A group partly supported by the Service Employees International Union is out with an ad that criticizes insurance companies and asks: "If health reform fails THEN what?" The Foundation for Patients’ Rights TV spot highlights the well-publicized rate-hike (as high as 39 percent) that had been planned by California’s Anthem Blue Cross — and which was postponed after public criticism from the Obama administration. But the ad also includes this shaky claim about the insurance industry: "2.7 million Americans were denied coverage"
Health Care Summit: We Rebut A Pre-buttal
The conservative American Future Fund has released an attack ad in anticipation of President Obama’s health care summit with Democrats and Republicans at the Blair House on Thursday. The group said the ad would air on cable television during the week.
It says that the president and liberals want to build on a health care bill that includes "Backroom Deals" including a "Cornhusker Kickback" and a "Louisiana Purchase."
The "Cornhusker Kickback" claim is outdated. That was a nickname given by Republicans to an exemption within the Senate-passed health care bill.
February 24, 2010
The first Paralympic Winter Games were held in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.
Source: Vancouver Organizing Committee
Just the Facts 2010: E-mails
In this week’s webisode, our second since rebooting the vidcast, host Christine Nieves looks at some false chain e-mails about Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin. We first wrote about them during the 2008 presidential election, but the lessons in debunking are timeless. We use them as examples to review …
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Feb. 16-Feb. 22
This week, readers sent us a personal recollection of Obama’s Columbia years, and comments on climate change consensus and veep-to-veep combat.
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.
Cadillac Plans and Unions: Who Benefits?
When the White House and congressional Democrats agreed last month to scale back a Senate-passed tax on high-value health plans, it was widely portrayed as a giveaway to labor unions. For example, the New York Post reported that it was a "sweetheart deal" that would save union members $60 billion, and on its editorial page called it a "bribe" and a "big, fat wet kiss for labor unions," a view quickly echoed by Republican leaders.
Extras: Biblical Derivatives, Teleprompters and Pelosi’s Plane
In this edition of FactCheck Extras, we look at the history of derivatives, President Obama's use of a teleprompter, and an old piece of bunk that won't go away.
Deriving Derivatives
The liberal group Americans United for Change has released an ad that blames Wall Street for high unemployment.
The ad says that "a few years ago, Wall Street created something called derivatives" that were used to build "a house of cards that finally came tumbling down"
February 23, 2010
The Paralympic Games began after World War II in 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttman organized a competition for British veterans who were in wheelchairs.
Source: Vancouver Organizing Committee
Still on the Table?
So, what about those Republican health care plans? Contrary to claims made by some Democratic detractors, detailed GOP proposals, and a bipartisan bill with several GOP cosponsors, do exist. And they’re scheduled to get attention at a half-day, televised “summit” meeting at Blair House on Feb. 25, with …
February 22, 2010
About 2,500 athletes are participating in the Olympics in Vancouver. There are more than 86 medal events.
Source: Vancouver Organizing Committee