CBS’ "Face the Nation" on May 17 featured the divergent views of Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Republican Rep. Peter King of New York. Host Harry Smith asked about President Obama’s decision to block the court-ordered release of photos allegedly showing harsh treatment of detainees during interrogations in Iraq and Afghanistan. That led King to say that top government officials didn’t know about the abuse of prisoners, while Romero said the "highest levels"
May 20, 2009
As one of the world’s largest office buildings, The Pentagon has three times the floor space of the Empire State Building in New York.
Source: The Pentagon
Soldiers’ Private Guns
Q: Is the Army demanding information about soldiers' privately owned firearms?
A: This is another false Internet rumor. A memo from one commander of a small unit in Kentucky was an isolated mistake that was quickly corrected; it wasn't Army policy.
May 19, 2009
Despite 17.5 miles of corridors it takes only seven minutes to walk between any two points in the Pentagon.
Source: The Pentagon
Moran’s Miscues in Virginia
Brian Moran is so far the least visible of the trio of candidates competing in the Virginia Democratic gubernatorial primary, set for June 9. He’s the only one who hasn’t run a TV spot yet. But on May 17, he went up with his third radio ad, aiming to show a lot of daylight between Terry McAuliffe, the front runner, and President Obama. McAuliffe, on his Web site, calls the ad a "False Attack."
"The truth is,"
Not So Swift
A new fundraising plea from the Democratic National Committee highlights the link between a new conservative group’s health care ads and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth — but it goes too far in its claim of a connection.
An e-mail message from David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager, says:
Plouffe, DNC pitch: We knew healthcare reform would face fierce opposition — and it’s begun. As we speak, the same people behind the notorious "swiftboat" ads of 2004 are already pumping millions of dollars into deceptive television ads.
May 18, 2009
In 2007, nearly four in ten (39.7 percent) of all births were to unmarried women, more than double the proportion in 1980 (18.4 percent).
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
Michelle Obama’s Salary
Q: Did Michelle Obama make $317,000 a year while working part-time at the University of Chicago Medical Center?
A: This allegation in a chain e-mail is wrong: Obama’s reported income was $103,633 in 2007, the year she reduced her work schedule to part time.
May 17, 2009
From the 1990 Census to the 2000 Census, the percentage of Americans who said they worked from home went up 0.3 percent.
Source: Census Bureau
May 16, 2009
From the 1990 Census to the 2000 Census, there was little change in the transportation Americans used to get to work: The percentage who drove alone went up 2.5 percent, and those using public transportation went down 0.5 percent.
Source: Census Bureau