Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Politifact has just claimed Paul Babeu, the Republican Sheriff of Pinal County, Ariz., who is at the front line of combatting Mexican Drug Cartels encroaching into North America, made a mostly false statement when he claimed President Obama thinks climate change is the number one security threat. A few minutes web search was all it took, to show that Paul Babeu’s interpretation of President Obama’s statements is entirely reasonable.
Paul Babeu, the Republican Sheriff of Pinal County, Ariz., near the U.S.-Mexico border, has repeatedly criticized President Barack Obama’s administration for its lack of border security.
Babeu, who’s running for Congress this November against a Republican field that includes David Gowan, Ken Bennett and Wendy Rogers, warned of Mexican drug cartels in his county ahead of Memorial Day weekend on Fox News’ Hannity on May 26.
But he also used the interview to make a political jab, questioning Obama’s priorities.
“The president has said the national security threat facing America, the top one, is global warming,” Babeu said. “It’s not an unsecured border, it’s not the terrorists we should be fighting and defeating.”
This is not the first time we have heard a statement like this:
…
Babeu said, “The president has said the national security threat facing America, the top one, is global warming.”
Obama continues to cite climate change as a great threat to the world, but framing the issue as the country’s top national security threat is an exaggeration. Obama has said fighting terrorism is his most urgent priority.
The Arizona sheriff ignores important context, so we rate his claim as Mostly False.
The following is a video of President Obama saying “no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change”.
Or how about this Obama quote from The Atlantic;
“ISIS is not an existential threat to the United States. Climate Change is a potential existential threat to the entire world if we don’t do something about it”
Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/04/the-obama-doctrine/471525/
Here is President Obama speaking to the United States Coast Guard Academy;
Here at the Academy, climate change — understanding the science and the consequences — is part of the curriculum, and rightly so, because it will affect everything that you do in your careers. Some of you have already served in Alaska and aboard icebreakers, and you know the effects. As America’s Maritime Guardian, you’ve pledged to remain always ready — Semper Paratus — ready for all threats. And climate change is one of those most severe threats.
And this is not just a problem for countries on the coasts, or for certain regions of the world. Climate change will impact every country on the planet. No nation is immune. So I’m here today to say that climate change constitutes a serious threat to global security, an immediate risk to our national security. And make no mistake, it will impact how our military defends our country. And so we need to act — and we need to act now.
President Obama may have made other statements which contradict some of his statements on Climate Change – he is after all a politician. But Politifact’s assertion that it is a “mostly false” exaggeration, to say that President Obama thinks Climate Change is the greatest threat to national security, is clearly unreasonable – unless you think that suggesting Climate is the “greatest threat” to future generations, suggesting climate, unlike terrorism, might be an “existential threat” to the entire world, suggesting “we need to act now”, could not reasonably be interpreted as being a suggestion that climate is the nation’s number one priority.
Perhaps next time Politifact could try spending a few minutes searching the internet, before they issue a “fact check” which in my opinion unreasonably smears the integrity of a hero who puts his life on the line every day, to keep America safe from real security threats.
America’s biggest threat these last eight years has been the president.
No matter what is said, Obama will lie to make himself look good.
Lie and get caught out!
“yo, Barry, mah ni**a, you did it”
President Obama may have made other statements which contradict….
of course he has…..that’s his claim to fame
…no matter what you believe, if you listen long enough you will hear him say it
Latitude June 6, 2016 at 7:45 am
“President Obama may have made other statements which contradict….
of course he has…..that’s his claim to fame
…no matter what you believe, if you listen long enough you will hear him say it.”
Trump seems to have decided he will use this strategy at every opportunity.
Trump wll never be better at lying than Hiillary. She now has decades of experience.
“Jtom June 6, 2016 at 6:33 pm
Trump will never be better at lying than Hiilary. She now has decades of experience.”
Well he’s doing his best to catch up.
Typical Simon misdirection.
