Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Rick Perry stumbled when he forgot which federal departments he would shut, while Mitt Romney and other rivals for the Republican presidential nomination strayed from the facts on regulation, auto bailouts and health care in a debate focused on the economy.
Texas Governor Perry and former businessman Herman Cain blamed government regulations for the weak economy in last nights debate co-sponsored by CNBC and the Michigan Republican Party. Former Massachusetts Governor Romney said bailouts of the auto industry were the wrong way to go.
Those and other statements by the White House contenders stretched the truth during the debate at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
Following are examples of gaffes or assertions that didnt stand up to fact-checking by Bloomberg reporters:
Perry on Agency Cuts
The Claim: Perry said he would shut three government agencies. He named two, the departments of Commerce and Education, and said he couldnt remember the third: I cant. Sorry. Oops.
Background: Perrys Republican rivals have also called for eliminating a number of departments, with Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota pledging to shut the Environmental Protection Agency and Representative Ron Paul saying he would close the Department of Interior in addition to the ones Perry wants to end.
The Facts: Later in the debate Perry said the third agency he wanted to close was the Department of Energy. Perry, who made expanded oil drilling a cornerstone of his Oct. 14 jobs plan, also named that agency as one he wanted to do away with during an Oct. 1 town hall meeting in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Cain, Perry, Bachmann on Regulations
The Claims: Cain said fixing the housing crisis requires that you get the regulators off of the backs of the banks. Perry said its the regulatory world that is killing America, and Bachmann said, Our biggest problem right now is our regulatory burden.
The Background: Perry pledged to review all rules issued during President Barack Obamas administration and revoke those that kill jobs. Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania said he would repeal every Obama-era regulation that cost businesses more than $100 million.
The Facts: Obamas administration approved 613 rules during his first 33 months in office, fewer than the 643 issued by President George W. Bushs administration in the same time period, according to Office of Management and Budget statistics. A National Federation of Independent Business survey of small business owners released this month found that 26 percent of respondents cited poor sales as their top problem, compared with 19 percent citing regulations. Of almost 489,000 initial unemployment claims from extended mass layoffs in the first half of this year, 2,085 -- less than 1 percent -- came from people who employers said were fired because of government regulations, according to the Labor Department.
Republican Reality Check Shows Misfires on Regulation, Bailouts - Businessweek
Texas Governor Perry and former businessman Herman Cain blamed government regulations for the weak economy in last nights debate co-sponsored by CNBC and the Michigan Republican Party. Former Massachusetts Governor Romney said bailouts of the auto industry were the wrong way to go.
Those and other statements by the White House contenders stretched the truth during the debate at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
Following are examples of gaffes or assertions that didnt stand up to fact-checking by Bloomberg reporters:
Perry on Agency Cuts
The Claim: Perry said he would shut three government agencies. He named two, the departments of Commerce and Education, and said he couldnt remember the third: I cant. Sorry. Oops.
Background: Perrys Republican rivals have also called for eliminating a number of departments, with Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota pledging to shut the Environmental Protection Agency and Representative Ron Paul saying he would close the Department of Interior in addition to the ones Perry wants to end.
The Facts: Later in the debate Perry said the third agency he wanted to close was the Department of Energy. Perry, who made expanded oil drilling a cornerstone of his Oct. 14 jobs plan, also named that agency as one he wanted to do away with during an Oct. 1 town hall meeting in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Cain, Perry, Bachmann on Regulations
The Claims: Cain said fixing the housing crisis requires that you get the regulators off of the backs of the banks. Perry said its the regulatory world that is killing America, and Bachmann said, Our biggest problem right now is our regulatory burden.
The Background: Perry pledged to review all rules issued during President Barack Obamas administration and revoke those that kill jobs. Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania said he would repeal every Obama-era regulation that cost businesses more than $100 million.
The Facts: Obamas administration approved 613 rules during his first 33 months in office, fewer than the 643 issued by President George W. Bushs administration in the same time period, according to Office of Management and Budget statistics. A National Federation of Independent Business survey of small business owners released this month found that 26 percent of respondents cited poor sales as their top problem, compared with 19 percent citing regulations. Of almost 489,000 initial unemployment claims from extended mass layoffs in the first half of this year, 2,085 -- less than 1 percent -- came from people who employers said were fired because of government regulations, according to the Labor Department.
Republican Reality Check Shows Misfires on Regulation, Bailouts - Businessweek