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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

The Whoppers of 2004

Bush and Kerry repeat discredited claims in their final flurry of ads. Here’s our pre-election summary of the misinformation we found during the Bush-Kerry presidential campaign.

Distortions Galore at Second Presidential Debate

Both candidates played loose with the facts at the second Presidential Debate in St. Louis Oct. 8. We offer a sampler of the dubious and sometimes false statements made by each of the candidates.

Bush Mischaracterizes Kerry’s Health Plan

A Bush ad claims Kerry’s healthcare proposals would put “big government in charge” of medical decisions. In fact, Kerry’s plan would leave 97% with the insurance they have now — while up to 27 million who aren’t insured would gain coverage.

Kerry “Paperwork” Ad: Accurate

Kerry ad says medical paperwork costs hundreds of billions and his plan could save money. He’s right. But what about the expense?