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“Pants on Fire” for Cloonen

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Illinois

* Rep. Kate Cloonen (D-Kankakee) is one of the House Democrats whacking her opponent for wanting cuts in Social Security and Medicare. Politifact made the obvious ruling here…

In a campaign ad posted on Facebook, Cloonen said, “Lindsay Parkhurst wants to take away programs like Social Security and Medicare that seniors have earned throughout their lifetimes.”

With Social Security and Medicare being federal programs, state lawmakers have no say in setting benefit levels for these programs.

Additionally, Parkhurst has not previously held elected office and therefore has no public voting record on Social Security or Medicare. Nor has she talked about her position on Medicare or Social Security benefits in her campaign.

Ironically, Parkhurst is a defense attorney whose law firm has helped clients obtain Social Security disability benefits. She believes both Social Security and Medicare are part of a contract the federal government must honor.

Cloonen’s campaign did not respond to multiple emails and messages for comment, and the articles cited in the ad contain no mention of Parkhurst.

There is no evidence to back Cloonen’s claim, nor can we find any statement or action by Parkhurst that would have, even indirectly, elicited it.

We rate Cloonen’s claim Pants on Fire.

The Democrats have been doing this for years and they’ve always gotten away with it.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 12:48 pm

Comments

–The Democrats have been doing this for years and they’ve always gotten away with it.–

Very true, although the Republican’s do have enough money now to help combat it if they so choose to do so, or they will just use the same scorched earth policy Illinois Democrats have been using, I would bet on the later… since it’s already happening.

Comment by Ahoy! Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 1:09 pm
The State may no be able to eliminate Social Security and Medicaid, but they sure can stop funding the matching dollar programs that put up more Federal money. This leads to cuts, but not elimination.

Comment by Anon9999 Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 1:11 pm
Despicable. Really. Does Cloonen think that lying is just part of politics. We are too used to shrugging our shoulders, but enough. Cloonen deserves to be ousted for this alone. And, yes, I’m serious - no snark at all. Throw her out of office people. Send a message.

Comment by phocion Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 1:11 pm
The mailers on both sides drive me nuts - and I am really, really glad I live in a district with no real races - but this is just so stupid. Mike Mathis has done this against Avery Bourne. The ad blared it.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 1:23 pm
Candy Crush Cloonen is an awful state rep. who again resorts to lies in order to resume her “service” to her district (which sometimes means literally playing Candy Crush on the House floor).

Oh yeah, she’s a reliable Madigan vote too. Yet another reason to jettison her from public office.

Comment by Deft Wing Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 1:28 pm
Those well funded Illinois Republican war chests sure have leveled the playing field. In the past, such “pants on fire” charges would have gone unanswered due to a lack of funding.

Times have changed in Illinois.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 1:33 pm
Good golly…all those seniors on Facebook,the Twitters and the Internets will see this and vote for Kate in 3,2,1

Comment by Any mouse Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 1:47 pm
Any Mouse
That’s not just an internet ad. It plays on cable TV in the Chicago market. Seen it several times, but live nowhere near Kankakee

Comment by train111 Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 2:47 pm
Still, if I had to choose between her and a Raunerite….break out that Candy Crush Kate!

Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 2:52 pm
I am sure she is just a big Mark Twain fan, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Comment by pool boy Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 3:10 pm
To consciously and publicly lie causes one to wonder just how such people sleep at night. I hope that the corresponding election turns out correctly.

Comment by Keyser Soze Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 3:19 pm
Well, if you Google the the paper names, the dates and the word “Medicare”, you’ll find Chicago and Philadelphia Tribune articles that Politifact apparently couldn’t. They are about federal healthcare reform proposals (Paul Ryan’s in 2011, and Burr/Hatch/Coburn’s in 2014). They are also on the first 1-2 pages of Google. (”Florida signals an Obamacare backlash”; “A thinly disguised assault on Medicare”)

The argument is obviously that Parkhurst has funders in common with federal Republicans, and therefore will support a similar agenda. It’s certainly up for debate whether that line of reasoning is too weak to substantiate the text claim the ad makes. (The guy speaking phrases it as a question, so on that front let your conscience be your guide, I guess.)

But come on, Politifact. I found those articles in five minutes by typing them into Google. If you want to fact-check an article that makes five citations, you should probably hunt down more than three of them before publishing.

Comment by Googler Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 3:24 pm
Just as egregious is Cloonen’s radio ad that lambasts Parkhurst, a lawyer, for having the gall to defend a client accused of a heinous crime. It was so bad the county bar association came together to criticize Cloonen.

Comment by A Watcher Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 3:26 pm
I assume that Cloonen signs off on these mailers. If so, she bears responsibility for pants-on-fire whoppers. That’s not to excuse the GOP whopper about “standing by” while Farnham watched child porn. Two wrongs do not a right make.

Comment by anon Friday, Oct 14, 16 @ 3:38 pm