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Viral Spiral
FactCheck Mailbag
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of May 7-13.
See letters from previous weeks“ Why is that worth noting? Does it change the facts? ” -
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2012 Players Guide
Did the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban Work?
Both sides in the gun debate are misusing academic reports on the impact of the 1994 assault weapons ban, cherry-picking portions out of context to suit their arguments. Wayne LaPierre, chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association, told a Senate committee that the “ban had no impact on lowering …
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Posted in The FactCheck Wire
Tagged assault weapons, Dianne Feinstein, gun control, National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre
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Is Senate Immigration Plan ‘Amnesty’?
Opponents of a bipartisan Senate immigration plan say it includes “amnesty” for illegal immigrants, but that label is not strictly accurate. Although the Senate plan includes a “path to citizenship,” it also requires illegal immigrants to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English and then get in line for …
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Biden Wrong on Police Deaths
In an online interview promoted by the White House, Vice President Joe Biden made the false claim that “there were fewer police being murdered … when the assault weapons ban, in fact, was in existence.” But the FBI statistics on killings of law enforcement officers show no such trend. In …
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Conservative Group Distorts Hagel’s Record
American Future Fund distorts Chuck Hagel’s record in its latest TV ad opposing his Senate confirmation for defense secretary: AFF says Hagel “sits on the board of a private equity firm with investments in Iran.” Hagel sits on an advisory board of Deutsche Bank, which the New York Times says …
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NRA Misfires on Federal Gun Registry
The head of the National Rifle Association misfires when he claims the president’s proposal to require background checks for all gun sales will result in a “massive federal registry” of firearms. Current law bars federal agencies from retaining records on those who pass background checks, and nothing in the president’s …
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FactChecking GOP Response to Obama Gun Plan
Republican response to President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce gun violence has been peppered with misleading claims. Rep. Steve Stockman of Texas claimed, “Gun bans and anti-gun laws have always led to one thing — more gun violence.” But the majority of academic research on the effect of the federal …
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Posted in The FactCheck Wire
Tagged gun control, Guns, President Obama, Rep. Steve Stockman, Rick Perry, Sen. James Inhofe
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Do Assault Weapons Sales Pay NRA Salaries?
A Connecticut Democrat didn’t get his facts straight when he claimed NRA executives “pay their salaries” by taking “a cut” of assault weapons sales. In arguing that the NRA “represents gun manufacturers” and not “gun owners anymore,” Sen. Christopher Murphy discounted NRA membership dues as “less than half” of NRA …
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Haggling Over Hagel’s Record
An ad from a pro-Israel group oversimplifies Chuck Hagel’s foreign policy positions in an attempt to portray Obama’s choice for secretary of defense as soft on Iran. The ad claims Hagel voted against sanctions on Iran. It’s true that Hagel opposed unilateral U.S. sanctions, but he has voiced support for …
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Posted in The FactCheck Wire
Tagged Chuck Hagel, Emergency Committee for Israel, Iran, Secretary of Defense
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McConnell Fudges Fiscal Facts, Too
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell twisted some fiscal facts in his appearances on the Sunday talk show circuit: McConnell said the Obama administration has “driven spending as a percentage of our economy from 21 percent up to almost 25 percent.” But it was already projected to be almost 25 percent …
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Posted in The FactCheck Wire
Tagged debt, federal spending, Fiscal Cliff, Mitch McConnell, taxes
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