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Asked Questions

Do I fact check?

I was asked yesterday, “I’m curious…do you fact check?”

If the question is, “Do you just go to one source, CNN or FoxNews, to see if what someone’s meme said is true and to see if it fits what I think it should sound like,” then no. I’m afraid I don’t do that version of fact checking. That’s not really fact checking at all, is it. It’s going to a source where you know you’re going to get the narrative that you expect. It’s rather an incomplete way of getting to the bottom of things on the surface and quite disingenuous at its core.

However, if the question is really, “When I look at a meme, do I not only critically analyze what is being said, but do I also do more than just go look at one article in a newspaper to see if that meme is actually correct by finding the actual conversation that took place and review the entire context”, then YES, I do fact check.

The answer to this is rather ironic. I probably spend way too much time researching important issues and then make notes, collect resources, etc. What I mean by that is, I go to multiple sources – especially sources that I would likely disagree with, I look to see what they have written in actual quotes and what are just their journalistic “add ons”, that they utilize in order to direct the reader’s perspective. I will also go find the source and investigate to see if what was said is actually true, what was added, what was missing and if it was spun.

If I read a headline – I can assess someone’s perspective really quickly – pro or for a particular person. A lot of op-ed pieces don’t you think? But if I see and article and it says, “Someone said, ‘I am the one who‘ is the most something ever“, I will know immediately that this writer has left something out and added something else. Special note: Unfortunately, sometimes people just completely misuse the “” quotes and just include their own perspective. But many times, they will quote part(bold), add in their bit(italics), leave out the rest of the comment and then rarely will they include the true context and hardly ever will they attach a link to the actual source. HOWEVER… that’s how people are informed now a days. What we get is innuendo, incorrect assertions and outright fabrications, no source – and of course assumes that the whole piece isn’t just the opinion based on which party the author ascribes to – which certainly slants the narrative.

But to the question at hand. Here are a couple of examples where I have gone through to fact check. You tell me your opinion. Do I fact check?

“Biden Claims Boilermakers Union Support for His Campain”

“Not Entitled To Your Own Facts, Senator Kamala Harris” regarding Honest Abe and the Trump Supreme Court Justice appointment.

With regards to the later of the two, I happened to have been watching the debate when Kamala said what she did and it didn’t quite sound correct. And oh boy, once I did the fact checking, I saw just how corrupt media is their their bias and just how flat out of a liar Kamala Harris is. It wasn’t a matter of degree as to how exaggerative she was, it was a completely fictitious lie. So, this is for you Melissa. Oh yes, I do fact check.

I’ll sign off with this. I can appreciate the two choice – absoluteness of your statement, however I will leave the racist/anti-racist and there is no in between for another time – because it is an incomplete position and it’s completely off topic to the other question you asked.

Facebook post 10/25/2020 – 1
Categories
Biden Fact Checking

Biden Claims Boilermakers Union Support for His Campain

“The boilermakers overwhelmingly endorse me, OK?” Biden said during the ABC News town hall on Thursday, October 15th, 2020.1 He continued by saying “So the Boilermakers Union has endorsed me because I sat down with them and went into great detail earlier to show their leadership exactly what I would do, number one. Number two, what I would do is I would stop making — I would stop giving tax breaks and subsidizing oil.”2

Appears Biden has made a rather big claim on national television. Biden’s response was to a question from Stephanopoulos, “Now you said you don’t want to ban fracking. As you know it’s an important issue here in Pennsylvania, not everyone buys your denial. A member of the Boilermakers Local 154 Sean Stephanie was quoted in the New York Times today saying, “You can’t have it both ways,” he says, “You can’t meet your goal to end fossil fuels without ending fracking,” what do you say to people like Shawn who doubt your denial because they think you want to keep that promise –“3

Quick recap. Biden’s response was, “The boilermakers overwhelmingly endorse me, OK.” and “So the Boilermakers Union has endorsed me because I sat down with them…”

Was Biden telling the truth? Let’s see what Shawn says, the man from the Boilermakers Union that was called out by name, that Biden responded about…

“Biden flat-out lied. I’m only speaking for my local union, which is the largest boilermaker union in the country,” said Steffee.
4
I know that local 247, in Connecticut, business manager Chris O’Neill-5 endorsed president Trump, and local 28 in New Jersey, James Chu, endorsed Trump. – Shawn Steffee –6–7

Interview with Shawn Steffee, titled “Union leader calls out Biden for false endorsement claim”8

Other news on the matter:

If Joe Biden lies and the media ignore it, does he make a sound? – Washington Examiner
9
Pennsylvania union calls out Joe Biden over false endorsement claim – Fox News
10
Nothing – CNN as of 10/22/2020
Not a word – MSNBC as of 10/22/2020
Categories
Kamala Fact Checking

Not Entitled To Your Own Facts, Senator Kamala Harris

The night of the debate between current Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris, was a night unlike any other. At a key moment after Kamala continued to volley “facts” at Trump and Pence, in an attempt to sway political views, Mike Pence made this incredible statement to Kamala Harris, “You’re entitled to your own opinion, you’re not entitled to your own facts.” This lit a fire for me. At that moment, I was determined to fact check both of them to ensure I wasn’t being duped, yet again by inaccurate assertions, bold exaggerations and flat out lies. And then this happened….

