Stories by Eugene Kiely
Director, FactCheck.org
Dems, GOP Exaggerate Spending ‘Cuts’
Senate Democratic leaders, under pressure from Republicans to cut the budget, have been misleading the public by claiming they already have "cut" spending by $41 billion.
The fact is that the Democrats haven’t "cut" any spending. Congress hasn’t passed a budget for fiscal year 2011, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says federal spending continues to rise.
First a little background: House Republicans passed legislation in the early morning of Feb. 19 that would fund the federal government for fiscal year 2011.
IRS and the Health Care Law, Part II
Q: Is the IRS seeking more than 1,000 new workers to administer the new health care law?
A: Yes. But many of them will be needed to deliver tax credits, not dun taxpayers. IRS says it needs 291 agents to enforce the law, including 193 to "ensure accurate delivery of tax credits."
Feb. 18: Health Care, Budget and Bailouts
Budget Spin
Democrats and Republicans disagree strongly about elements of President Obama’s 2012 budget, but they are alike in one respect: Both sides are misrepresenting important facts. Obama claimed …
Rahm’s Plan: Tax Cut or ‘Largest’ Hike in History?
Rahm Emanuel and his leading opponent are airing less-than-truthful TV ads about taxes in the closing days of Chicago's Feb. 22 mayoral election.
In dueling ads, Emanuel and fellow Democrat Gery Chico spar over sales taxes. Emanuel says his plan will "lower taxes," and leave "more money in your pocket." But it will not lower taxes. The plan will lower the sales tax rate, but broaden the tax base to include as-yet undefined "luxury services."
DCCC, Crossroads Usher in 2012 Campaign
Less than a month after the new Congress convened, House Democrats and a conservative outside group traded accusations (some bogus, some not) in the first ads of the 2012 campaign. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee started …
Job Loss, Health Care and Bankruptcy
Former Bush adviser Karen Hughes and Democratic Rep. James Clyburn both twisted facts to make partisan points on "Meet the Press."
Hughes claimed that the "vast majority" of recent job losses happened under President Obama, when in fact slightly more jobs were lost when her former boss George W. Bush was president. And Clyburn claimed that inadequate health insurance is "the biggest cause" of personal bankruptcies, which isn’t quite true either. Health costs are a contributing factor to most bankruptcies,
Obamas Not Invited to Royal Wedding?
Q: Is it true the Obamas will not be invited to Prince William’s wedding for fear Michelle will upstage Kate Middleton?
A: No. The official guest list has not been released. A British newspaper quoted an unnamed source as saying the Obamas are not on the list, but that "could change."
Giuliani and the Lessons of Fort Hood
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani went beyond the boundaries of what investigators have reported on Sunday when he said the suspect in the 2009 Fort Hood shootings indicated "a desire to participate in jihad" three years before the attack. It is still not clear what the Army knew – and when – about the political views of Maj. Nidal Hasan, or how it failed to identify him as a potential internal threat before the attack that killed 13 people and wounded dozens.