Fact Checking the Vice Presidential Debate

[Andrew Luck (Creator & Admin)]

ABC News' Fact Check Team
Oct. 12, 2012

Obama Administration Unaware of Requests for More Benghazi Consulate Security?

Vice President Joe Biden: We Weren't Told They Wanted More Security Again. We Did Not Know They Wanted More Security Again." Raddatz: "And they wanted more security there."

Biden: "Well, we weren't told they wanted more security again. We did not know they wanted more security again. And by the way, at the time we were told exactly -- we said exactly what the intelligence community told us that they knew. That was the assessment."

ABC's Dana Hughes has the facts:

It is incorrect for Biden to say the entire Obama administration was not told that security officials in Libya wanted more security. State dept officials were aware security officials on the ground had concerns. Two officials dramatically testified on Capitol Hill Wednesday that they had made their reservations about the security situation in Libya known within the State Department.

One of the security officials, Eric Nordstrom, compared bureaucrats in Washington to the Taliban in describing his frustration.

Read more about that testimony here.

The State Department continues to maintain that these requests weren't "rejected," instead saying that there was an on-going dialogue between Washington and Libya security officials.

Here is how Undersecretary Pat Kennedy, who testified on behalf of the state department, told reporters Wednesday:"This is not a matter of rejecting requests. This is a matter of a dialogue that goes back and forth between our professionals in the field and our professionals in Washington looking for the right solution. We make sure that they do that, and they do it all the time. And one of the ways that happens, because this is a dialogue, someone says, "I need A, B, and C." The professionals in Washington, with all the experience they have, say, "I see your point. Functionally, isn't this what you're asking for? What about if we send you B, C, and D instead?" We arrive at a solution. We arrived at solutions for Benghazi."

Just to clarify, if Biden had said "We didn't reject any security requests," he would have been parsing words but not technically wrong. It is also not clear that the requests for security made it past the State Department and into the White House.

Also Paul Ryan misstated some facts in criticizing Biden on this issue. He said there are Marines protecting the ambassador in Paris and so there should have been Marines protecting Amb. Chris Stevens in Libya. A Marine Security Guard Detachment is stationed in Paris, but like most of Marine units at embassies, they are there to protect classified documents, and not to protect the ambassador.

The President's Relationship with Israeli Prime Minister

Biden: Now, with regard to Bibi, who's been my friend 39 years, the president has met with Bibi a dozen times. He's spoken to Bibi Netanyahu as much as he's spoken to anybody.

Sunlen Miller has the facts:

Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu only met nine times face-to-face since Obama took the White House. But the two leaders have had over 20 phone calls in addition to these meetings. It's not clear if by "anyone" Biden is referring to heads of state, but that's the way we'll take it.

But by comparison, Obama has had a similar number of total meetings (phone calls and face-to-face meetings) with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao as well.

The White House's take -they say Obama has had more one-on-one meetings with Netanyahu than any other foreign leader since being in office and say the Biden claim of "as much" is correct if you define it by face-to-face meetings. They also argue that it's not just the number of meetings that Biden is talking about but the number of hours spent with those foreign leaders on the phone and in meetings, and those times are not always made public (for example, the White House does not divulge how long all the phone calls last.

Does Obamacare Pay for Abortions?

Rep. Paul Ryan: With respect to abortion, the Democratic Party used to say they want it to be safe legal and rare, now they support it without restriction and with taxpayer funding. Tax payer funding in Obamacare, tax payer funding with foreign aid, the vice president himself went to China and said he sympathized or wouldn't second guess their one child policy of forced abortions and sterilizations. That to me is pretty extreme.

Serena Marshall has the facts:

Per a White House Executive 2010 order "the Act specifically prohibits the use of tax credits and cost-sharing reduction payments to pay for abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered) in the health insurance exchanges that will be operational in 2014." Additionally, "the Act maintains current Hyde Amendment restrictions governing abortion policy and extends those restrictions to the newly created health insurance exchanges." The Hyde Amendment, introduced in 1976 in response to Roe v. Wade, states that federal funds may not be used to pay for abortions.

But there was controversy when Obamacare was passed. Some of the plans that receive government funding will cover abortion services, but separate accounts must be maintained so that an individual's premiums and not the government funds pay for the services.

In an April, 2012 interview with the Huffington Post, Erin Shields, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said the following regarding ACA and abortion:

"Under the new health care law, federal funds continue not to be used for abortion services, except those in cases of rape or incest or where the life of the woman is endangered," she said. "No one will be required to choose a plan that covers these services and no taxpayer dollars will be spent on them. Before choosing a health plan, consumers will know whether the plan covers these services. And if it does, payments will be made into a separate account to ensure no federal dollars fund these services."

As for Biden going to China and "sympathizing" with their one-child policy, Ryan was referring to the vice president's August trip to China. That's true. The comment was made in response to a question concerning U.S. response to fiscal problems. Biden said the one child policy was not going to be sustainable long-term.

"But as I was talking to some of your leaders, you share a similar concern here in China. You have no safety net. Your policy has been one which I fully understand -- I'm not second-guessing -- of one child per family. The result being that you're in a position where one wage earner will be taking care of four retired people. Not sustainable."

Obamacare Panel Would Deny Care to Seniors

You may review the full article @ http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/abcs-fact-check-team-assesses-d...

We Are Winning Our Great Country Back!!!!!!

[Andrew Luck (Creator & Admin)]

Thanks Donna and Thomas. Great to hear from you Donna. Hope you and your Apple are doing well:-)

[Donna Prayer Warrior]

Well between all the interruptions and laughing and rude behavior we made it through our Vice Presidential Debate. Joe Biden just full of surprises, thinking he could ruff Congressman Paul Ryan's feathers, in which case Ryan remained calm and stayed on focus, I wished he would of told Joe that this was no laughing matter, I believe I heard Joe Biden interrupted Paul Ryan like 86 times and the person that was narrating the debate Martha helped VP Biden keep stealing Congressman Ryan's time.

Well most of VP Biden's statements were not true and miss informed information.

So out of this ABC said Congressman Ryan was 48% and VP Biden was 44%.

CNN News said Ryan was 52% and VP Biden was 36%  8% Undecided

So from the fact checking we know who the winner is and was.

Congressman Paul Ryan wins by an edge.

Blessings Donna 

[Tender Thomas Co- Administrator]

On Joe Biden, UUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKK, rude and grude.