Kamala said, “I’m so glad we went through a little history lesson, let’s do that a little more.” She then brings up Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and stated that he was one of Trump’s political heroes and then assumed correctly that he was one of Mike Pence’s political heroes, which Pence confirmed. She continued on to say, “Abraham Lincoln was up for reelection and it was 27 days before the election, and a seat became open on the United States Supreme Court. Abraham Lincoln’s party was in charge not only of the White House, but the Senate, but HONEST ABE said ‘it’s not the right thing to do. The American people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next President of the United States, and then that person can select who will serve for a lifetime.'”1

You’re entitled to your own opinion, you’re not entitled to your own facts. – Vice President Mike Pence (spoken to Senator Kamala Harris)2

The fact that Kamala said every last word here is undisputed. But is what she said, inaccurate, an exaggeration or just a flat out lie?

What does the Media have to say about Kamala’s “history lesson”?

She could have been more honest while quoting Abe. – New York Post3
Kamala’s…little history lesson…wasn’t exactly true. – Washington Post4
I’ve never seen anything like that quote in all my 36 years of Lincoln research. – Michael Burlingame, the distinguished chair in Lincoln studies at the University of Illinois-Springfield5
I don’t think there is a definite answer… for why Lincoln waited – Stephen E Maizlish, a historian at the University of Texas-Arlington and biographer of Chase.6
Anecdotal response from historian and comedy fanatic Michael Beschloss. He makes a claim but lacks evidence.7

The fact is, Kamala Harris attributed a statement to Abraham Lincoln that is not historically recorded. Michael Beschloss suggests support for Kamala’s statement, but has followed up with no evidence. To date, what she said does not exist in any of the records attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Let me put it in another way. Lincoln did not say what Kamala said he did. Why did she do it? You’d have to ask her – I’m not going to put words into her mouth. But the result supports media statements that suggests that Trump should look bad for submitting a name for the open Supreme Court seat while he is in the last several months of this term of his presidency. Plain and simple – Mike Pence told her that she was “not entitled to your own facts” and she produced her own facts anyway and pawned those imaginary words as truth to the American public. Seems to be a common thread. Stay tuned for more of these postings…

Additional notes on this subject regarding the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice:

Senate is required to be in session for the President of the United States to nominate a Supreme Court Justice.

How are Supreme Court Justices selected? – The President nominates someone for a vacancy on the Court and the Senate votes to confirm the nominee, which requires a simple majority. In this way, both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the federal government have a voice in the composition of the Supreme Court.8

Abraham Lincoln could not actually nominate anyone until after the election… because the senate was not in session, due to the fact that it had adjourned on July 4th, 1864. John Marshall died July 6, 1864. Senate was not back in session until December 5th, 1864 9 which was after the election held on November 8, 1864.10. Kamala stated that Abraham Lincoln was waiting, “because it was the right thing to do.” Abraham had not choice as the senate was out of session. Senate let out, two days later the Chief Justice died, the election happened and then the senate went back into session. But make no mistake, the day after the senate session began, not only was the replacement for Roger Brook Taney appointed by Abraham, but also approved by the senate.

CongressSessionBegin DateAdjourn Date
382Dec 5, 1864Mar 3, 1865
 1Dec 7, 1863Jul 4, 1864
 SMar 4, 1863Mar 14, 1863
Session 1 was adjourned from July 4th, 1864 and Session 2 did not commence until December 5th, 1864. 11

“Honest Abe,” as Kamala put him – had already appointed 4 Supreme Court Justices during the Civil War. 12After the election, which he won the electoral vote 212-21 and 55% of the popular vote, Lincoln did appoint the 5th Supreme Court Justice who replaced Roger Taney.

One other note. In the memory of Ruth Bader Ginsburg – Trump is elected for 4 years as President of the United States, not for 3 years.

Video of Ruth Bader Ginsburg 13

Appointed Justices by Abraham Lincoln:

NOAH HAYNES SWAYNE, Associate Justice
Born December 7, 1804; died June 8, 1884
Party — Republican
Home State — Ohio
Appointed By — Abraham Lincoln
Replaced — John McLean
Oath Taken — January 27, 1862
Resigned Office — January 24, 1881

SAMUEL FREEMAN MILLER, Associate Justice
Born April 5, 1816; died October 13, 1890
Party — Republican
Home State — Iowa
Appointed By — Abraham Lincoln
Replaced — Peter Daniel
Oath Taken — July 21, 1862
Died in Office — October 13, 1890

DAVID DAVIS, Associate Justice
Born March 9, 1815; died June 26, 1886
Party — Republican
Home State — Illinois
Appointed By — Abraham Lincoln
Replaced — John Campbell
Oath Taken — December 10, 1862
Resigned Office — March 4, 1877

STEPHEN JOHNSON FIELD, Associate Justice
Born November 4, 1816; died April 9, 1899
Party — Democrat
Home State — California
Appointed By — Abraham Lincoln
Oath Taken — May 20, 1863
Resigned Office — December 1, 1897

SALMON PORTLAND CHASE, Chief Justice
Born January 13, 1808; died May 7, 1873
Party — Republican
Home State — Ohio
Appointed By — Abraham Lincoln (on December 6, 1864)
Replaced — Roger Brooke Taney
Oath Taken — December 15, 1864
Died in Office — May 7, 1873