Political junkies tuning into the most recent Democratic candidates debate Dec. 9 in Durham, NH should not believe all that they heard.
Stories by Brooks Jackson
Director Emeritus, FactCheck.org
Liberal Group Attacks Dean on Gun Control
A new liberal group is running a TV ad in Iowa attacking Howard Dean for his record on gun control. The ad says Dean was endorsed repeatedly by the National Rifle Association for governor of Vermont — which is true. Dean’s position has shifted a bit since then, however.
Attack Ad by Anti-tax Group Too Close for Dean’s Comfort
An anti-tax group started running an attack ad Thursday Dec. 4 in Iowa and New Hampshire saying “Howard Dean says he’ll raise taxes on the average family by more than nineteen hundred dollars a year.” Dean calls the ad “false,” but we find it is mostly right.
Is this a great job, or what?
In my 33 years of covering Washington and national politics, I’ve had some of the best jobs in American journalism — including the development of “adwatch” and “factcheck” stories for CNN. And with the launch today of FactCheck.org I hope to continue my professional lucky streak. This is going to be a fun job — and somebody has to do it.
There already have been lots of dubious factual claims and outright falsehoods tossed around in the Presidential campaign: Howard Dean falsely claiming that most middle-class taxpayers got no tax cut,
George Bush As Herbert Hoover? Oh Come On!
In what it called the first salvo in a $10-million advertising campaign aimed at defeating President Bush, the liberal group MoveOn.org released a TV ad that is misleading on several counts. It falsely implies that tax cuts failed to create jobs, falsely implies that the economy is still losing jobs, and exaggerates the severity of an historically mild economic downturn.
RNC Fails to Document Ad’s Claim
In a TV ad supporting the President the Republican National Committee went four words too far, not-very-subtly implying that Democrats who have criticized him are something close to traitors.
Edwards Ad Stretches Truth with Claim About Multimillionaires’ Taxes
John Edwards’ latest TV ad leaves the impression that multimillionaires pay lower tax rates than salaried government workers or secretaries. While that can be true sometimes it is not usually the case.
Census Says Income is Down, but Some Republicans Claim it’s Up
In September the Census Bureau issued its annual figures on income and poverty, and to nobody’s surprise poverty rose and U.S. median income went down in 2002. On the same day, however, the Republican staff of the Joint Economic Committee issued a news release claiming that after-tax income went up – and citing Census figures.
Gephardt TV Ad Misleads on Job Loss
In a TV ad that aired in Iowa, Dick Gephardt says the President has “lost more jobs than the last 11 Presidents, ” which is incorrect.
Dean Wrong on Bush Tax Cut
Howard Dean got his facts wrong on two counts Sept. 4 during the Democratic candidates’ debate in New Mexico when he said most middle-class people never got a tax cut from George Bush, and when he implied that the average cut was only $100.