Q: Who was the last U.S. president to own slaves?
A: Zachary Taylor owned slaves while in office. U.S. Grant owned a slave he freed in 1859, long before becoming president.
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Members of Congress Pay Social Security Taxes
Q: Do members of Congress pay Social Security taxes?
A: Yes, ever since 1984.
Defining Enemy Combatant
Q: What is an enemy combatant?
A: “Enemy combatant” is shorthand for people who are fighting unlawfully. But no one is quite sure exactly what that means.
Bush: The Constitution a ‘Goddamned Piece of Paper’?
Q: Did President Bush call the Constitution a “goddamned piece of paper”?
A: Extremely unlikely. The Web site that reported those words has a history of quoting phony sources and retracting bogus stories.
The Right to Lobby
Q: Are lobbyists justified in a democracy?
A: The Constitution guarantees the right to petition government.
Ben & Jerry’s Misleading Spending Chart
Q: What about Ben & Jerry’s chart saying 50% of federal spending is military?
A: Not true. The real figure is 19.4%.
Refugees Don’t Get $1,800 Per Month
Q: Does the U.S. pay $1,800 a month to refugees?
A: No. A false claim about Canada is being recycled in a bogus e-mail to “American taxpayers.”
Clinton and Economic Growth in the ’90s
Q: Were Clinton’s policies responsible for the 1990s’ economic growth?
A: He deserves part of the credit, but many factors were at work.
The ‘Democratic’ or ‘Democrat’ Party?
Q: Is it the “Democratic” Party or the “Democrat” Party?
A: The proper term is “Democratic Party.”
Not Pelosi’s Windfall Tax
Q: Did Pelosi advocate taxing “windfall” stock profits at 100%?
A: No. A widely circulated e-mail quoting her is a fraud.