From time to time we come across bits of political malarkey or other items that don’t quite rate a full article. Starting today, we’ll collect these tidbits in a new, occasional feature we call "Extras." Palin: "Who makes a decision like that?" In a Nov. 6 appearance at a no-cameras-allowed fundraiser, Sarah Palin criticized moving the words "In God We Trust" onto the edges of some new $1 coins: "Who calls a shot like that? Who makes a decision like... Click to Read the Full Post
Q: Was the suspected Fort Hood shooter an "advisor to Obama’s homeland security team" or a member of his "transition team"? A: This is another false e-rumor. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was merely an audience member at some public events of a university-sponsored group that offered unsolicited advice to the new administration. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
We’ve received a number of queries about a photograph purporting to show President Obama at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, listening to the national anthem without his hand over his heart. Anyone who saw news coverage of Obama on Veterans Day might have smelled a rat right away: He didn’t wear a red tie that day, as he does in the picture, but a blue one, and he wore a winter coat over his suit. (We’ve seen some e-mails claiming that the picture is from the Ft.... Click to Read the Full Post
Q: Would health care overhaul efforts eliminate TRICARE health coverage for members of the military and military retirees? A: No. This claim in a chain e-mail is false. Neither Congress nor President Obama has proposed legislation to that effect. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Q: Has the Obama administration started a program to use "taxpayer money" to give free cell phones to welfare recipients? A: No. Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Q: Is Obama seeking power to "disconnect your computer, shut down your favorite websites, or block your email"? A: A Senate bill would allow the president to restrict access to government or "critical infrastructure" networks in case of a "cybersecurity emergency." But it has bipartisan support, and even critics admit it would not allow him to shut down all private Internet traffic. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Q: Did the White House "orchestrate" a recent town hall meeting to make it appear that Montana is "just crazy for Obama and government health care"? A: A chain e-mail that makes that claim isn’t supported by the record. Some of what it says is false. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Q: Does First Lady Michelle Obama have an "unprecedented" number of staffers? A: A spokeswoman for the first lady says that Michelle Obama currently has a staff of 24. That may indeed be the largest of any first lady, but Hillary Clinton, with 19 staffers, and Laura Bush with at least 18 and perhaps more, weren’t far behind. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Q: Is the ACLU suing to have cross-shaped headstones removed from military cemeteries? A: The ACLU has filed no such suit, and it hasn’t sued to "end prayer from the military" either. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Q: Was Obama rude to wounded veterans during a visit to the National Naval Medical Center? A: A chain e-mail that makes such a claim gets several facts wrong and is disputed by an official who was present at the meeting. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