Bringing up Trump as if somehow saying “well your guy is a liar too” somehow justifies a sitting president being such a gargantuan fail and colossal, world-class liar? {If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor, Simon. If you like you coverage, you can keep your coverage, Simon.}
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/statements/byruling/false/
http://freedomoutpost.com/1063-documented-examples-of-barack-obamas-lying-lawbreaking-corruption-cronyism-hypocrisy-waste-etc/
Plenty more where that came from, Simon.
Boulder Skeptic
If you think Obama is more economic with the truth than other presidents then I say that’s nonsense. All politicians have their own truth, it is just Trump has a different truth for every day of the week. And I can’t think of a presidential nominee who at this stage of a campaign has a list of untruths as long as commie Donald.
Sorry Simon – the tired old “everyone does it” excuse does not cut it any more. The issue is not some dead guy on a currency denomination. It is about the “sitting” liar and the fact that the MSM is trying to cover his lies with their own.
Simon,
And now we get the mind reading. Nice try now at trying to argue something you think I might be thinking. I don’t own Trump and may or may not be a Trump supporter. Didn’t actually write anything about that, did I? Try quoting something I actually wrote and telling me how you disagree. You’re holding true to your pattern here with misdirection and strawmen.
Your misdirection is typical. This post isn’t about Trump or other Presidents. It’s about President Obama and what a colossal liar he has been–especially with respect to the importance of climate change. And also it’s about how Politifact is just another liberal fail that gives mostly Demoncrats cover by convincing the sheeple and tools (are you one?) to believe things that just aren’t true.
Simon, every one of the thousands of Top Secret, Classified, etc. E-mails that were received or uploaded to Hillary Clinton’s private in-home Server …… constitutes a damnable lie voiced by Hillary.
But the big question is NOT how many Top Secret E-mails were received or uploaded to Hillary Clinton’s private in-home Server, ……. but how many E-mails were transmitted from Hillary Clinton’s private in-home Server to IP addresses in foreign countries that no one but Hillary and/or Bill knows what their content/context was.
Boulder Skeptic
I’m no huge fan of Clinton, but I can’t imagine in a lifetime voting for a candidate who plays the racist card to wriggle out of a fraud case (Commie Donald). It is difficult to imagine a lower dirtier comment from the scummiest person you might work with, let alone the next potential president. It is just all beyond belief.
Simon — the GOP deserves Donald for buying into the moderin fetishization of democracy. The Founders were so cautious of democracy the first thing they did was fill the Constitution with amendments denying Congress’ powers to do all sorts of things the voters might ask for.
There was no reason they couldn’t have administered a simple civics test in party primaries that would eliminate many of the low-information voters, or at least a modestly corrupt insider “superdelegate” scheme like the Democrats use. Instead they patted themselves on the back for being progressive, and they reaped a populist.
“Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”
~ George Orwell
Maybe the “m” word sent you to moderation? Or perhaps the system is designed to send random posts to moderation, just to keep the moderators on their toes.
Or is that on our toes? Enquiring minds want to know.
My post responding to your missing post also died and went to moderator heaven.
Oh for God’s Sake. I quoted George Orwell and the post went to never never land. Now What.
Perhaps this will work.
http://www.libertystickers.com/static/images/Political-language-is-SH.gif
That’s why I call Obama the “Lyin’ Pres”. He’s been the biggest disappointment ever and has singlehandedly set back black progress more than any other politician. I wonder how he’ll lie out of that claim?
PolitiFact simply doesn’t always get the “fact” part right, but they often keep “Politi” in their interpretation.
These political “fact checkers” are just a manifestation of how far the old media in general fallen. The newspapers and TV news allowed the creation of these so called “fact checkers” because their own credibility is so far in the tank. Here is a FACT: IF the media was actually practicing good journalism there would be no place for “fact checkers”.
Don’t the “Fact Checkers”, just look at the MSM archive to “confirm” or “deny” a fact?
