And Now the Fact-Checking Begins

Paul Ryan's speech tonight was full of lies but journalists covering it on TV, as usual, largely fail to mention that, sticking to optics, the response of delegates, and so on.  Or they say most such speeches full of "exaggeration."  Or "critics" will claim falsehoods, but good help them, THEY won't. See my piece on all this earlier today at The Nation.

But now the fact check outlets will start to check in, so to speak.  Here's PolitiFact on Ryan's lie that Obama caused closing of auto factory in Wisconsin, when it actually happened in 2008.  PolitiFact calls it "false.... the Janesville plant shut down before he took office." Wash Post's Glenn Kessler has said the same just now, plus he's critical of other points.

James Fallows tweeted on a different issue:  "1) Ryan blasts Obama for opposing Simpson-Bowles. 2) Ryan opposed Simpson-Bowles. 3) But who cares."  Jonathan Cohn at The New Republic asked if it was the most "dishonest" convention speech "ever."  He focuses on five lies, including that credit rating downgrade.  Huff Post has its own long list of untruths.  Ryan Lizza at The New Yorker also focuses on five,  but calls them "hypocrisies," not lies.  But this post asks, what happens when GOP lies that the claims of lies are lies?

And here's Jon Stewart tonight ripping GOP for all the "You Didn't Build That" nonsense last night. The inimitable Charles P. Pierce on the man he calls "The Zombie-Eyed Granny-Starver."

But don't get me started on Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow swooning over war criminal Condi tonight...Thank god old pal David Corn arrived to issue that four-letter curse word:  Iraq.