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McCain’s Gitmo ExaggerationMay 6
Sen. John McCain exaggerated when he claimed that about 25 percent of prisoners released from Guantanamo have returned to terrorist activities in “leadership positions.” He said May 5 on “Fox News Sunday“: McCain: And, by the way, about a quarter of those who have been released from Guantanamo have gone … Debatable Facts in South CarolinaMay 3
In a spirited debate between South Carolina congressional candidates Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Mark Sanford, we found a couple of misleading statements — and one seemingly contradictory exchange about Sanford’s voting record that isn’t. Democrat Colbert Busch said that when Sanford, a Republican, was governor “98,000 jobs were lost in … Jeb Bush’s Jobs ClaimMay 1
In touting conservative policies in Republican-controlled states, Jeb Bush claimed, “The Southeast is leading a renaissance in American manufacturing.” Not so. The Midwest has experienced a 9 percent increase in manufacturing jobs since the sector began its recovery in February 2010. That’s double the growth rate of the nine states … Zuckerberg-backed Group Spins ImmigrationMay 1
A group with ties to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hijacks the credibility of news organizations in a misleading ad that supports a bipartisan immigration overhaul bill. The ad, featuring Sen. Marco Rubio, attributes several quotes to media outlets, but the quotes come from opinion pieces written by backers of the … FactCheck’s ‘People’s Voice’ VictoryApril 30
We would like to thank you, our loyal readers, for making us the 2013 Webby People’s Voice Winner in the politics category. Our win this year marks the sixth time that your votes have made us the recipient of a Webby Award, which honors excellence on the Internet. And, as … Democrats Distort Vote on Climate ChangeApril 26
A Democratic video says 240 House members “voted in 2011 that climate change was a ‘hoax.’ ” Not exactly. The 2011 vote was ultimately a referendum on who should set climate change policy — the Environmental Protection Agency or Congress. It was not a vote on whether climate change is … GOP Hits Turbulence with FAA ClaimApril 24
A number of Republicans are using misleading numbers when they say the Federal Aviation Administration should cut consultants and travel before resorting to furloughs that are causing airport delays. For example, Rep. Bill Shuster, who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, says the FAA spends “nearly $500 million … Lindsey Graham’s ‘Enemy Combatant’ ExaggerationApril 24
Sen. Lindsey Graham exaggerated when he claimed “all the information” that led to the capture of Osama bin Laden came from “enemy combatants held at Guantanamo Bay.” Detainees provided “key information” about bin Laden’s “courier network,” but “other sources” provided “other intelligence” that ultimately led to his capture and death, … NRA Misrepresents Police Survey, LegislationApril 18
On the day the Senate voted down a series of gun control bills, the National Rifle Association made false and misleading claims in opposing a measure to expand background checks. Online ads from the NRA wrongly claimed that “80% of police say background checks will have no effect” on violent … |
 Obama’s Numbers (Quarterly Update)From jobs to debt to oil production, what's changed since Obama took office.April 16Reviewing some key statistical measures of Barack Obama’s presidency so far, we find: The economy has added more jobs since Obama took office than it did in his predecessor’s entire eight years in office. Despite the improved economy, the number of people receiving food-stamp assistance has continued to grow, and now more people have been added to the food-stamp rolls …  Obama’s Preschool StretchThe president makes misleading claims in his effort to sell a universal preschool plan.February 20President Obama exaggerates the potential benefits of his ambitious plan for universal preschool, as he first outlined in the State of the Union and repeated elsewhere since then: Obama says every dollar invested in “high quality” preschool can return “seven dollars later on” but that is based on an economic analysis of a small, two-year program that targeted disadvantaged youth …  FactChecking Obama’s SOTUThe president spins his accomplishments on jobs, health care and deficit reduction in annual address.February 13President Obama put a rosy spin on several accomplishments of his administration in his 2013 State of the Union address. The president claimed that “both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion.” But that’s only an estimate of deficit reduction through fiscal year 2022, and it would be lower …  Rand Paul’s Bin Laden Claim Is ‘Urban Myth’February 8In two recent statements, Sen. Rand Paul made the unsubstantiated claim that the U.S. government once “armed” and “funded” Osama bin Laden. The CIA and several of its top officials deny that the U.S. ever recruited, trained, armed or funded bin Laden during the Afghan war over Soviet occupation in the 1980s. Bin Laden himself has denied it. …  Viral Spiral 2012The constant battle against crackpot claims, paranoid conspiracy theories and malicious lies.December 27We’ve long warned our readers to make good use of the delete key when emails spreading sketchy claims pop up in their inboxes. But we’ve found that old viral emails, unfortunately, never die — and new ones spread like a highly contagious disease. These overwhelmingly anonymous messages are, by and large, bogus.  Firefighters, Fact-Checking and American JournalismA (sort of) farewell message from our departing director.December 21When I came to Annenberg and launched FactCheck.org in December 2003, I had a single research assistant and practically no competition. Now, nine years later, FactCheck.org has an excellent staff, and so many other journalists are fact-checking politicians that one media critic calls it “the ever-growing factchecking industry.” So I think … |
| “ | Criticizing the Democrats for citing the only available study on gun purchases for its age seems wide of the target. | ” |