FACT:
Fallacies
Always
Counteract
Truth
Politi-fabrication. There, fixed it.
I believe their job is “Politi cover-up” since there are so many statements from the progressives that lack factual or scientific basis. Remember how they sold “it depends on the meaning of is” or the definition of sex?
Their job is to cover up progressive lies and consequences and lie about Conservative ideas.
Word.
It’s the nu style, simply put key words in your name, i.e. “fact” “skeptical”, and hope no one around is smart enough to catch on that you are completely the opposite of that. It’s psychological projection meets marketing.
Obama once was a prominent member of the New Party, which also wasn’t a stellar point in his political career.
PolitiFact almost NEVER get it right when verifying Conservative comments! Totally biased and untrustworthy!
And that would surprise anybody?
http://www.politifactbias.com/
I have no sympathy on people who want waterboarding when threatened by undemocratic forces.
If you can’t save democracy with democratic means, you have just lost already.
If war was fought democratically, they would be short, and the generals would die first.
“I have no sympathy on people who want waterboarding…”
Would beheading be cool?
Obama has a much better solution…just kill them with a drone strike.
In what Universe it is a better solution is the question now.
US Special Forces and others attending SERE Level C (Formerly level III) training were being water boarded long before probably anyone here ever heard of it. Also sleep and sensory deprivation. But forgive us for doing something to the enemy that we have done to our own trainees?
I have no sympathy for those who mistakenly believe we can end Islamic terrorism with “hugs” or giving Iran a Nuclear Missile based on Lies from the State Department and revising records to hid the lies and then claiming they cannot find who ordered the deletions.
BTW US solders have been waterboarded as part of their training and we would have never found Osama without waterboarding despite the false claims from the government.
Hugs “If you can’t save democracy with democratic means, you have just lost already.”
I am occasionally dismayed when I realize that I gave 20 years of my life in uniform for pacifists.
Creating democracy requires blood, or so it seems. Even Sir Thomas More’ in “Utopia” recognized that war comes to your doorstep but maybe you’ll go to your enemy first.
Benjamin Franklin (1706–90). QUOTATION: “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?” “A Republic, if you can keep it.”.
The enemies of the United States thinks elections are just plain silly. So do some German warmists. So if you like democracy, be prepared to be undemocratic to keep it.
Did we use “democratic means” to defeat Hitler?
Those who think that we can play nice with people who aren’t nice, are fools waiting to be beheaded when it’s their turn.
Hugs, have you ever heard of World War II?
Do you know anything about who did what, and why, and when during that war?
About what were the possible outcomes besides the one which actually occurred?
Are you a serious person?
Are you out of grade school yet?
Hugs.. I’d point you to the phrase ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’ http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick.html . and that most democratic of countries, Switzerland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland, a heavily armed country that happily shot down any plane that passed through their airspace in WWII. I am totally on board with passive behavior, but anyone who thinks aggression should be met with peace is in for a big shock at some point – you have a responsibility to protect your own life and shirking it is foolish. Even cows, the most passive of herbivores have a decent set of horns for good reason.
I agree with hugs, though I’m not sure I would use “democracy” but rather our values and freedoms.
Lots of what was done in WWII by the Allies was unnecessary and simply wrong, There was no need to do away with so many of our rights, and for us to engage in some acts to win.
And for Michael 2 (and others), that doesn’t make me a pacifist. I accept that war is sometimes necessary, and that involves killing people. I accept that terrorists want to kill me and that we should fight them. But that doesn’t mean that i accept continual surveillance of everything I do, or torture of suspects, or the suspension of habeus corpus.
Are we fighting simply to not be killed, or to defend rights and values and principles which we think are worth fighting for?
They should change their name to PolitiHack – much more accurate.
Or just ‘communists’, that probably would do.
