The Blog

109 Days

11:12 AM, Oct 23, 2008 • By JOHN MCCORMACK
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CNN fact-checks Sarah Palin's statement that Obama only had 300 days of experience in the Senate before officially announcing his bid for the presidency. This statement is "misleading," according to CNN, because Palin was only counting the days the Senate was in session:

But lawmakers also work when the Senate is not in session. Obama served 743 days in the Senate from his swearing in to the announcement of his exploratory committee, the first official step when considering a run for the presidency. He served 768 days from the start of his career in the Senate to February 10, 2007, when he formally announced his candidacy for president. Palin served as governor of Alaska for 634 days before Republican nominee Sen. John McCain named her as his running mate.

So the Democratic presidential nominee has 109 days more experience as a senator than the Republican VP nominee does as a governor. Of course, the length of their respective careers isn't as important as what they accomplished. If you read Byron York's "How Palin Governed," I think you'll agree that the Alaska governor's record is impressive--especially compared to Obama's scant accomplishments.

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