Every once in a while bogus emails get revised, recycled – and widely recirculated. That is happening now with a viral email that purports to list income tax increases that take effect this year.
Return of the False Tax Claims
Issues: Taxes
No Back Taxes in Immigration Action
President Barack Obama misspoke when he said that immigrants living illegally in the U.S. would have to “pay any back taxes” in order to qualify for work papers under the plan he initiated via executive action. They would not.
Midterm Mudslinging Not Yet Over
An ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee continues the relentless effort to tie Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu to President Barack Obama, who is not very popular in Louisiana. But the ad stretches the facts on several points.
Final Week Spin
With the midterm elections now just days away, many campaigns and outside groups are making their final appeals. And, as has been the case all election season, some of the claims miss the mark.
GOP Whacks Weiland Over Payroll Taxes
A Republican TV ad says Senate candidate Rick Weiland is going across South Dakota saying “he’s one of us” when “Weiland supports higher payroll taxes.” Not for all, he doesn’t.
FactChecking the Iowa Senate Race
Longtime Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin is retiring, and Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley and Republican Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst are each hoping to be the one to replace him.
Grimes Ad Misses the Mark on McConnell
Thought you’d seen it all this political season? An ad from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes criticizes Sen. Mitch McConnell for his vote on a bill that President Obama praised, and even thanked McConnell by name for supporting.
FactChecking the Michigan Senate Race
The Michigan Senate race pits Democratic Rep. Gary Peters against Republican Terri Lynn Land, a former Michigan secretary of state, to replace the retiring Sen. Carl Levin.
Corbett’s Desperation and Deceit
We’ve noticed that the most deceitful attack ads often come from candidates who are most desperate. For example, consider the claim by Pennsylvania’s unpopular Republican Gov. Tom Corbett that his opponent “is promising to raise middle-class taxes.”
A ‘Whopper’ in Arkansas Debate?
At an Oct. 13 Arkansas Senate debate, Rep. Tom Cotton claimed that Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor “voted for every one of Barack Obama’s tax increases.” Pryor called this a “whopper,” and countered that he “voted against every budget that President Obama has offered.” We find that both are not telling the whole story.