Honestly the behavioral and social sciences desire for reengineering people and institutions relies heavily on a concept they want to use but not disclose called internalized Guiding Fictions. When I read about its use all the CAGW hype immediately came to mind. This explains with cites its planned use in K-12 education all over the world http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/statutorily-stipulating-a-science-of-the-individual-driven-by-useful-internalized-guiding-fictions/ , but the principle is the same when it is the media or supposed fact checkers determined to falsely frame an issue.
All of these manipulative techniques do poorly in the disinfectant of disclosure. Might as well accurately frame what Politifact was really trying to do.
you can’t really blame this poor guy. he is just reading the teleprompter. it’s when the teleprompter goes down that you get to see the person who is the president of the united states of america.
https://youtu.be/mSxo9-Z5Ki0
….He is useless without his teleprompters !
Are you just guessing that that was not what was on the teleprompter, or do you have inside information?
/grin
In some circles he’s known as TOTUS.
Teleprompter of The United States
Marcus
June 6, 2016 at 8:01 am
….He is useless without his teleprompters !
==========================================
He is useless WITH his teleprompters
Wha, wha, wha, what did he, he, he, he, say?
Obama is a stuttering idiot without his teleprompter. If he ever looses his sight, he’ll be all washed up.
Politi-Fact is notoriously leftist, and tends to enforce the orthodoxy with its ratings. Obama did say what the sheriff was quoting, and no amount of spin enables anyone to deny that.
I would assert that itt is mostly true that climate change is a very serious threat. If a comet were to hit Earth, as has happened repeatedly over the course of human inhabitation of this planet, the climate could change so drastically as to wipe out most if not all of us. Much evidence supports the fact that many large animals, and most of humankind, died out in the disasters at the end of the last ice age. What is entirely false is the assertion that man made increases to CO2 is a very serious threat. So if you take it on it’s face value, Obama’s claim that “No threat poses a greater threat than climate change” is actually on the money.
Concur.
However, when Obama/Alarmists use the term “Climate Change”, they mean “climate change caused by human CO2 emissions”, so with that understanding, Obama is not correct.
JohnWho is a smart man
Richard
With all due respect, your got your cause and effect mixed up.
Your example is “earth being hit by a comet”, not “climate change”.
You could also call it “death by lots of hot stuff” or “death by tsunami” or, if you’re REALLY unlucky, “death by crushing”.
There are scientists that believe that many deaths were due to the climate change caused by the comet, not the blast itself or resulting tsunami events.
I’d have to disagree with you there. Even using existing technology, it’s feasible to detect, intercept, and divert or destroy an incoming celestial body. Nothing we can do will significantly alter the climate.
The Chelyabinsk meteor was not detected until it exploded in the sky. Had it struck directly it would have been a spectacular disaster second only to the Tunguska blast.
Only if Bruce Willis can squeeze a drilling rig and seventeen people onto a space shuttle.
“which in my opinion unreasonably smears the integrity of a hero who puts his life on the line every day, to keep America safe from real security threats.”
http://freedomleadershipconference.org/wp-content/uploads/adiosAmericafrontcover-206×300.jpg
Poor Jeremy Paxman. He really didn’t have a chance.
Arbeegee, Darwinian
Talk about a knock-down, drag out!
It has been said that Liberalism is a disease, and this Jeremy Paxman adequately demonstrates it.
In this contest, it’s Coulter: 100; Paxman: 0.
Wow- thanks for the video. Coulter is always entertainingly lucid. Paxman demonstrates beautifully the typical LW nut whose view of reality never ventures from the absurd media matters constructs and strawmen and whose behavior frequently exhibits projection of their claims…
Paxman often used the ‘You’re an idiot’ approach to his interviews, which sometimes worked and sometimes just made him look like a pompous twat. He used to be on a news programme here called Newsnight. He’s retired now, and no one misses him. We do have an excellent interviewer called Andrew Neil. Always does his homework, and pounces if the interviewee waffles or doesn’t answer the question.
