In an earlier article, we said Kerry based his claim that “our great middle class is shrinking” on some pretty stale numbers. Now fresh numbers are available — and Kerry’s statement is looking a lot better.
Stories by Brooks Jackson
Director Emeritus, FactCheck.org
Bush Still Fudging the Numbers on Kerry’s Tax Votes
The Bush-Cheney campaign released a television ad August 23 accusing Kerry of casting “98 votes for tax increases.” The number is an improvement on Bush’s earlier claim that Kerry cast 350 votes for “higher taxes,” which we described as inflated. But even the new, reduced total is padded.
DNC Radio Ad on Terrorism: Accurate (Mostly)
Democratic ad reminds voters: Bush opposed creating the Homeland Security department before he supported it.
Yucca Mountain Mudslide: Both Sides Dissemble on Nuclear Waste Dump in Nevada
MoveOn.org Voter Fund falsely attacks Bush, who comes back with a misleading ad about Kerry.
Swift Boat Veterans Anti-Kerry Ad: “He Betrayed Us” With 1971 Anti-War Testimony
Group quotes Kerry’s descriptions of atrocities by US forces. In fact, atrocities did happen.
Radio Ads Accuse Kerry Of Not Helping Blacks
Summary
The newly established group People of Color United (PCU) began running a series of radio ads August 2 that challenges John Kerry’s record on “helping and hiring Blacks.”
Some of the content is misleading. One ad blames Kerry for ensuring that jobless workers won’t be eligible for an extra 13 weeks of unemployment benefits. It’s true Kerry missed a crucial vote in which an extension of benefits fell just one vote short of Senate passage,
Bush Nails Kerry’s Poor Attendance at Intelligence Committee Hearings
Summary
A Bush-Cheney ’04 ad released Aug. 13 accuses Kerry of being absent for 76% of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s public hearings during the time he served there. The Kerry campaign calls the ad “misleading,” so we checked, and Bush is right.
Official records show Kerry not present for at least 76% of public hearings held during his eight years on the panel, and possibly 78% (the record of one hearing is ambiguous).
Kerry points out that most meetings of the Intelligence Committee are closed and attendance records of those meetings aren’t public,
DNC Ad Says Bush Lost Manufacturing Jobs
The Democratic National Committee released an ad Aug. 6 saying 2.7 million manufacturing jobs had been lost under Bush. That’s true, but ignores the fact that manufacturing jobs started their decline three years before Bush took office.
Media Fund Ad Misquotes Bush
An ad released by the Media Fund is targeted to Ohio, featuring Ohio residents criticizing the President for loss of jobs overseas. In it, one of them says, “When President Bush says he’s going to help companies outsource jobs, it’s infuriating.” Bush didn’t say that.
Republican-funded Group Attacks Kerry’s War Record
Ad features vets who claim Kerry “lied” to get Vietnam medals. But other witnesses disagree — and so do Navy records.