Court Watch: Pennsylvania Slime

Close contest for a state Supreme Court seat brings misleading charges from both sides.

In another installment of our occasional Court Watch series, we look at mudslinging in the final days of the contest to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in Pennsylvania. In one ad, the state GOP alleges that Democratic candidate Jack Panella, a Superior Court judge, “turned his back” on the wrongful imprisonment of hundreds …

Cap-and-trade: “Green Jobs” or Job Killer?

Government energy economists predict job growth would likely slow, but how much is uncertain.

A TV ad sponsored by business groups claims a bill to curb carbon emissions “will cost up to 2.4 million U.S. jobs” if enacted. That directly contradicts claims by President Obama and his allies who say the bill would create jobs – 1.7 million of them according to one TV spot …

Inoculation Misinformation

Claims that the "swine flu" vaccine is dangerous range from seriously overblown to flat-out false.

Wild rumors are flying about the newly developed vaccine for pandemic influenza H1N1, also known as “swine flu.” We’ve seen e-mails stating that the vaccine is tainted with antifreeze or Agent Orange, causes Gulf War syndrome, or has killed U.S. Navy sailors. One says the vaccine is an “evil depopulation scheme.” …

Malpractice: Savings Reconsidered

New evidence shows limiting malpractice liability could cut health care spending by 0.5 percent, CBO says.

In 2004 we accused President Bush of using “dubious statistics” to support his claim that limiting malpractice awards to injured patients could save the economy between $60 billion and $108 billion per year. Ever since, we’ve said most independent research indicated little if any savings from limiting malpractice liability, and just a few weeks ago …

Going Out of Business?

A new ad goes too far when it says Medicare will be "bankrupt" in eight years.

A new health care ad from a conservative group claims that “Medicare will be bankrupt in eight years.” That gives a false impression. The program does have huge financial problems, but there’s no reason to think it’s going out of business as the word “bankrupt” implies. And …