OH-18: I'm Calling Bullshit On "Freedom's Watch"

Is anyone here familiar with the card game "Bullshit"? It's a card game where the entire deck is dealt out to players and they constantly go around the table laying down cards face down in order of numeric value: player one lays down x amount of aces, player two lays down two's and so on. The catch is that the players are trying to get rid of all their cards first, so they'll try to bluff. For example player three might throw down only one 3, a jack, and a ten and call 3 three's. The other players may then call out "bullshit" and check his played cards. If someone gets caught in a bluff they must pick up all the cards that are on the table (including previously thrown cards. If they weren't bluffing, however, the person who called bullshit must pick up the cards.

So why am I telling you all this? Because it's apparently the GOP's election strategy.

My evidence? This recent press release from Ari's friends at Freedom's Watch. In it, and in radio ads, the group alleges that:

Space voted to maintain moratorium on oil exploration and drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf. (H.R. 2643, CQ Vote #579: Passed 272-155: R 48-150; D 224-5, 6/27/07, Space voted Yea)

 Bullshit.

The vote in question, roll call vote #579, was on the massive Interior Appropriations bill. This bill funds all sorts of programs, but because it didn't specifically include a provision allowing drilling on the continental shelf Freedom's Watch is using Space's "Yea" vote to attack him.

But hold up, here's another relevant Space "Yea" vote for you to consider, during roll call vote #552. That was the vote on an amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill that read:

An amendment number 1 by Peterson(PA) to insert language on page 50, line 3, after the period stating "The preceding sentence shall not apply with respect to natural gas offshore preleasing, leasing, and related activities beyond 25 miles from the coastline"

I'll let you make up your own mind on just how credible Freedom's Watch actually is...