Fact Check
By: Martin Avila
Last night at UNC, Chapel Hill Rep. David Price and Dr. Lawson squared off in a debate, drawing a sharp contrast in their approach for the direction of our country. Dr. Lawson presented a clear and concise message to the students — restore common sense.
A video will be made available in the next day or so of the full debate, and I am confident you all will be as excited as we were last night.
However, here in the 4th District David Price is an institution. This is reflected in the debate coverage by Yaniv Barzilai in the Daily Tar Heel this morning. While we might expect an article to be unabashedly biased against Dr. Lawson, ignoring important facts and an easily accessible voting record show a clear lack of any journalistic integrity.
One wonders what Mr. Barzilai was thinking exactly when it comes to putting something like this to print. You can read the article for yourself here:
http://www.dailytarheel.com/opinion/price_wins_unc_debate
On to the facts:
Editorial: “Price even voted for and supported effective sanctions in Iraq during the Clinton administration, something that Lawson oddly criticized him for.”
Sanctions against Iraq killed an estimated 500,000 Iraqi children, and starved the Iraqi people with rations of 2,100 calories per day. Saddam Hussein and his ruling elite were largely unaffected. How does starving civilians and killing children help the Iraqi people work for change within their own country?
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9908/06/iraq.sanctions/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_sanctions
Editorial: “Price was there to remind the audience that it [RTI] is in fact a research-based think tank that is working to make our nation safe.”
RTI does great work in many areas, but one must question how the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions is not redundant when one considers the work already being done by CIA, NSA, FBI, and other branches of our intelligence and military apparatus.
Source:
http://www.rti.org/page.cfm?objectid=23F93EC2-E814-ADE8-6788FBC35284C9B2
No: David Price voted both times for the Paulson/Bernanke “Bailout Plan”. He voted Aye on HR 3997 on September 29, and voted Aye to concur with Senate amendments to HR 1424 on October 2.
Sources:
HR 3997: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll674.xml
HR 1424: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1424
Finally, it is important to note that BB&T CEO John Allison wrote a letter to Congress expressing his concerns about the Administration’s plan — it is designed to help the Wall Street and large money-center banks who used lobbying and deregulation to become “too big to fail,” and does not address the fundamental issues facing our credit markets, or local banks.
A .pdf of Mr. Allison’s letter is available here:
http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/09/27/the-height-of-arrogance/
Check back later this week for a full video of the debate and more announcements from the campaign.
Martin Avila
Campaign Manager
Lawson for Congress
October 15th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Notable comment on that article:
“As a democrat, I am deeply offended by your lack of journalistic integrity.
Lawson’s non-interventionist foreign policy seemed refreshing in an age of military aggression. David Price, though he had the courage to vote against the Iraq war, has been a longtime supporter of needless overseas adventurism, and I don’t think it is right to support him simply because he is a democrat.
As for the sanctions in Iraq - you mean the ones that killed 500,000 Iraqi children? Yeah, I’m against those too.
With regard to the bailout, Price voted for it both times despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of his constituents opposed it.
Though I have some major disagreements with Lawson in some areas, his opposition to needless war, billionaire bailouts, and dirty politics has made me strongly consider crossing party lines to vote for him. In fact, this hit-piece has convinced me to vote for him. “
October 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Great job BJ. I like how you handled Congressman Price’s attempts to smear you as a Republican - as if that was such a bad thing. Remember, you’ve received a mandate from the Republicans here with your 70% to 30% victory in the primary. True republicans are taking the party back from the fear-mongering, big government sort.
I may have just returned from Afghanistan, but you’re the one supporting and defending our Constitution.
With great admiration,
Roman
October 15th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Interesting example of a larval party hack “journalist”. Sadly, it’s probably too late for anyone to straighten Mr. Barzilai out.
-jcr
October 15th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
BJ,
This brings something to mind that you should be careful about once you’re elected. My home town is Alexandria, Virginia (DC suburbs), and when I was in high school and shortly thereafter, I had occasion to meet and mingle with quite a few of the people who aspired to a political career.
Barzilai reminds me of the typical congressional page or junior staffer, who believes that they can obtain power through abject sycophancy towards the member they work for and his party bosses. They are some of the most nauseating, degenerate excuses for human beings you are ever likely to encounter outside of a convention of quacks, psychics and other swindlers.
You’re going to need a congressional staff, and you should take a great deal of care in whom you select. If I were in your shoes, I’d want my staff to be made up of people who fully understood that they worked for the people of the fourth district, and the people of the country as a whole. Your campaign staff are probably a great place to start looking for them.
-jcr
October 15th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
BJ, I thought you did a great job, and am surprised that the TarHeel turned out such poorly written hatchet pieces. Whatever are these kids being taught? Apparently not unbiased, professional journalism based on truth and critical thinking.
It was interesting that David Price accused you of saying that almost everything was unconstitutional (5-6 times by my last count), when you never said these things, while he unquestionably voted for multiple pieces of unconstitutional legislation, including the $700 billion bailout, the Patriot Act and the Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 which struck down Posse Comatatus.
Price clearly does not take his oath of office to serve the people and abide by and protect the Constitution seriously. One can only imagine what liberties will remain with another Price term. Sorry Congressman Price, you just can’t blame YOUR votes on the Republicans. The “dog ate my homework” defense doesn’t cut it. He really has lost his way.
