Truthiness

Wichita Eagle fact checks Congressman Pompeo's claim that half of small business owners would get a tax increase if tax cuts for wealthy expire, as Obama has called for.

But Pompeo's claim doesn't check out, according to the IRS. I wondered about this when I read it. Sure would be nice if half of small businesses owners make $250,000 a year in taxable income. Looking around these parts, you know that's not the case. But the federal government definition of small business, I think, is 500 employees or less. So that's actually big business to us!

Pompeo is a pretty reasonable, knowledgeable guy not prone to overblown sloganeering. But it seems like in this political culture politicians can find a fact to support their cause because partisan interests slice and dice information to win an argument, not necessarily find the facts.

Makes it hard to compromise or come together when people can't agree on the basic facts.