This week, readers sent us comments about Rep. Grayson’s "Taliban Dan" ad, President Clinton’s education statistics and the Nevada toss-up race.
In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.
Year: 2010
Revere America
Republican-leaning group chaired by former New York Gov. George Pataki.
Rep. Grayson Lowers the Bar
We thought Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida reached a low point when he falsely accused his opponent of being a draft dodger during the Vietnam War, and of not loving his country. But now Grayson has lowered the bar . . .
Sunday Replay
On this week’s Sunday talk shows, we found false claims on the debt, discretionary spending, foreign-funded attack ads and polling data.
Wrong on Debt
On ABC’s "This Week," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made a false claim about the federal debt — a claim that we debunked in January, when Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, made a similar statement. The debt situation has worsened since then, but not enough to make this GOP talking point true.
Did the Stimulus Create Jobs?
The economic stimulus package is a favorite target of Republican candidates and groups, but more than a few ads falsely claim it did not create or save any jobs. Some recent examples: Republican House candidate Dan Debicella charges …
FactChecking ‘The Pledge’
The Republican “Pledge to America,” released Sept. 23, contains some dubious factual claims. It declares that “the only parts of the economy expanding are government and our national debt.” Not true. . . .
False Claim on Plant Closing in Indiana
In Indiana’s Senate race, Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth falsely alleged that his Republican opponent Dan Coats was involved in the closing of an automotive plant that left more than 800 people out of work. Ellsworth himself told the Associated Press, "We don’t know Mr. Coats’ direct involvement in the closing of this plant."
Ellsworth charged that Coats played a role in the decision to close the plant in a Sept. 20 speech delivered outside the old GDX Automotive factory gates in Wabash,
Toss-ups: Nevada
In the Nevada Senate race, the state’s economy — it has the highest unemployment in the country — has prompted two new ads that deal with illegal immigration. Republican challenger Sharron Angle falsely claims Sen. Harry Reid voted to …
Health Care, Social Security and Vietnam
In episode 30 of our podcast, we look at deceptive ads from a conservative group on the new health care law, misleading spots on Social Security from Democrats, and a false claim about a GOP House candidate and draft dodging.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Misleading Onslaught by 60 Plus Sept. 17
Social Security: (Mostly) in Their Own Words Sept. 21
Patriotism Falsely Impugned Sept. 22
A ‘Scandal’ in New Mexico?
In New Mexico’s governor’s race, Republican Susana Martinez accuses Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish of giving a $500 million "special tax deal" to a developer who contributed to her campaign and hired her husband as a lobbyist. But Martinez, a district attorney, uses circumstantial evidence to make her case in an ad that falsely accuses Denish of "hiding a scandal."
The evidence cited by the Martinez campaign fails to prove that Denish misused her office to help the developer get a tax break or that the tax break was connected to her husband’s lobbying job or her campaign contributions.