Obama speaks, FactCheck.org listens

President Obama spoke the other night. I was watching the Syracuse basketball game, then walking the dog and going to bed, so I missed it. (We all have our priorities.)

According to news accounts and Obama worshippers in the media, he apparently had some good things to say.

But FactCheck.org, which looks at what politicians say and checks the truth of those words, offered these observations:

The president gets facts wrong about oil imports, mortgage aid and the transcontinental railroad, and more.

Summary

President Obama's first speech to a joint session of Congress was stuffed with signals about the new direction his budget will take and meant-to-be reassuring words about the economy. But it was also peppered with exaggerations and factual misstatements.

- He said "we import more oil today than ever before." That's untrue. Imports peaked in 2005 and are substantially lower today.

- He claimed his mortgage aid plan would help "responsible" buyers but not those who borrowed beyond their means. But even prominent defenders of the program including Fed Chairman Bernanke and FDIC chief Bair concede foolish borrowers will be aided, too.

- He said the high cost of health care "causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds." That's at least double the true figure.

- He flubbed two facts about American history. The U.S. did not invent the automobile, and the transcontinental railroad was not completed until years after the Civil War, not during it.

- He claimed that his stimulus plan "prevented the layoffs" of 57 police officers in Minneapolis. In fact, it's far more complicated than that, and other factors are also helping to save police jobs.

The president also repeated some strained claims we've critiqued before. ...

See the rest of their analysis at FactCheck.org