Q: Are Barack Obama and Dick Cheney cousins?
A: Yep. But they are quite distant relatives.
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What Some CEOs Make in 10 Minutes
Q: Is Obama right to say some CEOs make more in 10 minutes than an average worker does in a year?
A: By our calculations only Steve Jobs did so in 2006.
Clinton vs. Bush: Middle Income Taxes
Q: Do middle-income persons pay lower federal income taxes under Bush than they did under Bill Clinton?
A: Yes, middle-income taxpayers pay less, but not nearly as much less as claimed in a widely circulated chain e-mail. Moreover, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton propose additional middle-income cuts, contrary to what the message insinuates.
Secret Service Paying Clintons’ Mortgage?
Q: Is the Secret Service paying the Clintons’ mortgage?
A: No. And Hillary won’t get a full-salary Senate pension, either.
Ohio Primary and the General Election
Q: Has any presidential candidate won the general election without winning the Ohio primary?
A: Yes. Richard Nixon did it in 1968, and John Kennedy in 1960. But "favorite son" candidates won the Ohio contest both those years.
McCain Voting With Democrats More Than GOP?
Q: Is it true that even though John McCain calls himself a Republican, he has sided more with the Dems than with the Repubs?
A: Not true at all. He voted in support of President Bush 95 percent of the time last year, for example.
Violent Crimes and Handgun Ownership
Q: Are violent crimes more or less common in areas where handgun ownership is higher?
A: Some studies have found that murder rates (not crime rates in general) are higher where guns are more prevalent. But social scientists have not found a direct causal relationship between the two factors.
Taxing the Stimulus?
Q: Is the economic stimulus payment taxable?
A: No.
World Trade Center Victims
Q: How many World Trade Center victims were from outside the U.S.?
A: About 21 percent were born outside the U.S., but only 1 percent were residents of foreign countries.
‘Home’ to More Presidents: Ohio or Va.?
Q: Which state has been home to more U.S. presidents: Ohio or Virginia?
A: It’s either Virginia, Ohio or a tie, depending on how you count.