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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

First GOP Presidential Primary Debate

FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely discussed the first Republican presidential primary debate in an Aug. 7 interview with WCBS radio host Wayne Cabot.

The State of the Union

WCBS radio’s Wayne Cabot interviews FactCheck.org Deputy Managing Editor Rob Farley about President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address.

NRA and Assault Weapons Sales

On WCBS radio, FactCheck.org Director Eugene Kiely discusses Sen. Chris Murphy’s claim that NRA executives “pay their salaries” by taking “a cut” of assault weapons sales. Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, cites the NRA’s so-called round-up program as evidence that the gun-rights group “does not represent gun owners anymore.”
The fact is that some gun customers voluntarily contribute to one of two NRA organizations during gun sales and much of that money helps fund community programs, such as gun safety,

Fact-Checking the Presidential Debate

FactCheck.org Director Brooks Jackson talks to WCBS radio about the false and misleading claims made by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in their first presidential debate. The candidates got the facts wrong on taxes, deficits, jobs and more.
For our full article on the debate claims, see “Dubious Denver Debate Declarations.”

Obama and Food Stamps

FactCheck.org Managing Editor Lori Robertson talks to WCBS radio about work requirements and food stamps. Mitt Romney claimed that President Obama caused a doubling of able-bodied persons on food stamps by taking “work out of the food stamps requirement.” That’s an exaggeration.
For Lori’s article on food stamps, see “Romney’s Food Stamp Stretch.”

Who are the 47 Percent?

In a secretly recorded video at a May fundraiser, Mitt Romney told donors that 47 percent of Americans do not pay federal income tax and are “dependent upon the government.” Who are the 47 percent? Deputy Managing Editor Robert Farley explains on WCBS radio that most of them are working people who simply do not earn very much money.
For our article on Romney, see “Dependency and Romney’s 47 Percenters.”

Romney’s Bogus ‘Apology’ Claim

FactCheck.org Director Brooks Jackson talks to WCBS radio about a false claim that Mitt Romney repeatedly made after the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya and the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
Romney said the Obama administration issued an “apology for American values” after the attacks. That’s not true. Romney was referring to a statement issued before mobs attacked either in Egypt or Libya. Furthermore, the word “sorry” or “apologize” doesn’t appear in the statement.

GOP Platform on Abortion

The Republican Party’s 2012 platform calls for a ban on abortion, but is silent on exceptions — leaving that decision up to Congress and the states. However, as FactCheck.org Director Brooks Jackson tells WCBS radio, the Obama campaign falsely claims the GOP platform calls for banning abortions even in cases of rape or incest.
See “Another Abortion Falsehood from Obama’s ‘Truth Team‘” for more information about what the Republican platform says about abortion.

Distorting Obama’s Economic Plan, Ryan’s Medicare Plan

Both sides are playing loose with the facts in a couple of new TV ads. As FactCheck.org Deputy Director Eugene Kiely explains on WCBS radio, a pro-Romney super PAC takes President Obama’s comment about his second-term economic plan out of context, and an Obama TV ad provides false information about Rep. Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan.
Read more about both ads in our Aug. 13 item “Pro-Romney Super PAC Twists Obama’s Words” and our Aug. 14 item,

Gutting Welfare-to-Work?

The Romney campaign says the Obama administration has adopted “a plan to gut welfare reform by dropping work requirements.” But FactCheck.org Deputy Director Eugene Kiely tells WCBS radio that the administration’s plan does no such thing.
Read more about the president’s welfare changes in our Aug. 9 article, “Does Obama’s Plan ‘Gut Welfare Reform?‘”