Greenpeace, “Fix Democracy Pledge”
List of congressional candidates including those who signed the “Pledge”
Note Oregon.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/about-democracy-pledge-2-2
Climate Progress, May 23, 2016
‘Portland Bans Climate-Denying Textbooks From Its Schools’
“The resolution, which was created by the Portland Chapter of 350.org and other community members, …”
http://www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/23/3780854/portland-textbooks-climate-change
350.org has a direct connection to Greenpeace.
I hope Sheriff Paul Babeu wins his election. He looks like one of the good guys to me.
Obama has certainly hyped the threat of CAGW to a national security and world survival issue, as was proven by this article.
People should quit expecting to get the truth out of Leftwing news media organizations. It’s not going to happen. All you are going to get is the Leftist spin 24/7. It’s what they do.
“quit expecting to get the truth out of Leftwing news media organization”
This last year has been good for that with major distortions being pointed out with NYT, WaPo, MSNBC, Couric and others. Even found out why the NYT “converted” because Carlos Slim saved them from going under:
http://townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/2015/06/01/carlos-slim-the-new-york-times-sugar-daddy-n2005713
During the last two election cycles, PolitiFact revealed itself to be little more than a left wing propaganda site.
They routinely give passes to whoppers told by Democrats, while labeling as false, perfectly reasonable statements by Republicans.
Such as the one above.
Poltifact is one of the worst partisan outfits. But this is another example that is easy to point to when someone gets on their horse about their “objectivity”
They use similar tactics at the podium.
Motoring of the future is here
Ausie professor at the University of Melbourne, Richard O’Hair has designed a car powered by ants!
He used a molecular catalyst that forces formic acid to produce only hydrogen and carbon dioxide and at a low temperature of only 70°C.
http://phys.org/news/2016-06-molecular-hydrogen-powered-cars-motoring.html
/sarc
“”With formic acid, the aim was to transform it into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which could really lend itself to the important practical applications of hydrogen energy in the transport sector.”
While the study successfully produces hydrogen and CO2, the ultimate aim of future research will be to ensure any derivative source of hydrogen produces zero emissions.”
…..What, I thought CO2 was the worst pollution on Earth !!
Never mind ants, what’s happened about the zinc/air battery?
what odd people these are. Formic acid has a carbon to hydrogen ratio of 1:2 and is a little worrying stored in bulk as it self decomposes to carbon monoxide. If the goal is a ‘hydrogen’ based fuel system we already have a damned fine one with hydrocarbon gasses without the complexity of requiring catalysts, in fact the most sensible of hydrogen fuels is not pure hydrogen with the many dangers and complications of storage and transport, but one with a high number of hydrogen atoms bonded to another harmless element – and there’s plenty to choose from.
butane is 1: 2 1/2
propane is 1: 2 2/3
ethane is 1:3
methane is 1:4
A shame the enviro-friendly gang green didn’t study any chemistry or they’d realize fixating on carbon was a bit goofy and these are actually hydrogen fuels and not carbon fuels.
personally as someone who studied botany and understands the carbon cycle, I’d like to see a little more CO2 in the air, but what would I know.. I’m not a climate ‘scientist’.
“ISIS is not an existential threat to the United States.”
Especially when funding it…
That’s a national secret, and you could be violating some Federal law…or something. Next you’re going to tell me that the US’s close friends, the Saudi Arabians are mixed up in stuff, or that the FBI knew about the Oklahoma bombing days and weeks before, or that the CIA were mixed up in the murder of Lord Mountbatten in Northern Ireland. Fancy that, the closest of the friends of the UK killing a member of the Royal Family. No, surely not?
‘northern Ireland, not Northern Ireland. Us brits know the difference.
“that the FBI knew about the Oklahoma bombing days and weeks before”
Well for what it’s worth there were no agents in the building during the bombing, they had wanted a new building (and got it) and supposedly there were numerous warning calls placed to a local answering service and relayed to them but no interviews or action taken…..