And, it was almost comical that he accused you in one breath of being a Ron Paul mentoree, then turned around and tried to paint you as a typical Republican….well, which is it? I guess David Price, like the long-time party animal that he is, can only think in terms of Democrat (good) vs Republican (bad), instead of focusing on the issues, what is good for the people of our country, and recognizing that people do not always fit neatly into boxes as much as he might try.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Did they really blatantly lie about that ? This is deeply unsettling.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
“Please visit this Jackass “Yaniv Barzilai”on his facebook or e-mail him”
Please don’t. It’s perfectly appropriate to comment on the Daily Tarheel web site where his half-assed story appeared, but harassing him through his e-mail or his facebook page is the kind of thing that Kos Kidz would do.
-jcr
October 15th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Here’s the full debate: http://www.indyweek.com/music/101508/lawsonprice.mp3
October 15th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
John, I think the Daily TarHeel is blocking new comments on the debate articles since no Price supporters stepped forward to back-slap Mr. Barzilai on his work of fiction.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I’ll be very sad if Dr. Lawson loses because of this blatant propaganda. I’ll be praying. I’m in Texas but Dr. Lawson represents me more than my current representative.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
The only thing I have to say is: Why would David Price deny approving the first legislation? How do you deny something that is such a material FACT? This shows that he honestly thinks that his supporters and those who are in his district (and all Americans at that) are oblivious to what he does in Washington, or that he doesn’t believe that someone is going to double-check the facts. I have never read another work of Mr. Barzilai, but if they are anything like this, as Kathy says, “work of fiction,” I wonder how he stays employed.
-DC
http://www.davidcarlsonpolitics.com
October 15th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Holy Crap… I just listened to the debate here…
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A266929
you can barely hear it due to some guy typing, but Lawson’s closing statements were brillant!!! I only wish I could have been there to see it!
October 15th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Lawson supporters should respond to this piece with letters-to-the-editor.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Can’t wait to see the debate on youtube.
How much (%) of BJ’s financial support is from out of state? These congressional races are truly national and it would be interesting to see the percentages.
I second Justo’s comment above that Lawson represents him more than his congressman in Texas. I’m represented by someone who initially voted correctly only to switch later.
Phone banking can be done from anywhere, write to Harold Frazier at lawsonforcongress.com and he’ll email you 50 names and you can start calling.
for Liberty,
Mike Vasovski
Aiken, South Carolina
October 16th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I posted a response in the articles comments section saying that Mr. Barzilai should work for Fox News for his “fair and balanced” reporting. I know, it was a low blow, but I was pretty pissed when reading that propoganda BS.
I am like Justo Montoya in that BJ represents me more in California than my rep, Lois Capps (who voted for all bail outs!). I hope him the best! I’ll be more interested in this race than the presidency.
October 16th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I’m a UNC alumnus, class of ‘97, and I found the partisan twaddle of Mr. Barzilai as published in the The Daily Tar Heel disgraceful. I hope more UNC alumni will take the time as I did to comment on the article at the DTH website. It would help demonstrate that Mr. Barzilai does not represent the views of the entire UNC community which most certainly includes UNC alumni.
October 16th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I hope someone has written a letter to the editor of the DTH to point out the utter failure of their staff to write an accurate and unbiased article. I would’ve done it myself, if not for studying abroad at the moment. I really can’t stand the DTH sometimes–they don’t even try to avoid political bias. Good luck to whoever does write a letter to correct that article; I know for a fact that the chief opinion editor is a member of SDS, an organization with clear socialist goals. Usually any time they publish a letter from me, three more show up the next day calling me a lunatic. I guess that’s just how it goes with them.
October 16th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Sad to see the Media is continuing to slight liberty-supporting office-seekers. In addition to our letters-to-the-editor, let’s all chip in a bit fo extra cash so something positive can come out of this. I’m an international donor (US citizen working abroad) and I’ll be making an additional donation specifically because of this. I hope the funds go into an add to counteract this fiction.
October 16th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Dr. Lawson,
I emailed the editor-in-chief about this article. Below is my email and her response.
My email:
I wanted to bring your attention to an article I read in your paper recently that covered the Price vs Lawson debate for 4th district representative, written by Yaniv Barzilai. This article is so blatantly biased and inaccurate that I thought it should be brought to your attention so the matter may be dealt with appropriately. The student who wrote this was no doubt caught up in the fervor of the election season but as you know that’s no excuse for poor journalism. The political bias could be acceptable in a case where you provide an opposing viewpoint but the lack of accuracy is simply unacceptable. For a full account of the facts you can visit BJ Lawson’s website where he refutes the false accounts of this article (lawsonforcongress.com). Thank you for your time and I hope to see this situation addressed in a conscionable manner.
Her response:
Thanks for your feedback. You are correct that the column had factual errors, which will be corrected in Monday’s paper (we are on Fall Break until Monday). I sincerely regret the factual inaccuracies, and can only apologize and explain that we are a student paper with a teaching mission. We make every effort to prevent errors, including many layers of editing, but when things slip through, we use the mistake as a teaching moment for our students. I plan to sit down with Yaniv and discuss strategies for fact-checking.
As for the bias, the column was intended to be an opinion piece. Yaniv is a member of the editorial board, and he set out to write his personal opinion about who “won” the debate. We also wrote a nonbiased news article on the event, which you can read here : http://www.dailytarheel.com/news/state_national/di-phi_hosts_debate.
Thank you again for raising your concern. I truly appreciate your e-mail.
October 17th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Justo,
Only a tiny, tiny fraction of the 4th district’s population will read this biased article so don’t worry about it…also instead of praying or in addition to praying maybe you should do what I did and send BJ a donation.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
The campaign has been uploading the debate to its YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LawsonForCongress
October 17th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
BJ,
I can’t vote for you because I live in VA (unless ACORN gets involved). A lot of eyes are on you so and we’re pulling for you. Keep it up !!!