We hear Bora Bora is lovely this time of year. You know, just in case Washington Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler is looking for suggestions on where to spend his four-plus year vacation.
It’s quite clear that Glenn’s bags are all packed up and he’s ready to blow this popsicle stand:
We welcome all suggestions for fact checks. Some of our fans on the right (we see you @redsteeze @FDRLST) have been urging fact checks of “Biden lies” and so we thought we’d take an opportunity to explains what we think makes for a good fact check….
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
Spoiler alert: Democratic administrations don’t make for a good fact check.
The best fact checks are pinned on a number, uttered by a politician. We then use that number to dig into policy issues. The last president was rather loquacious, speaking or tweeting without any prior fact checking, and much of it was not worth detailed fact checking….
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
We rarely fact check statements by PR people like Press Secretaries. We only did that once or twice during Trump and Obama. We have a high bar for such statements because we prefer to pin the Pinocchios on a policy-maker and hold her or her accountable for their words….
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
We also keep an eye on possible policy flip-flops and inconsistencies. Whether Biden succeeds in getting stimulus checks that amount to $2,000 is too soon to assess…
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
Since it’s too soon to check Joe Biden on the stimulus checks, apparently there’s just nothing to fact-check Joe Biden on at all.
Glenn, I'm here to help whenever you need me. Just let me know when you get that Biden Lie Counter up and running and I have a whole stack already I will contribute. You don't even have to pay me for giving them to you! https://t.co/AW1Iusapz0
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
It’s really generous of Stephen L. Miller to offer to help Glenn out, especially after Glenn was so snarky and rude.
But Glenn doesn’t seem ready to take Miller up on his generous offer:
We have no plans to start a Biden false or misleading claims tracker, just as we had no plans at this point to start a Trump tracker. The constant tweeting of falsehoods forced our hand. But we have an open mind and if the need arises we will consider one….
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
Oh, they’ll consider one if the need arises.
Well, that’s good enough for us!
Hahahaha of course you don’t https://t.co/ztsTrNk6pU
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 26, 2021
We have no plans to hold Biden accountable the way we did the previous administration.
Glenn, I for one thank you for this refreshing bit of honesty. https://t.co/UJbwCQlszx
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
Maybe the most honest thing Glenn has ever said. At least partly most honest:
Dude, you started tracking his 'false claims' on Jan 20, 2017. pic.twitter.com/HcFoxecTHT
— Going Knightly (@GoingKnightly) January 26, 2021
Yeah, weird. https://t.co/rGwBRmvZuP
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
But that was different because reasons.
Biden already reneged on his campaign promise to ban fracking. This was stated over again by his Vice President. Instead of Washington Post pointing this out, you fact checked Ted Cruz stating and the amount of jobs being lost. https://t.co/gdcHrAeaQL
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
Hey, man. Priorities!
In the campaign, Biden said he would not approve new fracking permits on federal lands. But he would allow existing fracking to continue on federal property and existing and new fracking to continue on private land. …. https://t.co/EDVj7RQdFs
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
OK, but …
Since Biden has no power to stop fracking on private lands or to retroactively stop it, this is irrelevant. it would be like claiming Trump didn't support building a wall because he couldn't. The question is would he sign a bill w/ a fracking ban https://t.co/4YH9i48P6z
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) January 26, 2021
Well, Glenn? Would he?
So we are obviously keeping an eye on whether this changes. But at this point I have not seen evidence he has changed his campaign position. We base fact checks on actual policy statements, not headlines.
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
OK, well, about that:
Here's The Washington Post disagreeing with you. Fact check! pic.twitter.com/1YxyrXtGrN
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
His campaign position, per your newspaper was "I will not ban fracking, period." I found this with a 15 second google search. Wash Post was the top result. https://t.co/9RFpsO38XB pic.twitter.com/Zc0EM6C0gm
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
Glenn, you might want to take that up with your employer then. Unless you think "period" has a different meaning than say, everyone else. https://t.co/pVREMcnEn8 pic.twitter.com/oMJt2peqz8
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
I repeat: headlines do not equal policies. But play your games if you want! Always amusing.
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 26, 2021
It's a literal quote from Joe Biden. https://t.co/EoW3vtuw62
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
Quote, schmote! It’s in a headline, so it doesn’t count. Or something.
Exact quotes from the President do not equal policies. https://t.co/EoW3vtuw62
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
"I will not ban fracking, period." is not a headline. It's an exact quote from Joe Biden, or do Joe Biden's words not constitute Joe Biden's administration now? What are the rules here? Help.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
You know, we’re starting to get the feeling that Glenn doesn’t actually play by any real rules.
.@GlennKesslerWP – Does this one count? https://t.co/Y4EKTvJ3r5
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
Weird. I don't see a stipulation about new permits on federal lands here. https://t.co/pVREMcnEn8 pic.twitter.com/sY38UZyqUw
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
So weird.
Direct quotes from the President don't equal policy is… Something from a major newspaper.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
Journalism really has come a long way.
For 8 years we were told by fact checkers that the reason they don't focus on claims by say governors and Senators is because they aren't the president.
Now that it's a Democrat president, they are fact checking Senators and saying they have no plans to fact check a President.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 26, 2021
Bon voyage, Glenn! Safe travels! We’ll see you when a Republican’s back in the White House.
Glenn Kessler not covering himself in glory this morning.
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) January 26, 2021
At least he’s consistent.
Biden lies in quotes even as Biden has been caught in several already
Democracy Dies in Hackery https://t.co/8sTDbSQ7Oi
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 26, 2021