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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Groundhog Friday

Welcome to our third installment of Groundhog Friday, an occasional feature highlighting repeat offenses. This week’s repeat offenders: Donald Trump on Libyan oil and Benghazi; President Obama on renewable energy; and Hillary Clinton on the economy.

Obama’s Numbers April 2016 Update

Obama’s Numbers April 2016 Update

Trade deficit and illegal immigration are down; real weekly earnings and federal debt are up. Our quarterly update of Obama’s scorecard.

Misleading Claims in Obama’s First 2012 Spot

Misleading Claims in Obama’s First 2012 Spot

President Obama’s first 2012 campaign ad misleads on ethics, “clean-energy” jobs and U.S. dependence on oil imports. The spot uses outdated quotes from groups that said his record on ethics is “unprecedented” and that he “kept a promise to toughen ethics rules.” One of those same …

Friends Lumped with Foes in Foreign Oil Debate

Friends Lumped with Foes in Foreign Oil Debate

Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman this week both exaggerated the extent to which the U.S. relies on imported oil from countries “hostile” or “unfriendly” to the U.S.
Warning about over-reliance on foreign oil from countries that “don’t like us very much” is a bipartisan refrain. And it is true that some of the oil imported by the U.S. comes from countries that are arguably (and in some cases undeniably) unfriendly to the U.S.

Obama, McConnell Take Oil Import Data for Spin

President Barack Obama and Sen. Mitch McConnell used the same data to score apparently conflicting points about U.S. dependency on foreign oil. Obama said oil imports account for less than half of consumption, while McConnell said 60 percent of our oil comes from abroad.
Both can claim to be correct, depending on how you interpret the data. But Obama was using the figure preferred by energy experts.
With gas prices rising, the United States’ dependence on imported oil is once again in the spotlight and has been the source of debate between the two parties in Washington.

Third Time ‘Round for GOP Hopefuls

Pollsters will inform us whether the third time was the charm for any of these candidates in the eyes of potential voters. All we can do is remind you not to believe everything you hear.