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2012 Players Guide
FactCheck Mailbag
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of May 8-14.
See letters from previous weeks“ [I]t takes nearly two pages for FactCheck.org to try to distort these two facts. ” Viral Spiral
| The Wire | Featured Articles | |
Bachmann’s Fundraising WhopperMay 14
In several urgent fundraising appeals, Rep. Michele Bachmann falsely claims that biased “liberal judges” redrew her congressional district “in retaliation for repeatedly standing up to President Obama.” The truth is that only two of the five judges were Democratic appointees, and Bachmann’s Minnesota district has become even more Republican than … Do ‘Most Americans’ Agree with Romney on Gay Marriage?May 14
The Republican party chairman claims “most Americans” agree with Mitt Romney “that marriage ought to be defined between one man and one woman.” Americans are closely divided on the issue. Various polls show either a slight plurality or majority of Americans support same-sex marriages, although sometimes within the margin of … Chamber Continues to Mislead on Health Care LawMay 11
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s latest onslaught of television ads continues to miseducate voters about the potential impact of the health care law. Ads attacking Sen. Bill Nelson and former Rep. Alan Grayson claim that the health care law “could” cause 20 million people to lose employer-paid health care coverage. … Group Skews Facts on Obama’s ‘Shameless’ StatementsMay 11
A group claiming to be backed by veterans has gone too far in a viral Web video that portrays the president as a glory hog after Osama bin Laden’s death. We cannot dispute the video’s larger point: That President Obama is using Bin Laden’s killing to score political points. But … Romney’s ‘Gross’ Exaggeration on ‘Obamacare’May 10
Mitt Romney falsely claims government will “constitute … almost 50 percent” of the U.S. economy when the new federal health care law takes full effect. But Romney gets to 50 percent by erroneously counting all health care spending — private and public — as “effectively under government control once Obamacare … Primary Piffle in North CarolinaMay 4
In the final week of a hotly fought Republican primary in North Carolina, one congressional candidate accuses his rival — in a mailer sent to GOP voters — of being a “Big Money Donor” to Democrats. And he accuses another of breaking a tax pledge. But we find both claims by … White House Spins Women’s HealthMay 2
Republicans are right: The White House is greatly exaggerating when it says that “women, in particular,” benefit from a prevention fund that the House GOP proposes to repeal. The truth is that the fund in question wasn’t set up specifically for women’s health programs, and we could find no concrete … Stimulus Money for Jobs Overseas?May 2
An ad from the conservative Americans for Prosperity distorts the truth about stimulus money for “green jobs” going overseas. The ad, titled “Wasteful Spending,” introduces some new wrinkles to this well-used line of attack. According to the ad, the stimulus included: “$1.2 billion to a solar company that’s building a … A New Front in the ‘War on Women’May 1
Mitt Romney’s senior adviser Ed Gillespie distorted some economic facts on “Meet the Press” when he accused President Obama of creating a U.S. economy that is “hostile” to women. Gillespie said the “number of single-mother families living in poverty” is now the highest “in recorded history.” But poverty statistics date … |
 ‘The Life of Julia,’ CorrectedWe find some bogus assumptions in the Obama campaign's fable about a fictional woman.May 8The Obama campaign depends on some false or dubious assumptions in its “Life of Julia” slide show. The infographic depicts a fictional woman whose life from age 3 to 67 is better under the president’s policies than under those of Republican Mitt Romney. But in reality …  The Whole Truth in Wisconsin Air WarsSorting out the facts in the recall election for governor.April 26If using partial truths in political advertising is an art, then ads in the Wisconsin recall election for governor should be in a museum. Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are among the Democrats seeking to unseat Republican Gov. Scott Walker …  Fall Preview: Obama vs. Romney (and Ryan)Budget spin, senior scare and moreApril 6President Obama says Mitt Romney has embraced a budget that could throw hundreds of thousands of children out of Head Start classrooms, eliminate air traffic control services in some places, and “ultimately end Medicare as we know it.” Romney says that’s just “rhetorical excess” and …  Obama ‘Road’ Film Takes Some DetoursThe president's campaign film avoids inconvenient truths on health care, auto bailout.March 21An Obama campaign film, narrated by actor Tom Hanks, casts the president, not surprisingly, in the best light. But the 17-minute video lacks context and take liberties with some facts on health care and the auto bailout: The film says …  Santorum-boosting PAC Slams Romney, ObamaThe Red White and Blue super PAC launches misleading TV ads in Illinois and Louisiana attacking Romney and Obama on debt, taxes and oil.March 16Two new TV ads from a pro-Rick Santorum super PAC attack Mitt Romney and President Obama on Republican hot button issues: debt, taxes and oil. But the ads mislead on several fronts. One ad states that Romney supported …  Tea Party’s TargetsAiming to purge Hatch and Lugar, FreedomWorks strains facts.March 14Tea party-aligned FreedomWorks for America has launched campaigns against several Republicans whom it deems too moderate, including Senate veterans Orrin Hatch and Richard Lugar. But some of the group’s claims miss the mark. A TV ad targeting Hatch … |
