Even when a fisherman catches a big one, the fish tends to grow each time the story is told. Politicians are like that, too, especially when Election Day approaches. President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave us recent examples of that kind of hyperbole. Pelosi improved on reality, when she claimed Bush created fewer jobs in eight years than Democrats have done in eight months. And Obama exaggerated the GOP’s stalling tactics,
Stories by Lori Robertson
Director, FactCheck.org
Labor Attack in Ohio Governor’s Race
The Service Employees International Union claims that GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich, a former Lehman Brothers executive, "got rich, while Ohio seniors lost their pension money" in an ad that makes a weak attempt to connect Kasich to the pension losses.
It’s true that Kasich, who’s running against Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, made a hefty sum working for the financial firm in 2008, the same year it collapsed. And he admits to setting up meetings between Lehman and state pension officials.
Bailouts, Taxes and Deceptive Editing
In episode 28 of our podcast, we look at misleading ads from freshman House Democrats who claim they voted against the bank bailout bill, which passed before they took office. Also, we debunk a chain e-mail about taxes, and we highlight a perfect example of how deceptive editing is used in political advertising.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Democratic Bailout Baloney Sept. 3
More Bailout Baloney Sept. 8
Attack on Giffords Comes Up Short
Corporate and Union Ads
In episode 27 of our podcast, we look at misleading ads from a conservative and a liberal group: Crossroads GPS, a group with ties to Karl Rove, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees labor union. Plus, we tell listeners about a greatly exaggerated claim from the education secretary about high-school dropouts.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Misdirection from Crossroads GPS Aug. 30
AFSCME’s Big, Brazen Attack Sept.
Mosque Controversy, Stimulus Spin and Blagojevich
In episode 26, we answer readers’ questions on claims about the planned Islamic cultural center and mosque near ground zero. Plus, we document spin from both the vice president and the House GOP leader on stimulus spending, and we fact-check former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s appearance on Fox News.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Questions About the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Aug. 26
Spinning the Stimulus Aug. 24
Sunday Replay Aug.
What’s a ‘Small Business’?
Politicians often talk about "small businesses." But how small is a small business? Fifty employees? One hundred? Two hundred?
Actually, it’s often much more than that. The Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy defines a small business as one with fewer than 500 employees. And that’s the standard politicians often use.
For example, President Barack Obama repeated a familiar claim on Aug. 19: that "small businesses … create two out of every three new jobs in this country."
Carnahan Ad Gets VH1-Inspired Treatment
Are you a fan of VH1’s revolutionary "Pop-Up Video" program? And a political junkie? (And maybe even a St. Louis Rams fan?) Well, we have a treat for you.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch website, stltoday.com, has launched a fact-checking effort called "Pop-Up Politics." Last week, reporter Jake Wagman gave the first ad from Democratic Senate hopeful Robin Carnahan the VH1 treatment, sticking factual nuggets in the video of the ad itself, à la the popular music video show.
‘Privatizing’ Social Security?
In episode 25, we debunk President Obama’s claim that leading Republicans in Congress want to privatize Social Security. Plus, we look at dueling ads from the Pennsylvania Senate race, and we tackle claims related to the controversy over the Islamic center and mosque in New York.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Obama’s (Latest) Social Security Whopper Aug. 16
Toomey’s Stimulus Charge Doesn’t Add Up Aug. 13
DSCC Wrong on Toomey’s Wall St.
Meek Ad Heeds Fact-Checking?
Rep. Kendrick Meek of Florida is out with an ad that rewords an earlier attack on his Senate Democratic primary opponent, Jeff Greene. We had called Meek’s previous ad false for saying Warren Buffett personally criticized Greene. But Meek tweaked the claim in a new ad, and this time he gets pretty close to the truth.
Earlier, Meek’s ads falsely pushed the idea that Warren Buffett said that Greene’s Wall Street dealings were "financial weapons of mass destruction."
Sunday Replay
On this week’s political talk shows, we found false and questionable statements about Rand Paul, unemployment and then-Sen. Obama’s impact on immigration legislation.
Paul Didn’t Go That Far
On CBS’ "Face the Nation," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine twisted the words of Rand Paul, the Republican nominee for Senate in Kentucky. Kaine claimed that Paul, a tea party member, "says the Civil Rights Act shouldn’t have been passed." That’s not true.
Paul did kick up a controversy when he told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow that while he personally did not agree with discriminatory practices,