Q: What is triangulation?
A: In simple terms, it’s Democrats advocating some Republican positions or Republicans advocating some Democratic positions.
What is Public Financing?
Q: What is public financing?
A: It’s the system under which candidates can use U.S. Treasury dollars to fund their campaigns. But only if they agree to play by a complicated set of rules.
Substance Abuse
A misleading e-mail has been making the rounds, alleging that Clinton has fewer legislative accomplishments than Obama, and that they are less substantive. We’ve had questions about it from a number of readers, and blogs have jumped into the fray. So what’s the real story on the Senate careers of the Democratic presidential candidates? We find that the e-mail is false in almost every particular
Federal Reserve Bank Ownership
Q: Who owns the Federal Reserve Bank?
A: There are actually 12 different Federal Reserve Banks around the country, and they are owned by big private banks. But the banks don’t necessarily run the show. Nationally, the Federal Reserve System is led by a Board of Governors whose seven members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Obama’s Oil Spill
In a new ad, Obama says, “I don’t take money from oil companies.” Technically, that’s true, since a law that has been on the books for more than a century prohibits corporations from giving money directly to any federal candidate. But that doesn’t distinguish Obama from his rivals in the race.
Obama a Constitutional Law Professor?
Q: Was Barack Obama really a constitutional law professor?
A: His formal title was "senior lecturer," but the University of Chicago Law School says he "served as a professor" and was "regarded as" a professor.
Hillary Worked for Goldwater?
Q: Did Hillary Clinton work for Goldwater?
A: She was a high-school Young Republican and "Goldwater Girl" in 1964 but swung to supporting Democrat Eugene McCarthy’s campaign in 1968 and George McGovern’s in 1972.
Overseas Fundraising Legal?
Q: Is it legal for candidates to raise funds overseas for a presidential race?
A: Yes, but they can’t legally accept donations from individuals who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent U.S. residents.
Presidents Winning Without Popular Vote
Q: How many times was a president elected who did not win the popular vote?
A: It has happened five times.
Wisconsin Judgment Day, the Sequel
In this second of our “Court Watch” series, we return to what’s become a racially charged campaign in Wisconsin to replace Louis Butler, the only black justice on the state Supreme Court, with a white, business-backed lower court judge, Mike Gableman. We look at two ads that attack Butler and find both to be misleading.