One of Sarah Palin’s annointed "Mama Grizzlies" is under attack in Georgia — for not being conservative enough to suit Republican primary voters. But we find the attack is misleading and makes false claims.
In the race to be governor of Georgia, the Palin-backed candidate is Secretary of State Karen Handel. One of her main opponents in the July 20 GOP primary is Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine. His ad claims that as a Fulton County commissioner Handel presided over spending that "skyrocketed,"
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Anti-Reid Ad Distorts Truth on Stimulus, Unemployment
American Crossroads — a political committee headed by former Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan — once again attacks Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada in an ad released July 15. The new ad, titled "Really? Harry Reprise," falsely claims that Nevada received less stimulus money than all but one state.
It also misrepresents the state’s first-in-the-nation unemployment rate, making it seem worse than it is.
On stimulus funding, the ad says: "Recent data show Nevada ranks 50th in the money received from Harry’s stimulus bill."
Mobsters, Missing Money and Mysteries
In Episode 20 of FactCheck Radio, we look at misleading ads in three governors’ races. We start with allegations about mobsters and missing millions in Illlinois; explore a mysterious ad chock-full of distortions in Alabama; and we end up in Florida, where last week we saw a misleading ad from one candidate in the GOP primary, and this week we debunk misinformation from his opponent.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Loans to Mobsters,
McCollum’s Misleading Accusations
There’s more misinformation in the ugly Florida governor’s race, this time from Attorney General Bill McCollum. He claims his GOP primary opponent Rick Scott "personally" got millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds.
The ad, titled “Inner Tube,” says: “Scott tried to hide the fact that he personally bagged millions from the Obama stimulus.” That refers to $63 million in stimulus funding that went to a company named XFone, to expand broadband service to rural areas.
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of July 6-July 12
This week, everyone liked us! Well, almost everyone.
In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.
Jerry Brown, Abortion Providers and Afghanistan Withdrawal
In Episode 19 of FactCheck Radio, we look at a false ad from California GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman about her Democratic opponent Jerry Brown’s supposed "legacy of failure." We also examine whether Bill McCollum has really supported abortion providers, as his opponent charges in the Republican primary for the Florida governor’s contest. And we go back to what Obama really did say about the plans for U.S. troops in Afghanistan in July 2011.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode,
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of June 29-July 5
This week, readers sent us comments about the Jones Act, Haley Barbour’s blowout claims and Exxon’s penalty payments.
In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.
Fact-Checking Rick Scott on Abortion
In Florida’s Republican primary for governor, a federal political committee founded by candidate Rick Scott and largely financed by his wife falsely accuses Attorney General Bill McCollum of supporting "abortion providers." The group’s new ad masquerades as a “fact check,” but it mangles facts by characterizing ordinary hospitals (such as the ones Rick Scott himself once ran) as "abortion providers."
The ad, by a group called Let’s Get to Work, first aired June 25. It begins: “Congressman McCollum’s on TV.
Hodes Deletes Truth in NH Senate Race
It didn’t take long for New Hampshire’s Senate race to turn dirty. In his first TV ad, Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes falsely accuses his likely Republican opponent of erasing e-mails to cover-up her department’s botched investigation of an alleged $20 million Ponzi scheme. …
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of June 22-June 28
This week, readers sent us comments about foreign assistance in the Gulf cleanup, Facebook comments and an informed electorate.
In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.