When presidents play politics
By Angie Drobnic Holan
Published on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 4:56 p.m.
Related rulings:
"Everything I have said (on the campaign trail) has been factually accurate."
Bill Clinton, Thursday, February 7th, 2008.
Ruling: False | Details
Barack Obama said "he's going to attack Pakistan and embrace (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad."
George W. Bush, Sunday, February 10th, 2008.
Ruling: False | Details
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We might like to think of our presidents as meeting with foreign leaders and studying dossiers in the Oval Office, but they also serve as leaders of their political parties.
In George W. Bush's case, he's still the Republican Party's top elected official, and reporters can't help but ask what he thinks about happenings on the campaign trail.
Former President Bill Clinton is even closer to the action with his wife running for office.
As Election Day approaches, we'll be treating current and former presidents like the political players they are and running their statements through our Truth-O-Meter. Consider yourselves forewarned, Jimmy Carter and George H.W.!
In the past week, Bush and Clinton made statements that we found worth checking and neither one of them did very well with accuracy:
* Clinton defended himself against critics of his remarks about Sen. Barack Obama. "Everything I have said has been factually accurate," Clinton said.
Excuse us, sir, but that's baloney. We checked Clinton's campaign trail statements previously and found one False and another Half True . Now we must find Clinton's new claims of accuracy to be False .
* George W. Bush, meanwhile, gave an interview over the weekend to Fox News Sunday in which he said Obama wants to "attack Pakistan and embrace (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad." Um, not even close. Obama said he'll go after terrorists hiding in Pakistan if the authorities there don't, and he promised a diplomatic effort with Iran. We rated Bush's statement False .
Sources:Associated Press, "Bill Clinton says he's learned he can promote, but not defend," Feb. 8, 2008 WCSH Channel 6, Interview with Bill Clinton , Feb. 7, 2008. Also available here . PolitiFact.com, Obama not a Reagan Democrat , Jan. 18, 2008 Washington Post, Bill the Attack Dog , Jan. 22, 2008 Fox News Sunday, Interview with President Bush , Feb. 10, 2008 Barack Obama campaign Web site, Speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , Aug. 1, 2008 Associated Press, McCain says Obama is simplistic to warn of bombing Pakistan , Aug. 2, 2007 CNN, Democratic debate transcript , July 23, 2007 Associated Press, Clinton: Obama is 'naive' on foreign policy , July 24, 2007 White House Web site, President Bush Press Conference , Aug. 9, 2007 Associated Press, Obama: Would meet Iranian as president , Sept. 24, 2007 New York Times Obama Envisions New Iran Approach , Nov. 2, 2007
Researchers: Angie Drobnic Holan
Names in this story: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
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