Mike Pence Pushes Discredited GOP Line On Cap-And-Trade
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), chairman of the House Republican Caucus, went on MSNBC earlier today to reiterate a familiar talking point.
"According to some independent estimates the average american household could see their energy costs go up by more than $3,000 per year."
There are many falsehoods here. The first is the contention that there are "some" estimates. There is but one. The next is that these estimates (this estimate) is independent. It is, in fact, an estimate cooked up by House Republicans. The third, and most serious has to do with the accuracy of that one, non-independent estimate. It is exaggerated by more than an order of magnitude.
This claim goes back to earlier this spring, when Congressional Republicans began mischaracterizing an M.I.T. study, and propagating myths based on deeply flawed calculations they made with that study's findings. Though they've been called out repeatedly (by us, and by the author of the study, and by high profile Democrats) for peddling misinformation, they nonetheless continue to push the line.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Pence said: "there is another way...and Republicans are dedicated to achieving that."
And this other way is...?
*crickets*
Thought so.
May 5, 2009 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Party of No Frigging Clue.
May 5, 2009 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
This guy is a pestilence.
Dems need to target him and his ongoing campaign of lies. He heard "testimony" at a Republican energy summit "today?" "Testimony" at a summit?
Look, he didn't hear no testimony, he heard a phony Republican talking point resurrected at wackaloon truth-be-damned pep rally. And as to "today", it's a long-since-discredited falsehood.
But Dems can let this turbulent priest get away with his crewcut-disinformation act. Call him on his ongoing abuse of process via intentionally lying.
May 5, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Andrea Mitchell and many others like her allow this kind of shit to go unchallenged. This line has been discredited for some time now, isn't it aobut time pseudo journalists like Mitchell and others start boning up on what's new?
By the way, this isn't the first time Republicans have been on TV spewing bullcrap that is allowed to pass unchallenged by whoever is hosting the news show, and they pull this crap because they know it will go unchallenged.
May 5, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
That because they know people like Mitchell, John King, George Stephanopolous and David Gregory fawn over them. Facts be damned. The MSM is complicit.
May 5, 2009 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
dswx,
absolutely. They're all part of the "Village."
May 6, 2009 9:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
And when they lie like this...you have to remember that it is at the expense of the safety and future of the United States.
Big Oil & Empire....happy together
May 5, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Waxman smacked down Newt when he said this and I believe he said "actual facts show families will pay about 40 cents a day" which comes around to 125 a year.
May 5, 2009 6:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's the Bush era theory that if you keep on saying something over and over, it becomes true. And, unfortunately, gutless talking heads like Andrea Mitchell facilitate that truth-making.
May 5, 2009 10:37 PM | Reply | Permalink