FACTCHEC.CBS 10/06/04 4:35 PM-DLR   1:43
Fractured facts.  This is Dave Ross on the CBS Radio Network.
It happens after every debate - two candidates go at it for ninety minutes, they fire all sorts of facts and figures at each other, and then the next day, there's a piece in the newspaper listing all the facts they got wrong.
In the vice-presidential debate, FactCheck.org had a whole list of fractured facts... there was John Edwards claim that the administration cut combat pay, when in fact the troops' pay in Iraq was never actually cut;  and there was Dick Cheney's claim that as President of the Senate, he'd never met Senator Edwards before that night, when in fact he'd met him at least twice before.
Neither gaffe will sink the republic, but it happens again and again.
Which brings me to the point.  Since this happens in every debate, I think the time has come to change the debate rules, and let the candidates use NOTES.  What's the point of the rule that says "no notes?"
We have a 2.3 trillion dollar federal budget - if you're going to talk intelligently about it, you're gonna need something written down.
But no!  You can't bring notes; you can't even bring your own PEN!
When John Kerry reached for his pen, it caused a brief Internet scandal - a scandalette - because some people thought he had a cheat sheet.
But this isn't JEOPARDY, people!  We don't want a President governing off the top of his head, wildly ad-libbing, do we?  We want our President to have a cheat sheet.  We want someone who will read and maybe scribble on a couple of official-looking documents before he starts giving orders, right?   Or at least consult a distinguished-looking adviser who then whispers important stuff into his ear.  We do want that, don't we?  
Now this.
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