We review some notable political falsehoods and distortions of the year.
Stories by Brooks Jackson
Director Emeritus, FactCheck.org
More Mitt Malarkey
Romney repeats misleading claims about McCain’s stand on immigration and his own record on taxes.
Congressional Pensions
Q: Does a United States senator receive his full pay upon retiring?
A: No. A member of Congress can’t receive more than 80 percent of his or her final salary upon retirement, and the average is much less.
Supreme Court to Define ‘Well Regulated Militia’?
Q: Is the Supreme Court going to define “well regulated militia”?
A: Perhaps so. It is considering a gun-control case in which it might choose to rule on what the Second Amendment means.
Presidents Who Owned Slaves
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.
Democrats Debate in Iowa
Richardson stands out for exaggerated and inaccurate claims.
Republicans Debate in Iowa
More exaggerations and misstatements in the final GOP debate before the Iowa caucuses.
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%.