicans tell them.
Okpulot Taha
Report Post »Choctaw Nation
Nvrforget
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:49pmAh, and just when I was afraid this site was about to become an echo chamber.
Differing opinions, such a nice breath of fresh air.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 1:13pmhow much to pray for, beginning with the total removal of obama’s agenda.
Report Post »RealityCheck
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 1:13pmYour both wrong.
People who believe in God stand tolerant when being defaced by art and Freedom of speech, while everyone else sends out death threats and win.
Okpulot Taha
I’m sorry you have such a negative view and negative experience with Christians. I can’t correct things in the past but I can see the current reality of who is the peaceful and tolerant.
Report Post »Nvrforget
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 2:03pmRealitycheck:
And now you’re wrong. You know why? Because you keep generalizing stuff. Don’t do that because people only need to name a single example to prove you wrong. It basically never works and you’re just making yourself look like a fool. Why do I say that? To quote:
“People who believe in God stand tolerant when being defaced by art and Freedom of speech, while everyone else sends out death threats and win.”
Remember that lady destroying the art piece of Jesus in a pornographic pose a few days ago? She called herself a devout Christian and you can’t call her behavior tolerant.
Report Post »BGR38
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:18amYou lie!!!!!
Report Post »IfNotNowWhen
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:17amBO doesn’t have to worry about speaking the truth. The media outlets won’t ever call him on his lies.
Report Post »So, by default, whatever he says, must be true.
Gita
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:17amObamazilla, “you lie!”. How true those two words were when shouted at the SOTU. He’s a natural born liar. Too bad there is no law against lying. The whole white house most of congress and most of the senate would be on trial. Oh wait, they have broken laws, see you in court!
Report Post »Madisonian
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:15amSo, if we cut all that education money at the federal level, wouldn’t logic dictate that the money would flow back to the people, allowing state and local government, translation, those that pay the majority of educational funding, get access to that money? I don’t want to pay higher taxes at any level, but at least if they are within the confines of my town, county, or state, I can much more acutely view their distribution to programs.
Report Post »bigbud
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:44amNOOO!!!!! Madi, Your trying to use logic…..
Report Post »M31Sailor
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:05pmCut the Federal DC Dept Of Ed Money comes in from the states, Thieves in DC siphon off
Report Post »send the rest back, with strings attached, to thieves in the state Legislatures, who siphon off another percentage. Then the towns, get whatevers left and piss away more and the schools get the dregs left from these Organized Government Crime Syndicates
Madisonian
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:12pmSo, let’s just stop sending money up in the first place. Can‘t attach graft and strings to things you can’t touch. Uh oh, cat’s out of the bag, the thought police will shut us down now.
Report Post »AngryTexanFromAmarillo
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:13amuh oh Obummer caught in another LIE!
Report Post »Mike777
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:49amI wonder how many lies Obama has said ? anyone know ?
Report Post »sweetbees
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:57amIt would be easier to count the things he said that were actually true and factual….just sayin….
Report Post »Sjah
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:02pmHow many times has he lied? well lets see how many times has he opened his mouth that should give us a clue.
Report Post »Mike777
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:20pmYIKES did a search 62 lies and counting lol
http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/
Report Post »CYCLONE
Posted on October 17, 2010 at 3:21am.. everything he says is a calculated lie…
…SERIOUSLY…prove me wrong…
…the curtain has been pulled on Assholrod and the teleprompter … the truth is now known about the “wonderful” Wizard… follow the yellow brick road !!!
Report Post »teahugger
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:09amSince when has Obama ever let facts get in the way?
Report Post »tobywil2
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:30amIf Obama’s teleprompter malfunctioned and flashed the TRUTH and Obama chocked on that truth, could the HEIMLICH MANEUVER be applied in time to avoid Biden becoming President? http://commonsense21c.com/
Report Post »drbage
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 11:35amWhen has any liberal person ever let facts get in the way!!??? Just as Obama views the Constitution as an inconvenient truth, his whole administration is full of truth deniers. As time goes on, even the MSM is inadvertently revealing the truth. Their icon, the NYT, in the Sunday edition has the O revealing that he was aware that “shovel-ready” jobs did not exist. Why didn’t Obama and his MSM handmaidens reveal that when they were selling/shilling it? Why is the MSM not headlining the fact that one of the main shill points of Ocare would be to lower costs has been proven week after week, company after company is talking about increases? They shilled that the uninsured would be insured, those with pre-existing conditions would be insured (hear those words spoken by Charlton Heston). They conveniently forgot to say that the cost would be beyond what their cherished “middle-class Americans” could afford. Their best response is to demonize the health insurance companies. Just a final note to the voters in CT, did you see that your veteran, non-veteran AG just approved a 47% premium increase for Anthem……. Just whom is Ocare meant to help?
Report Post »SheriS
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:07pmSince when has the Prez said anything that was factual! I am so tired of hearing all his “lies” that I have stopped listening! How can parents in this time teach their children “it is wrong to tell a lie” when they have this man as an example! This is so disgusting, it does make my blood boil!
Report Post »claymoremacm
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 1:41pmsame old liberal crap,cut education police,fire and let the prisoners out,how about fire everyone except fire.police and ,teachers then privatise any survices we deem essential including prisons
Report Post »valricoslash
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 4:00pmObama tells so many lies that he actually belives them. He makes B-J Bill look like a piker compared to teh BS he spews. Every time I see him make a speach, and it seems he is on TV constantly, I need to put my on hip boots.
Report Post »Eagle07
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 4:46pmif Pelosi and Reid were there they would immediately do the heiny lick maneuver.
Report Post »Robert W
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 6:27pmFacts….whats facts?
Report Post »jzs
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 7:04pmMore lies from Obama. Republicans have a plan. They are going to keep the tax cuts and reduce government spending, just not on things like education, the military, Social Security, Medicare or any program that voters want. They’re going to cut unpopular programs, like anything that helps poor or unemployed people. I‘m not sure what they’re going to cut, but, you know, something.
Report Post »Michigan Detective
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 7:20pmThis is off topic of the article but on topic for education funding.
Report Post »Riddle me this…
Many if not most states have some sort of lottery. Wasn’t one of the promises that the profits on those lottery sales would go to education??
When you see a billboard advertising the $85 Million Jackpot, the winner(s) of said jackpot can cash out for half of that, $42.5M. Of that money, half is taken off the top for taxes, that’s $21.25M. The way I understand it, the Gvt keeps half of the sales as profit-to fund education, and as I understand it, that would be $42.5M for this example. Additionally many lotteries go un-claimed which forfeits back to the state after one year.
So, how on earth can there even remotely be a funding issue for education???
neverending
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 9:05pmNever.
Report Post »casseopea42
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 10:21pmDon’t say the “F” word!!!! FACTS
Report Post »casseopea42
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 10:25pmIn Virginia the Lottery wasnt going to get passed….they sold it saying that the profits would go to educations….so here is what they do..
1. the state makes 100 mil off the lottery
2. they make the educaiton budget for the next year not with an extra 100 mil…but 100 mil short so that the 100 mil from the lottery just fills the holes so to speak….leaving in essence 100 mil that they didnt have to budget for education to be spent elsewhere.
Leave it to polotitians…
Report Post »sumguyinohio
Posted on October 17, 2010 at 1:27pmNow that was some funny sh@t right there. I don’t care who you are.
Report Post »