The second presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney included key comments requiring some thorough fact checking. Latinos Post breaks it down:
On Arizona's Immigration Law-
What Obama said: "He called the Arizona law a model for the nation. ..."
What Romney said: "I did not say that the Arizona law was a model for the nation in that aspect. I said that the E-Verify portion of the Arizona law, which is -- which is the portion of the law which says that employers could be able to determine whether someone is here illegally or not illegally, that that was a model for the nation."
Facts: ABC News reported that Romney in fact did not call Arizona's SB-1070 law a "model." What Romney did say during CNN's February 22 Republican primary debate was, "I think you see a model in Arizona. They passed a law here that says -- that says that people who come here and try and find work, that the employer is required to look them up on E-Verify. This e-verify system allows employers in Arizona to know who's here legally and who's not here legally."
On The Response to The Libya Attack-
What Obama said: "The day after the (Benghazi) attack I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also said we are going to hunt down those who committed this crime."
What Romney said: "You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack it was "an act of terror?" It was not a spontaneous demonstration. ...I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the President 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror."
Facts: The presidential debate moderator Candy Crowley did a "live fact check" of Romney's comment and reported that Obama did in fact call the Libya attack an "act of terror" a day after the attack.
On September 12, President Obama said, "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done."
However, Romney was right in saying that the administration called the event "spontaneous" until two weeks after, ABC News reported.
On Oil and Gas Production-
What Romney said: "As a matter of fact, oil production is down 14 percent this year on federal land, and gas production was down 9 percent. Why? Because the president cut in half the number of licenses and permits for drilling on federal lands and in federal waters."
What Obama said: "Very little of what Governor Romney just said is true. We've opened up public lands. We're actually drilling more on public lands than in the previous administration and my -- the previous president was an oilman."
The Facts: According to The Associated Press, both candidates were party true. Oil production on federal land did fall 14 percent between 2010 and 2011 along with a 9 percent decline in gas production, according to an Energy Department study. However, the lower production rate was due to halt on offshore drilling after the April 2010 BP oil spill. The same report by the Energy Department found that oil production on federal land has increased 13 percent since Obama took office.
On the Budget Deficit-
What Romney said: "He said when he was running for office, he would cut the deficit in half. Instead he's doubled it."
The Facts: According to the Washington Post, Obama did in fact say he would cut the deficit in half. However, Romney was incorrect in saying that Obama doubled the deficit. The Washington Post reported that the federal budget deficit in 2008 was $438 billion and the latest budget deficit was $1.1 trillion. Obama, though, took office in 2009 just after the economic crisis burst.
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