Q: Did Eisenhower deport 13 million illegal immigrants? Did Hoover and Truman use mass deportations to open jobs for U.S. citizens?
A: No. Nothing close to 13 million persons were deported during any administration. All three of these presidents wrestled with a rising tide of illegal immigration,
Month: July 2010
Jerry Brown, Abortion Providers and Afghanistan Withdrawal
In Episode 19 of FactCheck Radio, we look at a false ad from California GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman about her Democratic opponent Jerry Brown’s supposed "legacy of failure." We also examine whether Bill McCollum has really supported abortion providers, as his opponent charges in the Republican primary for the Florida governor’s contest. And we go back to what Obama really did say about the plans for U.S. troops in Afghanistan in July 2011.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode,
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of June 29-July 5
This week, readers sent us comments about the Jones Act, Haley Barbour’s blowout claims and Exxon’s penalty payments.
In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.
Fact-Checking Rick Scott on Abortion
In Florida’s Republican primary for governor, a federal political committee founded by candidate Rick Scott and largely financed by his wife falsely accuses Attorney General Bill McCollum of supporting "abortion providers." The group’s new ad masquerades as a “fact check,” but it mangles facts by characterizing ordinary hospitals (such as the ones Rick Scott himself once ran) as "abortion providers."
The ad, by a group called Let’s Get to Work, first aired June 25. It begins: “Congressman McCollum’s on TV.
Guns Found South of the Border
Q: Did border patrol recently discover a large cache of guns on the Arizona border?
A: No. A chain e-mail making that claim shows pictures of a seizure by the Mexican Army about 70 miles south of the Texas border.
Sunday Replay
Politicians didn’t take a holiday from false and misleading statements on July 4. We found misstatements on the Sunday talk shows that touched on Afghanistan, Michael Steele and immigration.
A Firm Date for … What Exactly?
On ABC’s "This Week," Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona made it sound as though President Obama would pull all troops out of Afghanistan in July 2011, regardless of what happens in the country. But the president never promised that all troops,
Oil Spill Whoppers
The April 20 explosion that started oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico has prompted a slew of claims and counterclaims about the disaster. What caused it, how it’s being handled, the history of drilling accidents in the area – all are subjects ripe for false or misleading statements by politicians and others. …
‘Bailout’ Baloney
This campaign season, “bailout” is a dirty — and often misused — word. It’s no longer being used just in reference to Wall Street banks and the rescue of the financial industry. Candidates, corporations and special interest groups increasingly use “bailout” even when no government financial assistance is being proposed. …
Kagan, Afghanistan and NH Senate Race
In episode 18 of FactCheck Radio, we look at claims from the Sunday political talk shows about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, health care, Afghanistan and kidnappings in Phoenix. Plus, we talk about a false ad from Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes, targeting Republican Kelly Ayotte in the New Hampshire Senate race.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Sunday Replay June 28
Hodes Deletes Truth in NH Senate Race June 30
Jerry Brown: ‘A Legacy of Failure?’
Republican Meg Whitman is making false claims about Democrat Jerry Brown’s “lifetime in politics” in an attack ad, her first TV spot of the general election campaign. The two are battling to become the next governor of California. The ad claims that “crime soared” while Brown was mayor of Oakland. That’s false. …