After reading Stephen Johnson's letter, "Columnist should keep up with candidate's campaigns" (Oct. 3), I couldn't help but notice that one of his main arguments was false.

Mr. Johnson asserts that Obama had called the fundamentals of our economy strong just as McCain had, quite controversially, done so in the past. This is not true. The source of confusion comes from a recent McCain commercial, which shows a snippet of Obama's Sept. 29 speech in Colorado. After analysis, numerous fact-checking organizations and major media outlets have deemed the commercial to be misleading and false given it's context. From CNN's fact check article:

"Obama's remarks were part of his pitch for his own economic plans including an stimulus package and extending expiring unemployment benefits. After this immediate problem, we've got the long-term fundamentals that will really make sure this economy grows," he said. In the context of Obama's speech, there is no agreement with McCain's original statement on the economy nor does Obama refer to "strong fundamentals."

The Verdict: False. The edited video clip of Obama used in the McCain ad is taken out of context." Mr. Johnson might want to heed his own advice and "keep up with candidate's campaigns" before passing judgment.

Simran Singh

Class of 2008