Q: Is it true that nobody remembers Obama attending Columbia University? A: At least one of his classmates remembers him well, and the university proudly claims Obama. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Debunking e-mail rumors today seems to require that one be an image analysis expert. We regularly get requests to say whether pictures are real or a result of Photoshop. While some of the photos are obviously fabricated, like the one of the president and first lady in stereotypical "pimp and ho" getup, others are more subtle. For instance, we found that the picture being circulated as "Obama’s crotch salute" was a real photo, but that the circumstances were being grievously... Click to Read the Full Post
Q: Is federal judge David O. Carter starting a trial on Jan. 26 to determine whether Obama is qualified to be president? A: No. This is yet another bogus claim circulated by persons who cling to a belief that Obama was not born in the U.S.A. The judge threw the case out of court back in October. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
The rumor that President Barack Obama refuses, or doesn’t know how, to say the pledge of allegiance just won’t die. Since early in his presidential candidacy, we’ve been getting e-mails with photos that purport to show Obama failing to properly salute the flag during the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem. The photos have reliably been real, but taken out of context. The most recent example, for instance, included a genuine photo of Obama standing with hands folded while... Click to Read the Full Post
The latest anti-Obama rant to show up in e-mail inboxes accuses President Obama of an "unholy" and "anti-American" series of omissions, which it claims no other president has committed. But the fact is, Obama was just doing the same thing that Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush had done in similar circumstances. It’s a brief e-mail that first showed up in our inbox Jan. 5: Subject: Obama Trifecta President Obama just completed the UNHOLY and ANTI-AMERICAN... Click to Read the Full Post
Q: Did Congress raise its own pay for 2010 while voting to deny an increase for Social Security recipients? A: No. A chain e-mail calling for "retribution" in the fall elections makes false claims and uses fabricated figures. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Summary Although 2009 was not an election year, it kept us exceptionally busy, and led to millions of visits to our site. In this year-end summary, we offer some of the worst examples of the falsehoods we encountered during the first year of the Obama administration. The list of howlers includes the false claim that the stimulus bill would dictate to doctors what procedures they can and can’t perform, and assertions that health care legislation would require seniors to get advice on how to... Click to Read the Full Post
Q: Is an Alaska fisherman’s list of Sarah Palin’s accomplishments accurate? A: There’s some truth to a number of his claims, but some are also false or misleading. Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Q: Did Muslim terrorists stage a "dry run" on AirTran flight 297? A: The airline and an eyewitness say this e-mailed claim is "an urban legend" spread by persons who "live in a fantasy world." Click to Read the Full Post Read More →
Summary A widely viewed video seems to show President Obama stating that he is a Muslim. It is false, and the product of dishonest editing. Although it is titled "Obama Admits He Is A Muslim," the president in fact has admitted no such thing. The video edits and twists his actual words, sometimes turning what were denials into false confessions. For example, it edits out the words "I’m a Christian" from one quote and "my Christian faith" from another. It shows... Click to Read the Full Post
