This week, we examine health care claims from the president, a conservative group and a Republican candidate in the race for a Senate seat in Nevada. Plus, we give listeners the scoop on allegations that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi hosts congressional party planes.
Year: 2010
Just the Facts 2010: Guns
We take a look at some bogus rumors about President Obama’s actions on gun control that have been swirling since the 2008 campaign.
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of March 2-March 8
This week, readers sent us comments about our new podcast, balanced journalism and Starbucks Liqueur.
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.
A Practically Fact-Free Attack on Reid
Former Nevada state Sen. Sue Lowden, who is running for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in November, goes after Reid in a new ad for trying to force "one-size-fits-all government health care" on all Americans.
Maybe "one-size-fits-all government health care" is a plausible description of the systems in some other countries: Canada or the U.K., for instance. But the Senate-passed health care overhaul, which Reid shepherded through that body on Christmas Eve,
Obama’s Glowing Assessment
The president made another push for health care legislation March 3, while being flanked by physicians and nurses in the East Room of the White House. Much of what he said in describing his proposal was correct, but he went a bit overboard with a few of his statements.
In a remark reminiscent of last week’s spat with Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander over premiums, Obama said most people would save money under his plan:
Obama: Our cost-cutting measures mirror most of the proposals in the current Senate bill,
Pelosi’s Party Plane?
Q: Has Nancy Pelosi spent $100,000 on food, booze and "partying" during her air travel?
A: No. Pelosi’s congressional delegations do eat well and drink pricey alcohol. But the costs are not as high as critics claim, and they’re comparable to those of her Republican predecessor, Dennis Hastert.
Voting for a Health Care Takeover?
A relatively unknown conservative group called the League of American Voters has launched an ad attacking Democratic members of Congress for, in the words of the TV spot, voting in favor of “Obama and Pelosi’s health care takeover." But the ad is filled with misleading claims.
The group’s Web site says it is running similar ads "across the nation." We contacted the group to ask where exactly the ad is airing, but we have yet to receive an answer.
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Feb. 23-March 1
This week, readers sent us a comments about reconciliation and health care, premium costs, and the danger of clicking on links in chain e-mails.
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.
FactCheck Radio Episode #1
The premiere edition of our podcast features a look at the factual malpractice that took place during the president’s nearly daylong health care summit.
You’ve Got False Mail
If you live in Connecticut and are a registered Republican, you may have received a mailer or two from former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon attacking her opponent in the state’s GOP Senate primary, former U.S. Rep. Robert Simmons. But some of the mailers’ claims are false.
In one mailer, McMahon claims Simmons cosponsored cap-and-trade legislation that will “cost the average American family more than $1,700 a year.”
First, Simmons did not, as the mailer implies,