Month: September 2011
Cherry-picking on Regulation
Q: Did Bush propose more costly regulations in his last two years than Obama did in his first two years?
A: Yes. But Obama’s regulations are far more costly than those of Bush’s first two years, and the yearly average is higher than that of the Bush administration.
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Sept. 13-19
This week, readers sent us comments about congressional support for President Obama’s jobs plan and whether or not Social Security is a Ponzi scheme.
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.
Another Rick Perry Whopper
Texas Gov. Rick Perry makes another wildly false claim in a new Web ad — saying that the U.S. poverty rate has hit an “all-time high.” In fact, the rate is the highest since 1993, but 7.3 percentage points lower than it was in 1959, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent annual tallies.
Perry’s false claim about the poverty rate follows his false claim during his second debate appearance, when he said Obama’s stimulus measure “created zero jobs”
Ford Motor Co. Does U-turn on Bailouts
A Ford TV ad slams competitors for accepting bailout funds, even though the company’s CEO lobbied for the bill. The company — the only one of the Big Three not to receive a bailout — feared a collapse of GM and Chrysler at the time would have hurt suppliers and, in turn, Ford itself. Ford Chief Executive Officer Alan R. Mulally also asked Congress for a “credit line” of up to $9 billion in case the economy worsened.
Our New Look
As you may have noticed, FactCheck.org has a new look. It’s been in the works for months, and it’s more than just a facelift. We’ve added some new features. We’ve also tried to make our content easier to read and easier to find.
Here’s some of what you’ll find:
FactCheck Wire items (you are now reading one of them) have become our staple, so they are now much more prominently displayed on the home page, in the left column.
A ‘Smart’ New Look for Mobile Devices
FactCheck.org is proud to announce we have a new mobile version of our website that will make it easier for you to read us on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Below is a little information on some of the changes that will make your reading experience easier and more enjoyable.
The home page features two tabs at the top: “The Wire” and “Featured Articles.” You can toggle back and forth to view the most recent Wire items and articles without leaving the page.
American Crossroads/Crossroads GPS
Conservative-leaning group founded with help from Karl Rove and former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie.
Priorities USA/Priorities USA Action
Liberal-leaning group founded by ex-White House staffers Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney to counter American Crossroads/Crossroads GPS.
American Action Network / American Action Forum
Founded by a former Republican senator and a former GOP House aide. Leans GOP/Right-center.