Fact checkers on Simpson’s Wall Street bailout claim: “Misleading Idaho Voters” “For TARP before he was against it”

Washington, DC –  The Club for Growth PAC released the following statement after two independent fact-checkers ridiculed Mike Simpson’s claim that he voted to “repeal” the $700 billion Wall Street bailout after voting for it in 2008. Independent fact checkers are saying that Mike Simpson’s claim that he voted to “repeal” the Wall Street bailout that he voted for in 2008 are both “misleading” and “false.”    

GOP lawmaker was for ‘Wall Street bailout’ before he was against it. (Washington Post, 3/18/14) 

[Simpson] also has not said he regretted the initial vote. (Washington Post, 3/18/14) 

Simpson, by picking and choosing what votes he wants to highlight, is misleading Idaho voters. (Washington Post, 3/18/14) 

Simpson was for TARP before he was against it. (Washington Post, 3/18/14)

 Rep. Mike Simpson falsely says in a TV ad that he voted to “repeal the Wall Street bailout and repay taxpayers.” (FactCheck.Org, 3/19/14) 

At the time of his vote, Simpson called the legislation a “necessary evil” (FactCheck.Org, 3/19/14) 

But neither vote amounts to a full “repeal” of TARP, as the ad says. (FactCheck.Org, 3/19/14) 

[Simpson] voted for TARP before he began voting against it. (FactCheck.Org, 3/19/14) 

“It’s bad enough that Mike Simpson is a liberal who voted for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, but now he’s being dishonest with Idaho voters,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “It’s not surprising from career politician Mike Simpson – he’s been in Washington 15 years, voted to raise his own pay nine times, and now he’s telling voters he opposed the $700 billion taxpayer bailout of Wall Street that he voted for. This is a ‘for it, before I was against it’ that would make John Kerry blush.”