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Viral Spiral
FactCheck Mailbag
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Oct. 30-Nov. 5.
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2012 Players Guide
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Durbin (Again) Denies Social Security’s Red InkNovember 28
Sen. Richard Durbin says that “Social Security does not add one penny to our debt.” That’s false. It was wrong 21 months ago, when Durbin said it once before, and it’s even more off the mark now. The federal government for the first time in its history had to borrow … Group’s ‘Obamacare Tax Form’ Evades FactsNovember 16
A conservative group misleads taxpayers on the Affordable Care Act and the Internal Revenue Service’s future role in enforcing it. Americans for Tax Reform posted a “projected” IRS tax form on its website that claims to “help families and tax specialists prepare” for new tax provisions under the health care … Facts Falling Off the Fiscal CliffNovember 14
In press conferences on the so-called fiscal cliff, House Speaker John Boehner greatly exaggerated the negative effect on the economy of raising taxes on upper-income individuals. Boehner erred when he said that “the problem with raising tax rates on the wealthiest Americans is that more than half of them are … Obama’s Numbers, UpdatedNovember 5
In the interest of timeliness and accuracy, we are issuing an updated version of “Obama’s Numbers,” our collection of key measures of the president’s time in office. A few things have changed since we published our original version Oct. 8 — some for better, and some for worse. The number … The Final Attack AdsNovember 2
Both sides in the presidential race are making one last push for votes with false and distorted claims on television, radio and even in text messages: A liberal super PAC’s radio ad in Ohio twists Mitt Romney’s words by having him say six times: “I’m not concerned about the very … Campaign Funny BusinessNovember 1
An ad from the Romney campaign mocks President Obama’s proposal to create a “Secretary of Business,” but misrepresents the president’s proposal. The ad says that “his solution to everything is to add another bureaucrat.” But in fact, Obama’s plan actually seeks to consolidate more than a half dozen agencies, trim … Hawaiian WhopperNovember 1
An ad by Republican Senate candidate Linda Lingle in the Aloha State is telling a real whopper — about us. Her ad says that FactCheck.org rated a claim made by her opponent as “the worst political deception of the year,” and it shows our logo with a headline reading “Whopper … Republican Mailers Mislead in New MexicoOctober 31
New Mexico’s Republican Party misleads in two mailers attacking the state’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, two-term Rep. Martin Heinrich. One mailer states that “New Mexico workers have a jobs problem.” But the state’s unemployment rate is 6.4 percent, well below the national rate, or the 8 percent figure the flier … New Obama Ad Repeats Old DistortionsOctober 29
A new Obama campaign ad repeats old distortions in a homestretch appeal to voters. The ad claims Romney would make “catastrophic cuts to education,” but the ad cites an editorial that says Romney has promised to cut discretionary spending — not necessarily education. The ad repeats the claim that Romney’s tax plan … |
 Facing Facts on Fiscal CliffHow did the U.S. reach a 'fiscal cliff' and what does it mean? Here are the facts.November 30The U.S. faces the possibility of another recession — the third in 11 years — if President Obama and Congress cannot find a way to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. The one-two combination of massive tax increases and spending cuts …  Our Subscribers SpeakMost say we're clear, accurate, useful and unbiased.November 14Once again, FactCheck.org’s subscribers tell us they find our articles to be clear, unbiased, accurate and useful. The results of our latest post-election survey are similar to those from surveys we conducted after the presidential elections …  The 2012 FactCheck AwardsOur Election-Day sampler of funny, scary and just plain bizarre campaign ads.November 6It’s that special time of year again when campaigning is over (finally!) and the voting has begun. On Election Day we can stop being so serious about fact-checking false or deceptive claims and have some fun handing out imaginary hardware …  Whoppers of 2012, Final EditionThe biggest falsehoods from the presidential campaign.October 31With only days to go until Election Day 2012, we look here at the most egregiously false and misleading claims from the entire presidential campaign. Some examples …  Benghazi TimelineThe long road from "spontaneous protest" to premeditated terrorist attack.October 26The question won’t go away: Did President Obama and administration officials mislead the public when they initially claimed that the deadly Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi began “spontaneously” in response to …  False Claims in Final DebateObama, Romney take turns twisting the facts in Florida on foreign policy.October 23In the third and final Obama-Romney debate, the candidates again contradicted each other, while each offered incorrect or twisted factual claims. President Obama erred when he accused Mitt Romney of saying during the 2008 campaign that “we should ask Pakistan … |
