Q: Did Obama say the National Anthem conveys a “war-like message” and should be swapped for something such as “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”?
A: No. That’s false. The quote was one conservative writer’s idea of a joke, which has been picked up and repeated as though it were true in a chain e-mail.
PAC-ing Heat
Summary
In their most recent TV ads Clinton and Obama attempt to convince Pennsylvania voters that the other is financed by lobbyists and special interests. Both ads miss the mark.
Clinton’s ad accuses Obama of insincerely promising to accept no money from PACs and current lobbyists for his presidential campaign. But she cites money he took years ago as a candidate for the Illinois state Senate and U.S. Senate, before he swore off such funds.
Misleading Pennsylvania Voters
Summary
Clinton and Obama twisted facts unmercifully as they strained to make Pennsylvania voters believe the other is offering a flawed health care plan.
An anti-Obama ad by a pro-Clinton group says her plan would "help every American" and implies his would not. In fact, Obama proposes to offer subsidized coverage, just as Clinton does.
An Obama TV ad claimed his plan would save families more money than Clinton’s, but one independent expert sees "zero credible evidence"
Americans Making More than $250,000
Q: What percentage of the U.S. population makes more than $250,000 per year?
A: Roughly one in 50 households will take in more than $250,000 next year.
Blacks and the Democratic Party
Q: When did blacks start voting Democratic?
A: There was a big move to Democratic voting in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, and another in Lyndon B. Johnson’s.
Giving Till They’re Blue?
Summary
It’s not uncommon for GOP candidates to accuse each other of not being Republican enough. But the fight is ordinarily over issues, such as tax cuts. In Pennsylvania, two House candidates are instead attacking each other for sending money behind enemy lines. The ads they’ve launched provide a good lesson in how politicians can mislead voters even with accurate numbers.
Chris Hackett accuses his opponent of having "a long history of supporting liberal Democrats."
Taking Liberties in Philadelphia
Summary
Clinton and Obama both strained the facts at times during their debate in Philadelphia.
Clinton said "people died" in 1970s bombings by a radical group of which an Obama acquaintance was a member. In fact, the deaths were of three members of the Weather Underground itself, who died when their own bombs accidentally exploded.
Obama said, "I have never said that I don’t wear flag pins or refuse to wear flag pins." Actually,
V.P. Term Limits
Q: Are there term limits for the vice president like there are for the president? Can they only serve two terms, too?
A: No. In theory, someone could hold the office indefinitely, but no one has actually served more than two full terms.
Why Can Cubans Stay in the U.S.?
Q: Why is it that when a Cuban lands on U.S. soil, he is permitted to stay, yet when a Mexican/Hispanic lands on U.S. soil, he cannot?
A: Cuban immigrants were given special status by an act of Congress in the 1960s.
More Speaking Time: Obama or Clinton?
Q: Who gets more time during debates, Obama or Clinton?
A: Obama spoke longer in their two February debates, but Clinton had more time in their January meeting.