Executive orders have no limits. Just ask DOJ, they researched it ahead of time and proclaimed the outcome.
Why are they backing away? If you like your lies, Mr. President, you should keep your lies!
Oh, he does: His is the most fact-distorted presidency in history.
Shame, really, that America’s first black President should be such a gimp. I guess Cassius Clay would never have been President, given his religion, and we all know why Tiger Woods didn’t. Black people may have to wait a long time now.
I can list half a dozen non-Marxist/communist blacks that would make great presidents. Obama has proven MLK correct–it is content of character and not color of skin that really matters.
But I’m afraid that, for a lot of black people, that isn’t so. They will vote for a black man. Racism isn’t all on way, by a long chalk. There are a lot of white people who wouldn’t vote for Obama because he’s black, but as I said, there were a lot of black people who voted for Obama BECAUSE he’s black. It is 100% character, and never colour, that determines a good leader. Black people in America need a much better champion than this incompetent, and I’m afraid they may have to wait a long, long time.
it wasn’t just Obama, but several members of his administration – including Secretary of State (for God’s sake), John Kerry. In fact, I daresay, Climate Change is right near the top of his agenda list.
Just to clarify — none of those statements of Obama’s is the same as the reference by Babeu and used by Politifact.
“Babeu said, “The president has said the national security threat facing America, the top one, is global warming.” ”
He calls it “a significant threat to global security and an immediate risk to our national security (not the top threat — just one of many); he says, “No threat poses a greater challenge than climate change.” (A challenge is not a threat — politically it probably is among the greatest challenges); and he calls it, “a potential existential threat,” which is nowhere close to the top national security threat.
In other words, based on these quotes Babeu is exaggerating and Politifact is right. That being said, I would have preferred a “mostly true” rating.
However, immigration is also nowhere near the greatest national security threat. I could think of dozens of greater threats from North Korea, Putin, internal militias, ISIS, and the budget deficit.
..Quote from the video above..”No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change”…..It’s amazing how some people can twist reality into what they WANT to see and hear…
Seriously? Your defense is asking what the meaning of “is” is? Whether you call it a “challenge” or a “threat” may make hay within your echo chamber and law school students arguing semantics, in the court of public opinion you’re just plain wrong. “Internal militias” are a top threat? Really? Again, not even a blip on the radar except in your sycophantic circle of naysayers. Though, in light of the violent left’s assaults of Trump supporters, the rapes, murders, and muggings left in the wake of multiple OWS protests, etc.; you may have a small point.
People with guns, who don’t work for the government, scare leftists.
Quick, look, a leftist unicorn.
Iorcanbonda….Are you the sort or guy who would hang a jury because the defendant’s finger print was not on the murder weapon and that is not proof beyond “all” doubt?
Rumor mill has it that OJ is going to confess to the murders.
If he does that, I wonder how those on the jury, who completely ignored the evidence, will feel?
In context, “threat” and “challenge” is a distinction without a difference. Based on funding priorities, Babeu is certainly correct.
Border Security: $4.5 billion
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21579828-spending-billions-more-fences-and-drones-will-do-more-harm-good-secure-enough
Climate Change: $11.6 billion
http://www.gao.gov/key_issues/climate_change_funding_management/issue_summary
Curse that Internet. I bet Al Gore wishes he’s never invented it. (/sarc)
Politifact is nothing more than a cryptoliberal site that attempts to portray conservatives as liars. When confronted, it will sometimes report that one of its favorite candidates had mispoke or said something that was “mostly” false. And then massage that until it appears to be almost true.
polifact is just another manifestation of the progressives corruption.
Corruption of our language is one of their first tools.
Such as “The Science”
The term Liberal is now so debased that only socialists qualify.
Diverting discussions into, the meaning of “Is” is normal politics for these parasites.
Always follow the money, usually the most dishonest and clueless are siphoning off taxpayers money somewhere along their food chain.