Q: Is it true that even though John McCain calls himself a Republican, he has sided more with the Dems than with the Repubs?
A: Not true at all. He voted in support of President Bush 95 percent of the time last year, for example.
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Violent Crimes and Handgun Ownership
Q: Are violent crimes more or less common in areas where handgun ownership is higher?
A: Some studies have found that murder rates (not crime rates in general) are higher where guns are more prevalent. But social scientists have not found a direct causal relationship between the two factors.
Taxing the Stimulus?
Q: Is the economic stimulus payment taxable?
A: No.
World Trade Center Victims
Q: How many World Trade Center victims were from outside the U.S.?
A: About 21 percent were born outside the U.S., but only 1 percent were residents of foreign countries.
‘Home’ to More Presidents: Ohio or Va.?
Q: Which state has been home to more U.S. presidents: Ohio or Virginia?
A: It’s either Virginia, Ohio or a tie, depending on how you count.
John McCain’s Presidential Eligibility
Q: How can Panamanian-born McCain be elected president?
A: Though born abroad, he is considered a natural-born U.S. citizen.
FULL QUESTION:
I understand John McCain was born in Panama. Doesn’t that make him ineligible to be president? I thought the Constitution said you had to have been born in a state.
FULL ANSWER:
John McCain’s father was an admiral in the U.S.
Vice President Bill Clinton?
Q: Could former President Bill Clinton be vice president?
A: Probably not, but it’s an untested constitutional conundrum.
Cell Phones and Political Polls
Q: Are polls skewed because many people only have cell phones?
A: Poll-takers worry a lot about this. A recent study indicates that polling results aren't yet affected very much. We're not so sure.
No WMDs in Iraq
Q: Were there really weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when the U.S. invaded in 2003?
A: No. The Iraq Survey Group determined that Iraq had abandoned its quest to develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and that it had already destroyed all of its existing stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons.
GDP vs. GNP
Q: What is the difference between GDP and GNP?
A: GDP is the market value of everything produced within a country; GNP is the value of what’s produced by a country’s residents, no matter where they live.