Tom Raum (who grew up in Bergenfield, New Jersey – more's the shame! – and is getting kind of crotchety) and Matt Apuzzo fact-checked Bill Clinton's speech last night. Read it if you want to waste your time (example: Rahm Emmanuel is a well-known mean guy, so Congressional impasse is as much the Democrats' fault as the Republicans'); but in case you have a life worth living, here's the only taste of it you'll need:
CLINTON: "Their campaign pollster said, 'We're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.' Now that is true. I couldn't have said it better myself - I just hope you remember that every time you see the ad."
THE FACTS: Clinton, who famously finger-wagged a denial on national television about his sexual relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky and was subsequently impeached in the House on a perjury charge, has had his own uncomfortable moments over telling the truth. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky," Clinton told television viewers. Later, after he was forced to testify to a grand jury, Clinton said his statements were "legally accurate" but also allowed that he "misled people, including even my wife."At the Associated Press, that's called "fact checking." See Paul Krugman in the post just below this one.
Incidentally, Neil Newhouse, the Romney campaign pollster in question, did say that. You could make an argument that Clinton took the quote out of context, though the context is just self-serving twaddle. But be my guest.
Update: This "fact check" is apparently getting a lot of attention around the internet. There are some pretty good tweets here.
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