Rand Paul gets fact-checked

The Washington Post's Fact Checker gives Rand Paul Four Pinocchios:

Paul’s comments are noteworthy because he asserted that the White House “couldn’t find a plane” for Special Operations forces. “Instead of calling to get a plane or to try to make arrangements to get a plane, they’re on the phone trying to create spin to say that, ‘You know what? This is about a video, which never had anything to do with this attack,’” he said.

Really?

...There are certainly a number of outstanding questions about the Benghazi incident, but it’s important to get the facts straight when asking such questions. Paul asserted that a plane could not be found for Special Operations forces in Tripoli, but that’s clearly incorrect. Moreover, it’s a bit ridiculous to assume that such a level of detail would be left to White House staff, or even the president, rather than the commanders on the ground.

Kentucky's newspapers take on Mitch's doublespeak

Some great editorials in today's papers. First up, the Courier-Journal:

“If Obamacare is repealed, Kentucky should decide for itself whether to keep kynect or set up a different marketplace,” a (McConnell) campaign spokeswoman recently told Talking Points Memo.

But kynect is Obamacare. Kynect is in fact a shining success story throughout the country among states that that have elected to set up the online health exchanges where people may shop for affordable health coverage under the 2010 law.

...Reporters sought clarification from Mr. McConnell, 72, who is seeking a sixth U.S. Senate term, asking him at a news conference last week whether Kentucky’s health exchange should be dismantled — which of course would happen if he succeeds in his root and branch attack on the Obamacare train wreck.

“I think that’s unconnected to my comments about the overall question,” he said.

And from the Herald-Leader:

Nothing could be more connected — or should be more important to Kentucky's senior senator — than the fates of the more than 400,000 Kentuckians who are getting health insurance, many for the first time, and the federal Affordable Care Act, which is making that possible.

...We asked the McConnell campaign for a clarification and were sent the usual talking points and a statement saying, "If Obamacare is repealed, Kentucky should decide for itself whether to keep Kynect or set up a different marketplace," a suggestion that is unconnected to reality.

Kentuckians are waiting to learn if their five-term senator understands — or cares — how much is at stake.

Rand Paul: Pants-on-Fire

Rand Paul gets fact-checked:

Paul said that "for every Kentuckian that has enrolled in Obamacare, 40 have been dropped from their coverage." That’s not mathematically possible. If you take the narrowest definition of "sign-ups," there would have to be 3.3 million cancellations in the state for Paul’s statement to be accurate -- and there aren’t even that many Kentuckians with private insurance plans that could theoretically be canceled. In fact, it’s reasonable to argue that more people in Kentucky have coverage through Obamacare than have been canceled. Paul’s statement is so wildly off that we rate it Pants on Fire.